2.1TD regained power, coincidence?

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 05 Apr 2007, 09:30

My 2.1TD had been sluggish over 2000rpm, acceleration was more like my mum's 2.0 Hdi Xsara than my 1.9TD.
Checked all the pipes, and other than the one out of the air filter box being loose, all seem in one piece with no splits.

Was driving home a couple of nights ago, just put in some Shell diesel (normally use Tesco for the points and it's the same price and never had a problem before, and this car was like it when I picked it up from Southampton, and filling up at a shell garage on the A34 made no difference) and another dose of redex, when the car seemed to splutter a bit (was doing 60mph at the time) and then kick into life!

It's lovely, I'm able to fly around MK now

So what's likely to have caused it?
The car was previously driven by a family with disabled kids, so I can't see them driving at anything other than in a sedate manner, could the ECU have reset itself to my driving style?
Could the EGR have been stuck and suddenly worked its way free (there's been no visible smoke from the exhaust at all)?
Could the redex have done the trick clearing a semi-blockage?

The turbo still whistles, and I've narrowed part of the whistle down to the back box support rubber.

mooseshaver · Unread post by **mooseshaver** » 05 Apr 2007, 10:13

I once had a Saxo Petrol that went sluggish but had imporved fuel economy.
It was under warrenty and the Dealer said it was a sticking valve, they advised me to put redex in it before they would take it apart. It did not make any difference untill I was half way through the second tank of fuel when the car suddenly took off as I was overtaking. It never felt so fast.

Unread post by **Peter.N.** » 05 Apr 2007, 11:18

Turbo whistle can be caused by a loose/split turbo pipe, this could also cause lack of performance, although not intermittently I would have thought.

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 05 Apr 2007, 13:56

Since you did 2 things at one time - its hard to tell what has caused the better running.
But my pennies on the switch to Shell fuel ...
Not because Shell is a better fuel, but because your usual Tesco station may suffer from lots of (rain) water in the pump filler system. Its such a common problem, but we always forget exactly that possibility.

... or maybe Shell diesel IS a better fuel

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 05 Apr 2007, 14:39

Thing is Anders, when I picked it up it was nearly empty, so filled up with Shell diesel to get home.
So after more than £150 miles on Shell it was still sluggish, I even changed the air and fuel filters just incase.
I've given it about 5 treatments of redex in the month that I've had it.

I'm very pleased with it's performance now though

KP · Unread post by KP » 05 Apr 2007, 19:01

I Always reccomend shell diesel as the points from it are better than tescos(they point per litre not per pound spent) and it always worked much better in the old transits i drove(SWB 2.5 NA) after about 500 miles of thrashing them(they were company dogs at the time) and flew once they were fully cleaned out

Sometimes saw a lot of smoke on startup but after enough miles it cleared out

Power slides round a roundabout in the wet in a transit are fun to say the least!!

davethewheel · Unread post by **davethewheel** » 05 Apr 2007, 19:02

when i first bought my 2.1td it had a couple of faults, one the intercooler pipe was split, the big one that runs from the intercooler under the sump and into the turbo, the other fault was the dreaded EGR valve one minute the car was sluggish and blowing smoke out the next it would suddenly clear and the car would go like stink.
i did a few searches on EGR valves and it seems like they are nothing but trouble and in some cases can wreck engines by coating the inlet manifold and cylinder head with gunge, if i was you i would disconnect it anyway.