Smoke, Glow plugs and fuel conditioners

[tattoojohnny]

Happy new year everybody

I have a few 'minor' issues I could do with some help/advice with.

The glow plug light on the dash doesn't go out until the engine is running. I leave it on until I think the plugs should be hot then fire her up and she starts up no problem albeit she doesnt turn over particularly fast but fires up nevertheless and then the glow plug light goes out. I'm thinking maybe faulty plugs or relay???

Smoke

Is it white or is it grey, is it steam or is it smoke, not really sure but it kicks out quite a bit in varying amounts. She seems to throw out more when idling than when she's on the move. Could it be the glow plug issue or maybe injector problems. I have noticed a diesel leak at the injector pipe as it enters the head. Are these gasketed or will a new set of pipes be required or just nipped up with a spanner?? Could this be causing the smoke? Air getting in?

Fuel conditioners

I'm thinking of using a range of products by wynns etc like stop smoke, stop leak, injector cleaner, dry fuel, cetane booster and any other stuff that is meant to help and ageing engine. Is this a good idea, can I just mix and match in one go or do at different intervals or not bother wasting my money on such products.

As you have probably guessed I'm a total noob but have to start somewhere

Thanks in advance

[milky]

what engine is it,anyway if it starts the glowplugs cant be that bad,it could be the relay,listen for a click in the engine bay from the black box where the relay is roughly 12 seconds after you turn the ignition /glowplugs on also keeping an eye on the light on dash,this will tell you if its the the glowplugs are staying on or its just the light,also check the connections to the temperature senders on the engine as if one is broken it may effect the light ,these engines will always confuse you with smoke,conditioners are only temporary and can do more damage to injectors,oil can settle in turbos,pipes and inlets ,until you give it a run out it may not clear,as long as your emissions are ok ,just pretend you are james bond,if im wrong someone will be along to tell me,steve

[ewenmaclean]

Hello,

As Steve says - useful to know what engine it is, and especially if it's a turbo then don't drive it like a granny all the time or you will get build up of carbon/oil crud.

just to add a couple of things.... I think in general the injectors have their own copper washers that crush when you install them so don't just tighten it up - take it out and replace the washer. Also, injectors should be balanced, and if one was leaking I'd guess it might have caused problems.

White smoke is either unburnt diesel or water - is the water level going down? If so it could be a head gasket, or if not then check the injection pump timing. In general black smoke is partially burnt diesel, and blue smoke is oil. Are you burning any oil?

Does the glow plug light go out after some time? Does it come on at all once the engine is warm? The starter signal will automatically cancel the relay so that's why it goes off (depends a bit on the model - some have post-glow). I agree also with Steve - check the sender wire from the temperature sender to the relay - it might even be disconnected.

Hope that helps a bit

Ewen

[tattoojohnny]

Right I've taken the old girl out for a good run today, the white smoke has gone and now I'm left with blue smoke, a good steady stream left behind when driving and when stationary.
Its a 1.6 diesel (turbo i think as I have a receipt for a new turbo that came when I bought her.....log book not come back from Swansea yet)
Glow plug light goes out and stays out when running
Where is this sender wire (I'm a noob and haven't a clue what I'm looking for)
I dont even know what conversion she is. She has a solid wall pop top that covers the entire roof, maybe a few pics might help to identify her.
Anyway, thanks for the advice so far

[ewenmaclean]

Hello again,

blue smoke is oil burning usually. If it's a JX then I'm not the person to ask, but it's normal to have a bit of oil in the intake in other diesels from crankcase ventilation.

To check the relay go to the black box in the back left corner of the engine bay. I don't know the colour of the wire off the top of my head, but it'll go from the pin marked "T" on the relay to a temperature sender somewhere on a water pipe near the head.

If you're burning oil I'd check the level before something bad happens.

Ewen

[milky]

our gipsy has a 1.6td jx code in it,smokes most of the time,a steady haze of black/blue ,blue can be too much fuel too and you would smell the burnt oil ,black way too much,you could try an oil change and new air/oil filter,ive just purchased a head test kit today to eliminate that from my list hopefully,like Ewen said check your oil level,see where the diesel leak is coming from,you can adjust the fuel pump but i would leave that for now till you know what emissions it gives out,its good that youve got a new turbo,as shows whoever had the van was willing to spend good money on it

[tattoojohnny]

Finally managed to get into the van without the kids and dogs making any noise and listened for the click of the relay and definitely heard it click so it looks like it might be that dodgy temperature wire. Oil and coolant levels look ok at the mo so next thing I'm gonna do is a oil and filter change and do the air filter whilst I'm at it. I've just ordered some xado gel revitalizant.....any body on here tried it before?? The reviews I've read sound pretty good but only one way to find out for sure. They claim that it "is specifically formulated to increase engine compression, increase horsepower, reduce fuel/mileage, and restore your vehicles engine to a condition that is better than new. If you have an old car or new car or just want to maximize the potential of your vehicle these products are for you." Sounds intriguing and worth a go if its gonna make a difference. I might just have to come to terms with the fact I just have a smokey old girl! I'll obviously post on my results. Anybody of to dubfreeze in february??