Irregular idling on diesel engine

My girlfriend's 2002 Honda Civic, which has a 1.7 turbo diesel engine, runs very roughly when it is first started and generates quite a bit of black smoke. The engine sounds as if it is limping - as if it is running on only 3 out of 4 cylinders. After a few seconds it is fine and it runs beautifully after that. Seems to be most common if the car hasn't been driven for a few days.

Could it be a glow plug that needs replacing - is one cylinder not firing until the heat from its neighbours warms it up enough?

Reply to
Mortimer
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When were the injectors last serviced? Have you tried using some fuel conditioner? The symptoms sound like an injector is sticky and frees up once it gets warm.

Reply to
Steve W.

I have never seen a civic with a turbo diesel. Are you in Europe?

Reply to
jfrancis311

Thanks. I'll suggest she gets it looked at when the car is next serviced, and that she tries fuel conditioner (RedEx, or something like that?) in the meantime.

Reply to
Martin Underwood

Yes - the UK. The land of horrendously overpriced fuel (about 1.10 per litre, which equates to about $8 per US gallon if I've done my conversion correctly), so there's a great incentive for people to buy the most fuel-efficient cars that they can.

I get about 50 miles per UK gallon (40 per US gallon) in my Peugeot 306 HDi and my girlfriend gets about 60 in her Civic, which is a lot better than the

35 or so that I got in my old VW Golf with a 1.8 petrol (gasoline) engine.
Reply to
Martin Underwood

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