1HD FTE Misfiring & HardStart

[Joshua Korir]

An Update: Turns out that my one of my batteries was low on charge and on its way out, so that needs replacing. Could explain the hard start requiring 2 to 3 cranks before the engine could run. I got a new hand pump and diesel filter today, so I will fit them tomorrow and see how it goes alongside bleeding the fuel lines. Diesel fumes in the car are most annoying. Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

 

[Joshua Korir]

Yes
The way I understand it( I have an old diesel injection text book from one of the state education depts., the type apprentices mechanics have)
It says that when the timing is advanced the fuel enters the combustion chamber and hits the cyl walls . The "whiteness" is from condensation.
Obviously its not the only way you can get white smoke. Other ways are bad glow plugs or low compression, but these are also symptoms of combustion that is too cool.
Timing can be advanced because of weak injector springs allowing the injector to open early, or from a badly adjusted pump.

To burn the fuel properly, the fuel needs to enter the combustion chamber when the air is fully compressed and white hot. It instantly combusts as its sprayed in. I guess it would look like a flame thrower if you could view it in slow motion.

And black smoke is from either too much fuel or a spray pattern that that inhibits a proper swirl pattern

Can the timing be really adjusted on the IP for the FTE. Looks like its a self adjusting pump.

 

[Joshua Korir]

 

[Joshua Korir]

Some slight knock, will take a better clip in the morning, but I can hear a knock on idle. Could it be a faulty injector?

 

[dousty]

Can I ask why the injectors were serviced? Was it because of the white smoke/rough idle or has it started since the injectors were refitted?

 

[roscoFJ73]

An Update: Turns out that my one of my batteries was low on charge and on its way out, so that needs replacing. Could explain the hard start requiring 2 to 3 cranks before the engine could run. I got a new hand pump and diesel filter today, so I will fit them tomorrow and see how it goes alongside bleeding the fuel lines. Diesel fumes in the car are most annoying. Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

The diesel fumes in the car could be a separate issue and a dangerous one.

I would try and track down which cylinder is missing. You could do this by slowly releasing pressure at each injector in turn with the negine idling.
But the people who did your injectors should be able to isolate it

 

[Joshua Korir]

This morning I pumped the hand primer and the Car stated with no white smoke so am currently replacing the hand pump and new diesel filter.
The injectors were serviced due to black smoke which has since been cured.
Will bleed the pump and hope it solves the diesel fumes in the car.

 

[Joshua Korir]

The hand pump has been replaced with a new diesel filter. Car now starts without any smoke at all. That's resolved.
We cracked the injector lines and only 2 were causing the Car to have a very rough idle. The rest had little impact.
Does this mean my IP is on its way out? New pump or is there a way to fix it?

 

[IanB]

The hand pump has been replaced with a new diesel filter. Car now starts without any smoke at all. That's resolved.
We cracked the injector lines and only 2 were causing the Car to have a very rough idle. The rest had little impact.
Does this mean my IP is on its way out? New pump or is there a way to fix it?

So is this ALL resolved, or just just the white smoke? Is it still idling rough?

If it's all resolved, it could just be that only 2 of the hardlines had air in them, so it made a difference when you cracked the lines on those 2.

 

[Joshua Korir]

Only the white smoke and hard start are now resolved. It appears there was air coming in from the hand pump.
After cracking the injector lines only 2 lines are the Car to have a real rough idle. Seems the other 4 lines were low on pressure. Diesel fumes still getting into car. Mechanic suspecting rotor head on IP is worn out.
Engine still shaking on idle

 

[Joshua Korir]

 

[Joshua Korir]

We wiped the exhaust manifold for each cylinder with cold water. Should evaporate very fast if the combustion is perfect. Slow evaporation for cylinders 1,2 &6.
We are narrowing down on the IP. Seems to be low on pressure on some of the injector lines.
Any suggestions or other possible causes?

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

We wiped the exhaust manifold for each cylinder with cold water. Should evaporate very fast if the combustion is perfect. Slow evaporation for cylinders 1,2 &6.
We are narrowing down on the IP. Seems to be low on pressure on some of the injector lines.
Any suggestions or other possible causes?

1, and 6 are also the parts of the manifold that get the least exhaust flow....so I'm not sure that is conclusive evidence....

Have you been driving it much since replacing the hand pump and filter? Sometimes it can take a lot of driving for all the air to get out of the system. Like a couple days of driving. Could still be causing your problems.

 

[Joshua Korir]

Just had the pump replaced today. Let me give it a 100K run tomorrow and see how it turns out.
What kind of effect should cracking the injector lines have. Only 2 lines seemed to give a very rough idle.

 

[IanB]

1, and 6 are also the parts of the manifold that get the least exhaust flow....so I'm not sure that is conclusive evidence....

Have you been driving it much since replacing the hand pump and filter? Sometimes it can take a lot of driving for all the air to get out of the system. Like a couple days of driving. Could still be causing your problems.

1 & 6 get the least air flow on the intake side, but they should get the same fuel as the other cylinders, would that not make them the hottest cylinders on the exhaust side?

 

[Joshua Korir]

Thought all exhaust temps should be similar if combustion is optimum for all cylinders

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

1 & 6 get the least air flow on the intake side, but they should get the same fuel as the other cylinders, would that not make them the hottest cylinders on the exhaust side?

When you measure the manifold temp at number three exhaust outlet, you're measuring the cumulative temp of the exhaust from cylinder one, two and three. More exhaust = more heat into the manifold? Especially as this test appears to have been done as the engine was still warming up.

This picture explains what I'm trying to say. The most heat is where most of the exhaust is flowing. You can see the two far ends are the coolest. Just saying it isn't a real accurate method.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Just had the pump replaced today. Let me give it a 100K run tomorrow and see how it turns out.
What kind of effect should cracking the injector lines have. Only 2 lines seemed to give a very rough idle.

If all the pump and all injectors were good, it would stumble and run on 5 cyl. If one injector is not firing you would not get any difference when you loosened the bad injector line.

This is the test that needs to be done before you spend any money. I would ask them to do it with the injectors attached . Ask them to "flow match" your injectors.

 

[Joshua Korir]

Will get pump tested this week, thought the weak pressure at the injector lines was an indication of a weak pump. My mechanic was talking of a worn out rotor head? How good are the rebuilds on the pump or do I opt for a new one.

 

[Joshua Korir]

If all the pump and all injectors were good, it would stumble and run on 5 cyl. If one injector is not firing you would not get any difference when you loosened the bad injector line.

This is the test that needs to be done before you spend any money. I would ask them to do it with the injectors attached . Ask them to "flow match" your injectors.

Only 2 injector lines made the Car to idle very roughly. The other 4 lines had diesel leaking with weak pressure. Does that point to faulty IP or injectors.
Holding revs at 3500 RPM the misfire is very audible.