td4 fuel problems

Blue smoke would indicate oil, and i reccon that it would do it while you were runnin.

I'll get it one day!

Funny one this one. Over the last couple of days no smoke on start up. I can't understand it.
Would the excess of pressure from the old crankcase breather somehow managed to push some oil through and now this has been changed have resulted in no excess of oil so therefore no smoke on start up?

I have just trawled a bit through the net for a bit of info and found this...

"When white smoke occurs at cold start and then disappears as the engine warms up, the most common causes are fouling deposits around piston rings and/or cylinder glazing.

Blue smoke is often evident at cold start, which can reflect reduced oil control due to carbon fouling deposits around the piston rings and/or cylinder glaze (which is actually carbon deposited in the machined cylinder crosshatching. These tiny grooves actually hold a film of oil, which in turn completes the seal between the combustion chamber and the oil wetted crankcase)."

What would cure this?
Would Miller Power Sport 4 help cure this?

Don't particularly agree with much of that. Have you still got your white smoke issue then Mick? I thought you said it's OK now.

Millers cleans the the fuel system, injectors and their nozzles and also raises the cetane rating of the fuel reducing that harsh diesel knock.

Hi Chaser
Yes today I reved the engine earlier and a bit of smoke came out but the engine started rattling a bit while it happened at about 2500 revs. No where near as much that used to come out though.
Injector leak? How would I test this?
It only happens on start up when the car has been left for a bit.

MickO'CTD4 said:

Hi Chaser
Yes today I reved the engine earlier and a bit of smoke came out but the engine started rattling a bit while it happened at about 2500 revs. No where near as much that used to come out though.
Injector leak? How would I test this?
It only happens on start up when the car has been left for a bit.

Click to expand...

Is this all in the first 10 seconds running and still white smoke as in your previous posts?

There's not much you can do without throwing money at it except maybe checking ALL sensor connections, spraying with contact cleaner.
The crankshaft/camshaft sensors influences injection timing (which can give white smoke) but since it runs OK the rest of the time it's not worth spending money there.
The only other thing if you really can't live with it is to have it on T4 diagnostics.

Injector leak back issue would be accompanied by increased cranking time/poor starting.

Hi Chaser
It is no where near as bad as it was in fact it is hardly evident really but still intriguing/ a little worrying all the same. Before I got the crankcase breather I would rev and a big cloud appeared at back flowing down the road, engine rattling away and after about 5-10 secs gone. When I tried it last, I deliberately tried to force it and revved the engine up to 3500 to see if it would happen. At about 2500 a little thin cloud came out, engine rattled a bit (again no where near as bad as it did before). Once gone, nothing again. Engine does rattle a bit when revving about 2000 – 2500 but otherwise OK.
Tried it again this lunchtime and nothing but a bit of rattling between the above range.

I think that I shall book a day off to have a really good look at the car because I want to get to the bottom of it.
By the way are you the same Chaser that is on the other land rover forum?

I think you should try another TD4 for comparison cos they all have quite a harsh sound as you accelerate through the mid range and a bit of smoke is acceptable from a diesel when you use the power.

mine is just crap on starting, even then not all the time as my missus started this morn and said there was no problem. Big white smoke, lumpy idlefor ten secs, pulls like a train for the rest of the day (have done the egr/manifold/maf/synergy set to stun!).

Billy-g said:

mine is just crap on starting, even then not all the time as my missus started this morn and said there was no problem. Big white smoke, lumpy idlefor ten secs, pulls like a train for the rest of the day (have done the egr/manifold/maf/synergy set to stun!).

Click to expand...

Have you got any leaky injectors, how many miles has it done?

If the mileage is very high you could have the injectors tested as there are other issues with them beside leak back. Personally though I think I'd just be happy if they aren't leaking back and hope some millers will help them last.

Funny how it sorts itself out after a few seconds like it's building up fuel pressure or something. (leads me back to the leak test)
There seems to be a few TD4 owners with the same problem, hopefully someone will sort it soon and then you will all benefit.

Right then, the way I am, I am going to get to the bottom of this.
Went to parents tonight, stayed two hours and then when I was leaving asked my dad to stand by the exhaust to check it while I started up. Revved the engine and as usual white cloud and thankfully he said stunk of unburnt diesel, after he had stopped choking!!!
He said I should check overfueling, fuel filter, injectors (more likely) or glow plugs.
Going to see local garage and ask them tomorrow what they think.

Billy-G you say that you changed your MAF and that didn't resolve the issue so leads me to think that maybe injector is leaking or too much fuel sitting about. I do know that it is overfueling due to excess amount of fuel it is using.

When I think about it it only stated happening really when I combined cleaning the egr and manifold, used injector cleaner and cleaned the MAF.

It's not overfueling.
It isn't burning the fuel injected.
Reasons can be incorrect injection timing, low cylinder temperature linked to low compression , poor injection possibly due to low fuel pressure which in your case would only seem to be at start up or faulty injectors.

Your problem is trying to find the cause without throwing money away....

Your problem is trying to find the cause without throwing money away....

In a nutshell.

I hate to say it but a session on T4 might pay for itself

What is this T4? a special type of diagnostics? is it a main LR stealer jobber?

Sorry I didn't mean over fuelling I meant not burning the fuel properly.

Billy-g said:

What is this T4? a special type of diagnostics? is it a main LR stealer jobber?

Click to expand...

Yes LR diagnostics, it used to be known as Testbook.

Well it looks like the inectors are to blame so have asked Land Rover to have a look at it. It is booked in for Wednesday so I will keep you posted. The guy at LR said that he has had a few in with similar problems and it was one of the injectors leaking or timing.

Do an injector leak test yourself, its been covered on here many times. Don't use a dealer unless you really can't get a result from the forum.

Well you just wouldn't believe it, well actually you will.
I decided (being lazy and against better judgement and advice) to take the Freelander to Land Rover to check my injectors to get a definitive answer to the problem of white smoke, lumpy idle etc.
Well, I took it in on the Wednesday and told them the problem to which he said it will be ready at 4 o'clock. At three o'clock I rang to be told that they couldn't find the problem and would it be OK if I left it overnight so they could test it in the morning. I said yes hoping that they would find out exactly what the problem was if they experienced what I do every morning.
The next day after not hearing anything I decided to ring at 12 o'clock. I was put through to the same person (by a really rude and loathsome receptionist) I spoke to the previous day. He informed me that they saw the white smoke on start up but the diagnostic machine couldn't tell them what the problem was because it could have been injector 4 or any of the other three and advised me to go to another garage which they take cars to which they get in with similar problems they can't fix. He told me my car would be ready at 2pm to collect and would be available to give me more information when I come to collect the car.

So I turned up at 2pm to collect the car and saw the receptionist who gave me a bill of £57.50 to pay. I paid and asked to speak to the person I spoke to earlier on the phone. She informed me (short version) that he wasn't available and the exit was over there. So walked out of door with my key feeling as though I had been robbed!!!!
So I decided to walk into the service department to speak to anyone. I walked over to a different man who was slouched over a diagnostic machine. As helpful and a chocolate fireguard and a personality to match.
"Could be anything or any of your injectors, our machine can't tell things like that."

Why the hell do you claim to have a machine that can diagnose problems which can't and then charge me for the privilege? :doh:

It is the last time I go there and yes I was prior warned by a few people not to go there!! Lesson learnt!!

I know now why you all call them stealers, because I feel as though they robbed me blind!