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Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:33 am
by Weavy
Hi I know there are a few things as to cause white smoke. I've had my bongo about 4.5 months it's been on the drive and I've only had it out a handful of times. When 1st starting some white smoke it will calm down and come back again. She starts 1st turn off the key there's a slight sluggishness, put foot down she kicks in but this could be due to being cold. anyways I ran out off fuel on the drive last week so filled her up got her going again but the smoke is much thicker. I did put a post on a group page and someone said sticking fuel injectors, while I looked that out I found the return fuel oil was leaking so fixed that. The oil is ok coolant tank all seems fine. Also b4 I'm as I noticed an oil leak oil dripping down by the oil filter after cleaning up. I noticed it's right behind the turbo area behind the manifold. I had a look around manifold bolts was slack so tightened then and the leak as stopped. I know there shouldn't be oil around there and nothing from the rocker. I live in the country I have a spare game for parts. I'm no mechanic but happy to put my hand to anything and was wonder if checking the injectors and stuff. All info be grateful ty

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:49 am
by Weavy
Forgot to mention that there is no overheating have a digital alarm and when I've had it out it's sat at 91

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 11:08 am
by JulesMartin
You say you ran out of fuel on the driveway so are you sure the fuel you put in was clean and no water contamination? Have you checked to see if the turbo is free to spin? take off the U shaped hose going into the turbo and you should be able to spin the turbo vanes by hand, don't use anything stronger if you can't. I'd fill up with some good quality fuel and add an injector cleaner and see how that goes. Although it doesn't overheat it could still have an issue with the water jacket. Is the engine oil nice and dark not milky or too thick? Check the oil filler cap to see if there is any milky gunge in it.
Although these are camper vans and people carriers they don't really like to be left alone for long periods of times. They do tend to sulk and show their loneliness by throwing tantrums so once you have this fixed maybe take a run out for at least half an hour each week just to show it that you care :D :D :D

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 12:25 pm
by g8dhe
Might be worth checking the main fuel filter and also the Banjo filter if you ran right down on the fuel, it may have put some muck into the filters.
Banjo filter
Image

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 1:04 pm
by Weavy
Hi, Geoff, I'm on a 24 hr ban on FB that's why I've not posted on there. I looked at the banjo filter yesterday but I couldn't get the mesh filter up with a piece of bent wire. Looking down it looked clean. As for the smoke, I put a post up a few days ago on bongo group and someone was saying stuck injectors. In just trying to diagnose what it may be b4 taking it to a garage.

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 1:06 pm
by Weavy
Me again lol on looking at your pic there wasn't a spring inside and in assuming no filter either. Mmmmm id have to get into it over the weekend hopefully I've got a share van in check the banjo in that for a filter and spring

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 1:49 pm
by JulesMartin
Mine didn't have a gauze filter or spring in it when I investigated a few weeks back. I was not getting any smoke I just wanted to check to see the condition of the little filter. I've since ordered from here a new filter and spring. Lost it! and ordered it again and fitted it this time. hasn't made any noticeable difference either way but just good to know its there. it could be that your main fuel filter is blocked as mentioned above. Is your sediment light coming on? do you know if your cold start system is working correctly as it shouldn't really chug on starting from cold it should rev a little higher than normal on its own then settle down after a minute or less. Maybe replace the fuel main filter and the gauze filter and spring before booking it in to a garage. if you don't know when they were last changed and you don't know if you have one then it must be time for new ones :D :D

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 2:16 pm
by Weavy
Hi Martin and ty as far as I know was all done over a yr ago but that's what the guy said I bought it from. I've not checked the fuel filter yet but it's raining at the moment but I might buy a new diesel filter anyway and in going to check the spare scrap van for the mesh filter if not then I'm ordering a new one too. As for starting the van starts pretty much 1st turn of the key. It's always slightly smoked then it goes away and it came back again. I've just spoken to my next-door neighbours son and once dry he's going to check the ohms on the injectors and glow plugs for me but when is another thing lol 😆.

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 2:44 pm
by Weavy
Just an after thought as I've no banjo filter and you yourself not having one. Would it be removed due to using veg oil as I do believe you have to keep checking it. As I said just a thought but makes sense
Also just got a filter for less that 2 point from euro parts but only for now to see how it goes

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 2:55 pm
by g8dhe
Shouldn't have been! The problem with vegetable oil is it dissolves the older deposits found in the tank from ordinary diesel, this usually happens in the first 6 months or so. The muck then travels down blocking the main filter and fine stuff can still get thru to the Banjo filter. After its been used for a while then the majority of the muck will have been removed - hence the suggestion of initially carrying a spare main filter with you to replace should it block up.
The banjo filter can however be easily damaged it seems and others have said in the past its not necessary (never give a reason however) which means others remove it without understanding. My own take on these sort or suggestions is that motor manufactures don't include / exclude things with out good costs reasons, hence they had good reason to fit the various filters, unless you can convince me that your an engine designer and no better then I tend to take such suggestions with a very large pinch of salt!

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:04 pm
by Weavy
Ty Geoff all a learning curve
Sometimes I feel I ask too much but it's me learning a do look on the net but always good to hear other thoughts I've hunted through these forums for so much stuff. And I appreciate the info from pol like your self Geoff thank you for your input in the bongo community

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:59 pm
by mikeonb4c
I'm reading this in a hurry so may have missed it but have glow plugs been considered as a possible cause? If it is them then the problem should only happen when starting from cold, as a rule. If they are implicated then, ftom my experience, putting your foot down can make lumpy running worse. I never touch the throttle when starting mine and from cold i don't touch it for the first minute or so to be safe. It seems to like that and has started perfectly first time for 13+ years

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 12:00 am
by Weavy
Hi Mike and ty I have thought about flow plugs but the van starts 1st turn of the key with no problems what I've seen and ready it's more to do with not able to start and white smoke. Hopefully, once the weather is cleared up I can do a test on them

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 4:04 pm
by mikeonb4c
Weavy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 15, 2020 12:00 am Hi Mike and ty I have thought about flow plugs but the van starts 1st turn of the key with no problems what I've seen and ready it's more to do with not able to start and white smoke. Hopefully, once the weather is cleared up I can do a test on them
Cool. Thought it best to flag it up in case. Hope you get it sorted.

Re: Help white smoke

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 5:48 pm
by Weavy
Ty m8 just picked up a new oil filter and some injection cleaner but hopefully be able to take it to a m8s mechanic he's going to test everything for me but has mentioned about trapped Air. I had read somewhere about trapped air but I'm new to diesels but like you said hopefully get it sorted and hopefully not the Expensive route