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Cold starting vectra diesel

Hi, sorry for the boring nature of this post but having problems with a 4 year old vectra 2.0DTi where everthing is fine when it's warm, but when cold (below about

20C) it will start briefly, splutter then die, then eventually start after cranking it on the starter for up to around 1 minute and chucking out a load of white smoke. once its started its fine and never cuts out. The glowplug light on the dash comes on for about 1 second I think this is normal?

It is definitely temperature related but not knowing much about diesels not sure what to do. The garage changed the fuel filter a while ago but this obviously didn't help. Could it be something as simple as the glowplugs not heating up? any advice much appreciated before my starter motor packs up.. cheers sam

Reply to
sam
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Sounds like the fuel is running back to the tank. There's 2 likely causes to this. Either the leak off pipes have perished, which is what I would change first, or the leak off seals on the injectors them selfs are leaking. I'd change the injector leak off pipes, and see if that cures the problem first.

On these cars (or any engine with injectors internal to the head), the leak off pipes are connected to the feed pipe to the injection pump, to prevent diesel getting into the engine oil.

moray

Reply to
Moray Cuthill

I have done two vectra's this week with the same symptoms, both were caused by the leak off pipes leaking( a strange way to describe it). Take off the plastic cover on the top of the engine and replace the braided flexible pipes between the injectors, you can buy a kit from most motor factors.

Reply to
Mill Autos

The message from "Moray Cuthill" contains these words:

Not if it's chucking out white smoke - fuel's obviously getting through.

Reply to
Guy King

Used to be called 'Spill pipes' presumably from over-spill!

Reply to
""manx.exile "

White smoke is caused by the timing being out, which can be caused by air in the system. Even the fly-by-wire injection pumps still rely on diesel to alter the pump timing.

Reply to
Moray Cuthill

The message from "Moray Cuthill" contains these words:

White smoke is caused by unburnt fuel, no matter what the reason. I'd not pin it definitely on timing. I've had dead glow-plugs cause white smoke, and for that matter I've had poor compression do it, too.

Reply to
Guy King

So you could then say that the Spill pipes were spilling?

Reply to
Mill Autos

That last post should of said

White smoke can be caused by the timing being out.

Reply to
Moray Cuthill

The message from "Moray Cuthill" contains these words:

Fair enough!

Reply to
Guy King

You could. Or even ' the spill pipes were leaking!'

Reply to
""manx.exile "

No fun in that! If I got to call e'm spill pipes then they then they got to be spilling not leaking. Of course they could be spilling and spilling which would mean they were leaking.

Reply to
Mill Autos

Had exactly the same problem on my 2.2dti vectra. Changing the leak off pipes cured it. The replacment kit from VX costs about £13 (retail) and uses a much better quality pipe. Dave

Reply to
Dave Spam

True!

Reply to
""manx.exile "

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