P38 runs like a out of balance washing machine

undarken · Jan 15, 2025

HI - my other account seems to have been deleted? only joined a week ago..
I have a p38 with 2.5 diesel. Cold it runs like a lawn mower that hasn't warmed up = though the rev s on the dash look really steady, it sounds like firing in an uneven loop.
When warm its a lot better but still notice it..
Any one had his? is it normal? has plenty of power..

Grrrrrr · Thursday at 13:21

Any white smoke coming out the exhaust?

undarken · Thursday at 13:39

No, but Smokey on startup, uses no oil in about 600 miles so far. Seems quite powerful … but no white smoke..

undarken · Thursday at 13:46

I’m hoping it might be the timing…

kermit_rr · Thursday at 14:02

Lumpy running when cold can be one or more dodgy glow plugs. It would explain the smoke too

undarken · Thursday at 14:40

How about when warm?

Datatek · Thursday at 15:07

undarken said:
How about when warm?

Faulty injector is a possibility. Any diesel in the injector wells? If so you may have faulty leak off pipes.

undarken · Thursday at 16:08

Ah! When I bought it the leak off pipe were leaking then fixed, though it did it before and after…

Datatek · Thursday at 17:21

undarken said:
Ah! When I bought it the leak off pipe were leaking then fixed, though it did it before and after…

Need to test the injectors and run diagnostics.

undarken · Thursday at 17:54

Interesting so leak off pipes could cause this?

Mark Piercy · Thursday at 18:10

Nope, they cause long starts and a wet diff pumpkin

Grrrrrr · Saturday at 09:37

undarken said:
I’m hoping it might be the timing…

You can check that as per RAVE but usually it either runs or doesn't. If someone has had the top of the FIP off it can run rough. Should idle at 750 rpm?

undarken · Sunday at 19:47

/Idle is very steady yes at 750 apart from the unevenness - though its not enough to move the rev counter directly above or below 750

Grrrrrr · Sunday at 20:05

Plenty of fuel coming through at the fuel filter?

Is yours the later engine with EGR and MAF?

undarken · Sunday at 20:49

Hard to tell you that thank you, the car it’s 2001 but the engine got replaced .. it has not been serviced for a while.. maybe if I got filters etc this would help

Grrrrrr · Sunday at 21:31

undarken said:
Hard to tell you that thank you, the car it’s 2001 but the engine got replaced .. it has not been serviced for a while.. maybe if I got filters etc this would help

Any idea how many sensors are on the cylinder head and does the oil filter housing have a plastic or ally head? Also, the part number on the FIP should end 994.

If you remove the fuel filter and bridge the fuel lift-pump relay then you should get a certain amount of fuel in 30 sexonds. Cannot remember the amount but it is in Wammer's post in the Technical Section. I doubt that's it tonbe honest but it is an easy thing to rule out.

Flossie · Sunday at 22:26

180ml in 10secs. Minimum.

Mark Piercy · Monday at 07:48

Have any of the fuel injector pipes been removed at all and put back on in the wrong place?

Grrrrrr · Monday at 14:17

Mark Piercy said:
Have any of the fuel injector pipes been removed at all and put back on in the wrong place?

Bloody hard to get them in the wrong place. They only just fit!

Datatek · Monday at 14:48

Grrrrrr said:
Bloody hard to get them in the wrong place. They only just fit!

Actually that is not so, from hands on experience I can tell you there are two pipes that are easily swapped.

P38 runs like a out of balance washing machine

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