2.1 fuelling issues?

[karlito]

Hi, i have just bought a 2.1 dj van which has some issues with the engine.
I can get it running (badly) but it smokes like and East end villian puffing out massive amounts of thick acrid white/black smoke.
Im thinking its over fuelling massively, and the smoke is the product of this issue, as it has 175 psi compression across the board and, when it does make the effort to run on all 4 it actually sounds ok (if brief)
It was sporting a lot of rusty water in the fuel tank which i have removed and flushed out and i have cleaned out the fuel lines and fuel regualtor and replaced the injectors.

So far its had, new oil (was well overfilled)
New coolant
new coolant switch
new fuel filter
new plugs
new leads
new air filter
s/h injectors

Im now at a point where i have run out of ideas as i dont usually do fuel injection, mainly coz i dont undersatand it!!

All help will be greatly appreciated.....

cheers karl

[Aidan]

check for vacuum at the plenum chamber take off for the fuel regulator, if that little spigot is blocked then no control of fuel pressure regulator will run at full pump pressure with minimal bypass, that could cause over fueling and some disi vacuum balance issues

[AdrianC]

Im thinking its over fuelling massively

Does the exhaust _smell_ petrolly and rich?

So far its had, new oil (was well overfilled)

It might just be oil in the intake via the breather - have you had a good look in the plumbing, and a clean out?

...new coolant switch...

Which bit do you mean by this? The CTS2 temp sender in the side of the thermostat housing? If not, that's gotta be your first port of call. New seal and clip, too. No need to lose much coolant when you change it.

[karlito]

It was putting oil in through the breather which accounted for some of the smoke, problem is it won't run for ling enough to see if it will clear.
I changed the temp switch on the side of the housing (blue top)
When it dud try to run, it hunted badly and plugs are black...
It's hard to tell what the smoke smells of, it's very thick though

[karlito]

Now running better but still poorly, seems the signal to the injectors is intermittent.

Any ideas?!

[AdrianC]

seems the signal to the injectors is intermittent.

Clean every single connector. Check for continuity and resistance along every single wire back to the pin to the ECU, wiggling the loom whilst you do so.

Once you get your head around injection, it's very straightforward and a lot less "magical" than a carb. If you've got the Bentley manual, ignore the injection information they have for 2.1 - US 2.1s use a different injection, and that in the DJ is basically what they had in the 1.9s, but without the lambda.

[karlito]

I've cleaned all earths snd injector connections, do you thing it could be dizzy related?
It does periodically and rhythmically run on all four then drops out then perks up etc

[AdrianC]

Let's go back a step...

Originally, you said

Im thinking its over fuelling massively

Then you said...

seems the signal to the injectors is intermittent.

Now you're asking...

do you thing it could be dizzy related?

WHY do you think the signal to the injectors is intermittent?
You've cleaned SOME connections, what about the rest?

If the signal to the injectors is a problem, it's not going to be anything to do with the ignition.

If it really is running rich, as you were suggesting even earlier, it's not the signal to the injectors - since they wouldn't be opening with no signal being received. If it is over-fuelling, then it's quite possible that the injection is thinking it needs to be richer than it should be - and, for that, a mis-reading of the coolant temp sensor switch is most likely. Resistance at the ECU pin fits the temp graph?

Another feasible cause is dripping/leaking injectors - the used injectors you fitted - are they any good? Did you bin the originals?

Another cause - is the fuel pressure at the rail too high? If it is, then more fuel will be delivered whilst the injectors are open than the ECU expects.

You say there was a lot of rusty water in the fuel tank - is that because the tank or filler was rotted out? If so, and unless you've already replaced them, then you've likely got contamination in the fuel again. If the tank wasn't rotten, how did that rusty water get there in the first place, and why isn't it getting there again?

[karlito]

Ok, the reason i think the injectors are intermittent is because i made a test light that fits to the connector and it goes out as the engine stutters and comes back on as it picks up.
This is accompanied by a blast of smoke as it takes up again.

The reason i initially thought the van was overfuelling was all the smoke.
That turned out to be a combination of crap in fuel, massively overfilled oil (twice what it should have) and this injector dropping out business.

I have had the tank out and cleaned it thouroughly, filler neck fine as is tank integrity. I have no idea how it got contaminated, ive only just bought the van.
It now has correct filter fitted which i have removed and checked and no sign of nastiness in there.

Its got a new coolant switch, i have no idea of resistance at the ecu or anywhere else to be honest!!

I have also removed and cleaned all earth conections

[mark]

Ok, the reason i think the injectors are intermittent is because i made a test light that fits to the connector and it goes out as the engine stutters and comes back on as it picks up.
This is accompanied by a blast of smoke as it takes up again.

The reason i initially thought the van was overfuelling was all the smoke.
That turned out to be a combination of crap in fuel, massively overfilled oil (twice what it should have) and this injector dropping out business.

I have had the tank out and cleaned it thouroughly, filler neck fine as is tank integrity. I have no idea how it got contaminated, ive only just bought the van.
It now has correct filter fitted which i have removed and checked and no sign of nastiness in there.

Its got a new coolant switch, i have no idea of resistance at the ecu or anywhere else to be honest!!

I have also removed and cleaned all earth conections

hi ive been through something similar with my dj overfueling, started with all the big bits ecu, afm etc.(i now have quite a nice collection of spares ) my temp 2 sensor was the cause of the over fueling. but to get it to run properly i had to clean every electrical contact in the engine bay. you will need a toothbrush (best not use your own but another family members will do) a can of contact cleaner and a couple of hours, unfasten, spray, scrub, shake and reconnect i started at the right hand side.
if that doesent cure it then start swaping stuff, search vanagon syndrome and ignore it all apart from testing and cleaning the amf.


mark

[karlito]

Cheers mark, will snaffle a toothbrush and get on that tomorrow!

[AdrianC]

Ok, the reason i think the injectors are intermittent is because i made a test light that fits to the connector and it goes out as the engine stutters and comes back on as it picks up.

The injectors are fed a pulsing current, milliseconds at a time. If it's a filament test light, it won't be responding quickly enough. The only instrument that'll really tell you what's happening there is an oscilloscope.

Its got a new coolant switch, i have no idea of resistance at the ecu or anywhere else to be honest!!

It's multimeter o'clock.

[karlito]

Got a guy coming to look at it today... If it still won't play ball it's either getting a carb or going to the scrappy.

It's holding it's future in it's hands!!

[mark]

threats dont work, these old ladies have seen and heard alot worse than you could ever muster.
if the previous owner(s) has abused it, it will take time to put it right. buy a haynes................ill take it offof your hands for a tenner

mark

[karlito]

After a lot of poking and prodding, it does indeed seem to be the injector signal dropping out, all circuits up to the ecu are good and constant.... so its a new ecu today... i shall let you know the outcome.

On another note, i cant believe how much these things are worth now, i sold my 86 Autosleeper waaay too cheap a couple of years ago

Even breakers are offering me 600 quid plus (which is very tempting as it only cost me 500 notes and came with Fooks alloys..)