Strange power lags/surges on a diesel engine.

[Issi]

Hi all,

Can anyone help with this?

I was driving along today in a 05 HDi Diesel Citroen, when suddenly the power would start to fade and then surge back to normality.
This happened maybe 4 or 5 times in a two hour drive.
The speed was a pretty constant 60, but and as mentioned, suddenly the power would kind of drop off and then surge back up to normal speed.

I had half a tank of fuel, so I don't think it was fuel starvation.

Could it be something like dirty injectors, or is it something more serious.

Any ideas

[Slink]

its french.


you have a limp engine, like the rest of the french people

[Jaguar steve]

Slink said:

its french.


you have a limp engine, like the rest of the french people

What a stupid comment. The French make superb diesel engines.

To the OP: Two things to consider - you may have either some water in the fuel or possibly a blocked air vent in the tank. I'm not too familiar with the Hdi engine but check the handbook to see if you can drain or change the fuel filter easily. Diesel is ligher than water so when mixed it sits on top and you may find a drain plug in the bottom of the filter that'll allow you to drain the water out. When the problem occurs stop and quickly take the fuel filler cap off. If you have hear a hissing noise when you remove it or its reluctant to come off you have a partial vacuum in the tank which may be starving the engine of fuel as air cannot get in to replace the fuel going out.

Might not be what's wrong but two simple things to try.

[steve j]

Would a dirty egr valve give these symptoms ?

[steve j]

Would a dirty egr valve give these symptoms ?

[inabox]

does this engine have a VNT turbo?

[morgrp]

As above does it have a variable vein or nozzle turbo ?

Do you run it on crap supermarket diesel?

[confused_buyer]

What engine? 1.6 or 2.0? First things to check are dirty fuel filter then, particularly if it is a 1.6, clean out the EGR valve.

[McWigglebum4th]

Change the fuel filter

[Issi]

Thanks for the answers so far.

It's the 2.0, and yes I use 'dirty' supermarket diesel.

Sounds like the fuel filter, doesn't sound like something I can do myself.

Thanks again guys, really helpful.

[Jaguar steve]

I have a workshop manual for the Berlingo HDi. Will check out the filter change procedure when I get back to the JS estate later today if that's any use. Changing the fuel filter may not solve the problem but it'll rule the filter out as either waterlogged or blocked.

[hedges88]

If you do narrow it down to the Turbo vanes then an "Italian Tuneup" is usually a good repair method