How to correctly diagnose engine and take right decisions?

[Pedrinho]

Hi there folks! To start I'd like to throw bit of light on my situation. In 2015 I've bought van LDV Maxus with VM motori 2.5 CDI engine. Knowing nothing about anything I've started my journey of converting this van into house on wheels. And I'm on this path till this day, already invested countless hours and lots of money.

Van is brilliant and I'd like to carry on my journey living off it however... in progress I've came along major obstical in form of engine problems (not only . At some point during winter it was terrebilly difficult to start it, after start engine cough clouds of white smoke and hunt a lot and that's quite flattering description .
I've started my fixing quest from getting a set of new glowplugs, with no results whatsoever. Next advice I was given was injectors, I went to the company that specialise in injectors. They've tested and rebuilt two leaving others two as these tested with “near factory results”. After putting them back sitation worsen.
They've repeated injector tests (using bosh equipment) and confirmed that injectors are within very good specs. After which asked to perform engine compression test. Test result came back low 19,14,15,18 bars oil test improved readings for about 3 bars per cylinder from there they've reach conclusion that engine needs rebuilt or swap.
I was recommended to go rebuilt way as this ment to give me better chance to end up with good engine as there's no guarantee for secondhand market.
I've contacted another company and they've taken the job that involved:
-head planning
-piston rings, bearings
-pistons (they were bent!)
-clutch (needed to be done)
-timing kit (let's go all the way!)
-all sealings, fluids, fuel and oil filters.
-EGR cleaning
-Turbo ment to be good
Also during rebuilt it was pointed out to me that probably it's a second one for this engine.


After that.. not much happened really, we where where we started. I've asked for compression test that reads 17,17,15,18. Not much improvement but I was reassured that this ment to go up with time. In meaning time “engine company” sent me back to “injector company” pointing at fuel system as source of problems.
Injector guys have tweaken some settings and things came back to acceping levevel but far from good. Also temperatures became increasing at this time of the year which contribute to better starting performance. I've left it there.



uff.. where I'm now- it's year later (and about 20k more) cold again and starting is real embaresment on the top of that gearbox is queing for service too, thinking what to do now? I'm in another country (I'm in UK now all the work above was done in my home country Poland) and don't want to start bouncing from mechanic to mechanic going through the same again. I've got my home on the back of this van and have to provide good, long term solution for it. I can replace an engine but don't know how to guarantee the “new” will be good. I've invested in present one loads of money and supposedly loads of things ment to be done, wouldn't like to flush it down the drain. Problem persist with cold starts and seems to be getting very slowly down hill (it's hard to meassure), however when engine warms up it works sweet. I call it reliably st.
What do you guys recommend to do? I'm using this van as daily commuter and starting it at at work after shift is proper embarrassment plus it won't get better by itself. Which route to take now?

[HustleRussell]

Poor starting with white / grey smoke, I would say you started well by investigating the glow plugs and injectors- sadly without success.

I would agree with your mechanic that this sounds like a fuelling issue so perhaps you need to check that the fuel pressure is correct.

Where are you getting your diesel fuel from?

I note that the situation was improved by tinkering with the injector timing(?) in which case further exploration down this avenue would seem to be a good idea (perhaps with a specialist in VM / LDV engines?)

[E-bmw]

I will start by stressing that I am no diesel expert.

White/grey "smoke" will be unburnt diesel, put your hand in it & smell it to see.

I am assuming this isn't a Common Rail Diesel & saying that these engines have a fuel pump/fuel distributor, I would be looking here if that is the case.

[Pedrinho]

Hi!

Thanks for your advices. I also suspect that this is fuel system (I'm not sure what parameters where tweaked at injectors).. however I'm worry it might not be the only one source of problems. I think the engine rebuilt might not have brought a lot of improvement.

What I'm actually leaning towards is to run compression test again first and depends on the results take decisions about further steps.

Do you guys think this is reasonable? If I'll find the test indicating below say 19 bars (275 PSI) is this definitive to conclude that engine isn't worth of any further investment? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

[chryslerben]

The same engine is fitted in early Chrysler voyagers and Jeep Cherokee's/ Liberty in the UK so an internet search for starting problems on those might open up some lines of investigation for you. Most of the time starting issues on those engines where caused by either the plug for the heating element on the filter housing burning out between the pins and letting air into the fuel or the metering valve (solenoid) on the back of the high pressure fuel pump sticking stopping the fuel pressure from reaching the right level in the common rail. Think I've even got some spare metering valves at home somewhere.

[PaulKemp]

Check EGR cooler
If it is a water/exhaust cooler the internal pipe may be letting water into the exhaust gas and pulled into the intake.
I had this on a Mondeo TDCI and the white smoke was like a tank laying smoke

[E-bmw]

PaulKemp said:

I had this on a Mondeo TDCI and the white smoke was STEAM......

Fixed that for you.

Hence why I asked the OP to smell the "smoke" earlier.

[Elliot2000]

You had the plugs changed, but have you actually checked if they are being powered up when needed? It could be he glow plug relay.

Check fuel pressure whilst cranking - it may be too low, fuel filter ever been changed?

If its poor starting when cold - get a can of easy start just to help you out starting it up until you manage to sort it properly.