Hi
I've got a K reg Rover Metro 1.4 diesel.
First thing every morning it really battles to start and when it does there are clouds of blue smoke. I have to crank the engine for about 20 seconds before it starts.
The ignition light turn off after about 5 seconds of turning the key.
Took it to a garage and they checked the glow plugs etc and could find nothing wrong.
Have replaced the fuel filter.
Problem is only recent - last 2 months.
Later in the day - to come home, the car starts no problem. Only seems to be first thing in the morning.
Any suggestions?
Could there be a problem with condensation in the fuel tank ???
Thanks
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Almost certainly glow plugs. I don't know what they do to check the condition of the plugs, but my wife's Saxo had the same symthoms recently with 40k on the clock and a new set cured the problem. Worth shopping round on prices as they seem to vary wildly, I found the cheapest were Halfords at £22.95 for the set.
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Peter,
I wonder how they were checked as well.
No disrespect to Tom but the OE Beru plug will give the very best performance/life with this engine.
Next easy item to check is the waxstat cold start device that gives extra fuel until the engine is warm, I'm sure your engine has this.
David
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No disrespect to either of you - or to Halfords - but, as mentioned in a previous thread, I'd recommend a reputable brand, eg NGK. I had a set of Halfords' 'go off' after only 3k miles, resulting in an AA call-out, an incorrect diagnosis by my garage, & unnecessary replacement of a £70 relay ! ! (Halfords 'did the honourable thing' & refunded my money.)
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Just having seen David W's earlier post , vauxhall TD thread, establishing his 'diesel cred', I'm happy to 'bow to his superior knowledge' !!
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My Vauxhall Astra 1.7DR diesel has refused to start until the 6th or 7th attempt since a Vauxhall dealer fitted a new fuel tank and glow plugs last January.
In desperation I called out a commercial diesel fitter 3 weeks ago and after checking the amperage flowing through the glow plugs which was OK, his immediate diagnosis was the fuel injector pump was loosing compression overnight, either through loose fitting fuel hoses (which they were not) or wear in the pump.
Needless to say the cost of a reconditioned pump plus fitting would be over £1,000
I have since bought another car!
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one trick with these types of bosch rotary inj pumps with no seperate lift pump is to fit a hand type priming pump as fitted to some citroens etc. the internal valves hold back fuel.
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I had a Saab 9-3 TiD which was an excellent starter for 25,000 miles, then began to be difficult - lots of churning, would eventually start with loads of smoke, until one day it wouldn't fire at all. It was fixed under warranty as a known problem. The injector seals were apparently of inadequate quality, and they were allowing engine oil to mix with the diesel fuel. The seals (and I suppose injectors) were replaced by the local main agent and no further problems. Although this car was a lot newer than yours, it could be similar if one or more seals have deteriorated?
Hope this helps.
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Hi Peter - If your car starts OK at the end of the day, you can be pretty sure that the trouble lies within the preheater system. If your mechanic took an ohm reading from each plug, that would show the plugs were OK. It wouldn't show up any fault in the control relay. That needs checking as well. The blue smoke is only the result of excess unburnt fuel in the cylinders.
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Unburnt vaporised diesel fuel normally appears as white smoke, surely??
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That is correct - I was wrong in the original message - it is white smoke not blue.
Went around to Peugeot dealer today (since the engine is in the 106 and the Citroen AX) - apparently this is a common problem. "Tight tappets" which get worse with wear and cold mornings. They have to lift the cam etc etc and add some shims. Didn't quite understand, but I also phoned a citroen dealer and they confirmed the diagnosis.
Thanks for the suggestions.
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I have been having similar problems with my girlfriend's 106 1998 1.5 diesel.
Over the past couple of (cold) days, it has taken 3 or 4 attempts to get it started. The glow plugs have been checked, and they are not damaged and have the correct resistance.
This is accompanied by a lot of white smoke and "kangarooing" when the throttle is half open. The engine has done about 27000 miles and has been regularly serviced (every 6 months which happens to correspond to the 6000 mile interval).
I have read about problems with the bores getting worn due to dirty or worn injectors on this forum.
Any ideas?
Steve
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The first garage only checked the resistance of the glow plugs and said they were okay, but another garage replaced them and it it solved all the problems. Apparently there were 2 plugs not working.
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