white smoke Again..

[antman]

Hi All

Have bit of white smoke on start up - not when the morning was warmer - goes after 30 seconds. I have read lots of post but still unsure why this is or it it is one of those things.

No coolent loss
No overheating
Glow plugs checked
No white smoke any other time - only when engine has not been running for sometime and only on start up

I have an overide swithc for the plugs and was told to hold down for 30 seconds - start and then hold down again - does this sound right?

What is the best garage in the Gloucestershire area for Bongo's - should I get it checked out?

appreciate feedback

[Tidmo]

Hi antman, sorry cant help with your smoke issue but as for garages i use ADS in Bristol for the techie/diagnostic stuff and Fairview garage in Cheltenham for general servicing and MOTs.
Hope this is helpful.

[antman]

Thanks for that I'll give them and call and have a chat about it.

cheers

[jaylee]

No white smoke any other time - only when engine has not been running for sometime and only on start up

Just condensation/moisture in exhaust evaporating...?

[antman]

affriad of smoking out half the campsites

[Northern Bongolow]

what brand of glow plugs are fitted?. and are the cold start solenoids working as they should, does sound normal to me.

[francophile1947]

I note glow plugs have been checked, but it still sounds like them. Continuity tests don't show how well they are heating up.
Try it without the override switch, as Bongo glow plugs are meant to stay on for quite a while after starting. I had a switch on mine, but it was just an on/off switch - I turned mine off once I was actually under way, not whilst it was still ticking over.

[antman]

Not sure what these are "cold start solenoids" but woulld assume my garage would know - they don't do Bongo's but many diesal vans and lorries.

Don't get much joy without using the override switch - it chugs and kicks out a bit of smoke and then aftyer that all good..

Again shoud my garage know if this switch is working or if the plugs are? What is the best brand?

thanks

[Northern Bongolow]

ngk plugs or the denso ones seem best.
there are 2 lengths that could be fitted to bongo's so be aware.
as john says to test you have to measure the resistance through the plug, not just see iff they glow or show volts.
remove the connecting rail and batt terminal and supply wire, with a meter set to measure resistance put the red lead to the screw top and the black lead to the head next to the plug. the reading should be around 0.9 of an ohm with a cold engine. any faulty ones should read lower.

[antman]

great thanks I'll talk to the garage

[M 80NGO]

Also check your Cold start rpm setting, if it's set to tick over above 950 rpm on cold start the ecu will think that the vehicle is being driven and shut the glowplugs off prematurely, its a five minuite adjustment that can easily be done when the engine is stone cold and is defo worth doing before you start replacing glowplugs.

Keep us posted

[antman]

Is that something my garage will know how to do?

[Northern Bongolow]

print the page off and show them, they really like it when customers know more than them, keeps the bill down too

oh sorry you cannot show them this bit .
wheres the delete button

[antman]

[M 80NGO]

Is that something my garage will know how to do?

Its summat you can do really easily, just arm yaself with a 10mm spanner then pop the drivers seat, turn the ignition on and you'll see the coldstart solenoid activate the coldstart mechanism, in the end of the mechanism is an adjustment screw locked inplace with a 10mm nut, undo the nut half a turn then wind the adjustment screw out until its level with the end of the mechanism, do your glowplug warm up proceedure and start the vehicle now immediately wind the screw back in until the bongo's revs pick up to around just under 900rpm and tighten the locknut. Easy peasy lemon squeezy