lumpy start and white smoke 1.9 td

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Synergietom
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lumpy start and white smoke 1.9 td

Post by Synergietom »

Hi all just whanted to ask does an air leak in the fuel lines cause lumpy starting and white smoke when the engine is cold.
Im currently having to prime the bulb everytime the car is left for more than four hours and when priming you can hear air leaking from around the nuckle joining the pipes coming from the primer to the pump.
Would be worth fitting some 7mm clear hose i place of the originalls just to see if this is the case.
Yipee i have the xant lets i hope i keep her this time
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Post by MikeT »

Certainly it does and can even stop the car from starting altogether. If you've identified the leak, just replace the leaking part and you should notice a marked improvement.
Synergietom
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Post by Synergietom »

Thanks Mike any ideas where i can get the parts from as being as im taking the off anyway it may be worth changing the pipes at the same time as theyve been on the car just as long.
Yipee i have the xant lets i hope i keep her this time
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Post by MikeT »

I'm not sure what knuckle joint you mean (the joint half way along the pipe?) but any old fuel line of the same bore and connectors with new clips should suffice. The primer itself is also fairly easy to source either from motor/diesel factors, main stealer (probably expensive) and even the likes of B&Q.

EDIT: If you can't find anything suitable, drop me a PM as I think I've got one half of the fuel pipe, plus the connector/coupling & clips and a primer bulb in my spares boxes.
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Post by Old-Guy »

White 'smoke' when starting is usually un-burnt diesel fuel - anyone standing behind the car at the time will quickly confirm this!

There are a number of causes - if the problem only occurs when when the engine is cold, I'd suspect one or more heater (glow) plugs have failed. Most glows can be easily checked - with the bonnet up - by turning on the 'ignition' waiting till the glow warning light has gone out, turn off, wait a few seconds then turn on again; repeat sequence. Then carefully touch the end of each plug in turn - working ones are usually VERY HOT! :shock:
I'd expect you to find one or two cold ones.

Fix the air leak first - easiest and has greatest effect. Glows can be pigs to get out - use the car for a while with daily doses of penetrating oil will make the job easier.
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Post by admiral51 »

I have had to replace the fuel lines on my old 1.9td and now my 3.2td and i managed to get the clear line from Hyphose.
Not 100% sure of the internal diameter just now but it is braided hose and costs the extortionate price of 77p a metre :)

All i did was take the lid off the fuel filter housing and got them them to get me the correct size pipe.The pipe will fit snug on the filter lid outlet,a tad loose on the fuel pump/primer bulb connection and will need a little bit of hot water treatment to get it to fit over the fuel filter inlet.
The reason for using the braided hose is that it has the rigidity built into it to stop it folding in on itself.
Not sure if this will be clear to see but it is used in the following pic

Image

As per previous answers an air leak/ingress will cause no end of problems starting the car.Have you checked/replaced the leak off pipes recently

Colin
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Post by Synergietom »

Hi mike yes its the half allong the fuel line but as mine is the synergie it may be slightly different the line runs from the primer across the engine towards the offside through the knuckle then back across towards the gearbox ill send you a pm shortly.
Colin idid buy some spare leak off pipe but didnt change it as its a pigto get off and i can hear the air leaking from around the knukle when priming allthough when i do finally source the correctfuel line ( hopefully clear ) im planning on changingthe whole lot inluding leak off pipes.
Old guy would it be worth just changing the glow plugs anyway as im changing everything else including possibly the injetors if i can get them cheap enough hopefully then this will allso eradicate theblack smoke i get if revvedup above 3000 in lower gears its not bad but definately noticeable and will probably fail an mot
Yipee i have the xant lets i hope i keep her this time
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Post by MikeT »

Hi Tom,

PM replied to.

Hi Colin, can I have first refusal on that 3.2 litre TD if you ever decide to sell it? 8-)
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Post by admiral51 »

MikeT wrote:

Hi Colin, can I have first refusal on that 3.2 litre TD if you ever decide to sell it? 8-)
What more can i say except



:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

I even had my glasses on whilst i was typing it :cry:

I wont edit it out as that would make this and your post seem odd :lol:

Colin
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Post by MikeT »

If you want to edit yours I'll edit mine :P
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Post by vince »

Old-Guy wrote:White 'smoke' when starting is usually un-burnt diesel fuel - anyone standing behind the car at the time will quickly confirm this!

There are a number of causes - if the problem only occurs when when the engine is cold, I'd suspect one or more heater (glow) plugs have failed. Most glows can be easily checked - with the bonnet up - by turning on the 'ignition' waiting till the glow warning light has gone out, turn off, wait a few seconds then turn on again; repeat sequence. Then carefully touch the end of each plug in turn - working ones are usually VERY HOT! :shock:
I'd expect you to find one or two cold ones.

Fix the air leak first - easiest and has greatest effect. Glows can be pigs to get out - use the car for a while with daily doses of penetrating oil will make the job easier.
Perhaps a silly question but if the ends of the glows become very hot :shock: then how can touching them be done "carefully" without burning yourself? The reason i ask is that i would like to test mine this way but i dont fancy melting my finger to the plug :)
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Synergietom
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Post by Synergietom »

hi guys i phoned GSF yesterday and they said thet the knuckle im after could bea none return valve and they dont stock it so i was wondering if i romove the first piece of pipe from the primer to the knuckle and just join the pieceof pipe going to the fuelpump directly onto the primer would this cause any any other undesired problems or just fix the originall problem.
Yipee i have the xant lets i hope i keep her this time
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Post by Synergietom »

Ok i managed to source the parts i need including the none return valve but i whont be able to collect untill Tuesday now allthough i have got some clear pipe which will fit so i think ill get on with changing the pipe tomorow ( at work tonight 10 till 10 ARRRGHHH ) and this should at least allow me to see if it is just the pipe corroded ar if the Valve does need changing.
Yipee i have the xant lets i hope i keep her this time
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Post by Synergietom »

Hi Mike RE PM i was thinking about changing the Glow plugs but probably not untill the end of the month now as GSF have quoted nearly £9 each for them and i doubt Roadrunners will be any cheaper to be honest there are a few things i need to do now the Brakes have started to squeel a little and know the pads are a little low, theres an oil leek from the back of the engine somewhere and interior things are slowly but surely starting to brake and stop working ( 4 Kids ) but to be air regardless of this it still runs and gets me to work alltough i dont think itll be able to stop for much longer but hey i suppose if im fixing it im spending spare time and money in the pub.
Yipee i have the xant lets i hope i keep her this time
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Post by admiral51 »

Have a look Here for glowplugs.

Not the cheapest but seem to be a reasonable quality

Colin
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