405 turbo diesel starts, idles, then smokes like a trooper..

Try a fuel filter change, It sounds like a possible blocked filter. Also might be worth an oil and filter change to if you are blowing blue smoke.

Changing between veg and B100 can sometimes cause the filter to block

OR DONT USE IT.

The two minutes is interesting. The glow plugs on the turbo engine will stay on for about 2 minutes after starting to reduce smoke. If the bad running is coinciding with this then you do have a combustion problem. Blue smoke is normally oil burning, and if so, then you have a mechanical problem, either worn pistons/rings, or valve guides. Have you tried to check the compression? Easy way for a rough check is to get one front wheel off the ground, then put it into 5th gear, and turn the front wheel. You will feel each compression stroke, and it should be quite stiff to turn past this when the engine is hot. Also all cylenders should feel about the same. You get one stroke per half turn of the wheel. If you really can't feel much compression, then your mechanic friend was probably right. Do you know when the oil was last changed? It might be very thin now if it is old, and a change to a more substantial grade might help.

But why is it fine for 3 minutes then suddenly start smoking?

..the heater relay warms the plugs for 3 minutes then switches off - hmmm

Kev

"Chris" wrote: > caveman_si wrote: > > Try a fuel filter change, It sounds like a possible > blocked filter. > > Also might be worth an oil and filter change to if you are > blowing blue > > smoke. > > > > Changing between veg and B100 can sometimes cause the filter > to block > > > OR DONT USE IT.

God knows when the oil was changed or anything else for that matter (except the plugs which I changed)

I?m bracing myself for the worse, scrap her :cry:

..thanks a lot guys for trying to help

Ke

"Brian" wrote

Do you have any idea of how many miles/km the engine has done? I would expect one of those engines to be good for 200k miles in normal use. My old 306 TD has over 150k now and still goes well. I did have an old 305 with a 1.7D engine which it turned out must have done over 200k, and it was a poor starter. I reground the valves and it carried on for quite a time, then a ring went. If your car is any good in terms of body etc, those engines are now two a penny in scrapyards. Just need to find one with lower miles.

Well I felt I had to update my thread, it turned out to be rancid fuel, after checking the diesel timing (OK), injectors (OK), the contents of the tank were checked - and it absolutely stank :x

The tank was drained and real diesel put in, once it was pumped through the engine ran great again

..I have sent an email to the garage concerned complaining about my financial loss (fuel + mechanic time)

Ke

"Odster" wrote