Oil pressure

[tommin]

Am not sure to where to start here, but I have an issue?

Yesterday we went on one of our prearranged fishing trips some 140km north, van started okay drove the first 100km no problems, then we stopped for fuel top up, just briefly and thus our sad story starts.

It would not start as per norm. It took a couple of turns of the key, and when it did start it coughed and spluttered a few times and away we went, though after only a few km, i could feel something amiss. The engine felt laboured (best i can explain) when hitting even the smallest of hills, it started spouting some smoke (black n blueish) and i had to drop down a gear????? Then a few km more the buzzer of doom sounded, first intermittent then continuously.
I stopped to let the van cool so i could dip the oil, which incidentally should have been fine as the week before I did a full service? Anyhow there was sufficient oil but i put another 1/2 liter just to be sure. It started and i decided to resume our trip. Well just 10km from the end, the buzzer of doom started again and this time it stayed on so we pulled over again to let the van cool before deciding on what to do next. After over an hour of cooling it would not start, another hour and the same, a non starter and battery fading.
We decided to camp the night maybe better luck in the morning, uh uh next morning same situation and battery near on dead! Luckily for us a good natured geezer stopped and offered a tow start. Within the first nudge van started no problem?
We decided while it is still running to turn and head off home, which on the way we had to stop twice and top up some oil (engine running) due to buzzer of doom going off! We made it home some 3 hours later

Now I am wondering what the issues are? I am pretty certain it is something to do either with the oil or oil pump?

I recently repaired the pump (replaced some seals) and yesterday when we got it started, cracked the injectors to see if i had a feed issue, but all 4 injectors spouted good clean stream of fuel.

Hopefully my gurus here can shed some light on this coz at the moment i am at my wits end!
R:Tom

[ghost123uk]

i could dip the oil, Anyhow there was sufficient oil but i put another 1/2 liter just to be sure. It started and i decided to resume our trip. ...

on the way [home] we had to stop twice and top up some oil... due to buzzer of doom going off!

Have you been adding oil regardless of what the dipstick says ?
Was it actually using up all that oil you kept adding ?
Reason I ask is the BOD (buzzer of doom) only measure the oil pressure, not the amount of oil in there.

I am pretty certain it is something to do either with the oil or oil pump?

I recently repaired the pump (replaced some seals) and yesterday when we got it started, cracked the injectors to see if i had a feed issue, but all 4 injectors spouted good clean stream of fuel.

Are you getting oil pumps and fuel pumps mixed up here ?

[itchyfeet]

Check your oil pressure with a guage
if you dont have one you could buy one or get a garage to check it
check your oil level also on the flat

[tommin]

Yes was in a bit of a dither when it all went balls up. Not that much, have noticed some small spatters over back door, but this was always like this (there is a small leak on the crankshaft seal but very little).
Regarding the which pumps, yes i am asking about the internal oil pump not the external fuel pump (that was mentioned only because it was the last thing worked on).

I had best go and buy one of these pressure gauges then, as for the level i know it is about right, it was only serviced by me a week or so and a full 4.5 liters went in. I am now querying the oil. It was a semi synthetic for diesels (first time i have used this). Could it be that as the oil got warmer it thinned out and this has caused a pressure drop? Just asking?
Tom

[itchyfeet]

Your engines wasnt designed for semi synth so its possible, i change it personally but still worth checking pressure
a fixed guage is not much more expensive than a test guage just takes longer to fit

If you buy a test guage be sure to get one that has the right scale mine goes to 10 bar, any more and you wont be able to get acurate measurements at low pressure

[tommin]

Now you are confusing me? Where to buy online and which type? Can i also check the fuel pump timing with one of these gauges?

[itchyfeet]

This looks like the one i have, but guage range is not mentioned best check before you buy, some go up to much higher pressures so will not be good at low pressure.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BERGEN-12-Pie ... 3a92b4007d" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;




example of what you DONT want
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bergen-Automa ... 58b0a26537" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

fixed guage example, you will need a t piece to keep your old sender

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tim-52mm-12V- ... 4181f60552" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Not sure if this is right but an example
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Remote-Oil-Pr ... 3f36b18734" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

im going to fit a fixed one when i get around to it

[tommin]

Well that was no surprise, I tried to start after let the van cool, but no joy, cranked well enough but would not catch? so removed stop solenoid (it is brand new) checked it worked (it did) replaced and gave the van one more try........... it started
No oil warning, no BofD, but plenty of black smoke followed by plenty of bluish smoke, this i put down to be so much fuel in the pots from all the cranking.

Now i am with a new dilemma, one which i had before, to do with the fuel pump. When i give it some throttle, sometimes not always but the revs go up some and stay there. No problem with throttle linkage. Tested it by hand throttle at the pump with same effect. I believe it could be the pump which is causing me these issues? Could be chucking out some unburnt fuel or oil?

Have i upset something when i changed the injector housing seal? Could it be the pump timing being out? I dunno yet so many new questions, anyone shed some light on this one.

[HarryMann]

Blimey... youve opened a can of worms there.
One minute after (if I follow) doing some inj pump work (why)... and it runs fine? for 100k.
Then it seems you've got it a bit hot. BOD sounded. Added some oil without dipping it accurately.
Got it started and drove another 50 km. More BOD activity. More starting difficulty. More oil...
Struggled home... etc etc

??? So starting and running fine when left home?

Ah did you say what the engine was? Must have missed that.

1) Dont suspect oil pump
2) Tell us a lot more about the engine, mileage and problem history.
3) if it's a TD sounds like low compression hea y breathing or cracked head and overheating oil.
4) Nothing wrong with 15W 40 semi-synth. Will hold up as good as anything else.
5) Exactly what have you done to the I j. pump and why?

[tommin]

Starts fine every morning and had no problems driving locally around 10km

1989 t3 jx 1.6td with 500,000 + km on the clock.
When i bought it, usual story yeah no problems drives like a bird.....lol
It was middle winter here when i bought it, -20 snow up around your ears so difficult to get a real good look. New MOT paper (katsastus here).
Anyhow this is where it starts to get fun.

1. found it to have a cracked sump (replaced that)
2. Difficult to start (new battery and starter motor) still some issues...? which turned out to be in relation to No.8
3. L/S drive shaft missing 3 bolts, one other sheared (renewed everything there)
4. Gear stick nylon bushing badly worn up front (all changed and gearstick rewelded straight)
5. Driving north some 300km noticed getting smokey and fuel was dropping, (lda seal gone, temp repair with extra washer) renewed seal once home.
6. Another time noticed some splatter over back door (pump head seal was leaking (replaced that no problem)
7. Clutch went (replaced whole unit) also changed gearbox oil and resighted earth strap.
8. Renewed all glow plugs and relay (started first turn of key) yipee
9. Another trip north 700km, as by now am paranoid when we stopped i have the habit to check engine bay, more dismay another leak from inj pump (this is the hydraulic head seal which i recently replaced, and at the same time renewed the stop solenoid).

During this last episode of BoD and oil pressure etc... water temp remained constant and at normal reading if that helps any.

Note: I have replaced a lot of broken terminals wiring etc... and the van serviced twice in last year at 4000km interval.

[HarryMann]

So summarise symptons now again in normal weather.

[tommin]

Symptoms at present are:

1. Sticking rpm (NOT excessive high) just hanging at an elevated level which sometimes resolves on its own or when i apply clutch/gear brake on, to drop it back to normal.
2. Smoky bluish white, which is new (on acceleration only), with the odd puffs of black, this tends to show more on hills.
3. BoD for whatever reason unknown to me at this time? coming on when on longer drives?

I think that about covers it.

[tommin]

Well another idea in disaster..........
Tried the fuel screw both ways slowly slowly, (out) increased smoke (bluish) (in) somewhat better to the point in stalled the van and for what ever reason at this moment in time will not start, time to give it a rest for a while, before i put the chainsaw and mallet to it!

I do believe I need to reset the pump, timing fuel delivery etc.... just need the know how to do it

Open to suggestions:

[dave friday]

Have a look at http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
As it stopped running when you adjusted the fuel screw have a look at the seal on that screw..
Have a rest but don't give up!!
Good luck.

[tommin]

Have rested, today is a new day so also a new challenge. I have decided to check everything from the beginning, which means cam and pump timing, pressure test etc...

I have one question though i know the firing order is 1342, which pot is number 1? Front or back of engine, according to some on the web they are saying from the back, if that is so, then my cam is way off the mark as with cam cover off, it shows the front valves highest at tdc?