TDI75 starting on two cylinders

Just to chime in on fuel additives, only one I've noticed a difference with was having a bit of a run on highway with a tank full of shell premium, had noticeably less smoke and bought me some time to sort out turbo/egr passing mot just barely.

Could be cause I tried a few over the past year but none of them gave a noticeable difference, maybe engine internally isn't too bad I couldn't say yet.

What color is the smoke?
 
After it sits could be worth removing the glow plugs and check what it looks like - in case there is slow seepage of either coolant or diesel into the cylinder whether bad injector or gasket.

I would say its worth giving it an hour run or so at 70 with a bit of shell premium diesel in case injectors are gunked up and checking the fuel filter unless serviced relatively recently.

If it is white smoke without oil/diesel smell to me it'd be water in cylinder but it would start with a cloud cold or warm after sitting for a few hours, not only really cold.

That makes sense to me after faffing about with my engine, though I'm not an expert.
 
I would remove the glowplug, connect it back up and test that it gets hot when it should - if that is possible?

It really does sound like a duff glowplug to me. The fact that the car starts and runs great from the off when the ambient temp is warm suggests this.
 
Last year I had the same problem.
First start of the day the engine awakened on 2 pots and very shaky.

Although I changed the glow plugs and dieselfilter immediately, it didn't solved the problem.
Also if I started first time in the afternoon in summer time (so high temp.) it would start on 2 pots too.
This told me there was no issue with the glow plugs (by the way; my former A2 TDI had 2 non working glow plugs when I bought it and ran fine immediately on the first start).
Glow plugs only operate under certain temperatures, I believe under +10°/15°celcius, it's stated somewhere on this forum (great forum by the way?).

Funny thing is it picked up at 3 pots immediately the rest of the day. I guess the time span was around 10 hours in between before it would start on 2 again.
I was going to replace the injector loom, although sceptical if would help.
Because it was blowing white/grey smoke, I guess there was more chance of a leaking injector and or seal at the injector.

And then one fine day it started perfect without a cough or blow of smoke......
Just like that, before I had the chance to investigate properly.
Now, the former lady driver drove the car as a granny.
I drive cars a, ehm, a little bit different.
So each time I canned it it, it would smoke heavily and blew out most of saved up sooth.

I'm Dissapointed that I've not been able to found the source of the problem but it must have been a dirty or clogged injector.

It's now running fine for a year already in every start no matter what....... But I will follow this thread, because I'm very curious to the outcome.

Good luck!
 
@Menno, that does sound very like what I'm experiencing.

I ran some injector cleaner through mine when I first got it, but it didn't make much difference. I'm going to try another (hopefully better!) one now - it's worth doing anyway as last time was 10k miles ago now, but I'm not holding out in hope.

I've certainly not been afraid to take this one up to the redline once it's fully warmed up, and I don't think previous owners were either, although it does still blow a nice cloud of soot! From reading around and from my observations from driving it, I'm starting to suspect a sticky injector on its way out - the car is also thirstier than my other two TDI75s.

I'm going to withdraw it from sale for now, get it looked at by WOM and maybe think about selling it again in the Spring, once it's had its next MOT. I will post up with the outcome though ?
 
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To add some information;

When I bought the car it started fine on 3 cilinders...... It developed the starting problems after puting 2 stroke oil to a tank full..........
There's a good possibility that the cleaning additives in the 2 stroke oil made old residue worked loose and clogged one of the injectors, or at least let it not closed properly and therefore leaked some fuel in the cilinder. (hence the unburned fuel (white/Grey smoke)at start up).
 
Menno said:
To add some information;

When I bought the car it started fine on 3 cilinders...... It developed the starting problems after puting 2 stroke oil to a tank full..........
There's a good possibility that the cleaning additives in the 2 stroke oil made old residue worked loose and clogged one of the injectors, or at least let it not closed properly and therefore leaked some fuel in the cilinder. (hence the unburned fuel (white/Grey smoke)at start up).
Click to expand...

That sounds highly likely doesn't it. Sadly in my case I bought it when it was already starting on two, and didn't think too much about it since it always ran so nicely. On the positive side, there's every chance that once it's sorted it will be running even better :)
 
Menno said:
To add some information;

When I bought the car it started fine on 3 cilinders...... It developed the starting problems after puting 2 stroke oil to a tank full..........
There's a good possibility that the cleaning additives in the 2 stroke oil made old residue worked loose and clogged one of the injectors, or at least let it not closed properly and therefore leaked some fuel in the cilinder. (hence the unburned fuel (white/Grey smoke)at start up).
Click to expand...
Just a comment on colour of smoke, at least from petrol engine the saying was that white smoke indicates water/coolant, blue smoke oil and black smoke excessive fuel. If this is valid also for diesel engines, perhaps your white/Grey smoke might not be fuel?
 
Joga said:
Just a comment on colour of smoke, at least from petrol engine the saying was that white smoke indicates water/coolant, blue smoke oil and black smoke excessive fuel. If this is valid also for diesel engines, perhaps your white/Grey smoke might not be fuel?
Click to expand...

Correct, white smoke is also present when coolant liquid is available in the combustion chamber.
When diesel is giving white smoke it is because there's not enough heat and/or oxygen to burn/ignite.

My coolant liquid level was always on the correct level. If the white smoke was coolant liquid, the level should drop, sooner or later......this was not the case.

More to read;

Causes of Diesel Engine Smoke - By Color - Capital Reman Exchange

www.capitalremanexchange.com www.capitalremanexchange.com
.
 
audifan said:
Any update on this?
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EcoDrive additive is in, but there is no discernable difference in starting or running after 100 miles or so. It was raining all weekend so I didn't get out there to do the glow plug soap-bubble test. But it is booked in at WOM, for some time early November probably, by the time it gets to the head of the queue. I've given Rob the full symptoms, so I know Marcus will check everything he needs to for a diagnosis.
 
The Clean Drive will have removed some deposits in the injectors, so you have not lost anything there. My feeling is one cylinder starts low on compression then as it heats up the compression loss is less noticeable. I think it was Bret that recently had a loose glow plug.
 
I booked in with WOM while I could still get that one done back-to-back with my Storm that's going in before it - so the backup is in place in case it's not something as simple as a loose glowplug. But it's looking dry this weekend, and that check is free, it would be very remiss of me not to rule it out beforehand.
 
Took the opportunity to do this just now - it's 13°C out there, the car hasn't been started since yesterday morning. So, cover off, soapy water spray round the glowplugs, and blow me it fired straight up on all 3 ?. Not quite the result I was looking for, and it certainly didn't do that when I started it yesterday :rolleyes:

Anyway for what it's worth, no new bubbles were visible forming in the foam that landed from the spray, although I missed the first couple of seconds getting back round to the front. Taking the connectors off the plugs they look shiny and new all the way down to the head - I'd venture they're not the originals. I don't have the slim long reach socket that will fit them but at this point it doesn't look like I need it.

Next steps, start it again from cold after the weekend and see if today was a one-off, if not then try the test again a couple of days later.
 
Proghound said:
Took the opportunity to do this just now - it's 13°C out there, the car hasn't been started since yesterday morning. So, cover off, soapy water spray round the glowplugs, and blow me it fired straight up on all 3 ?. Not quite the result I was looking for, and it certainly didn't do that when I started it yesterday :rolleyes:

Anyway for what it's worth, no new bubbles were visible forming in the foam that landed from the spray, although I missed the first couple of seconds getting back round to the front. Taking the connectors off the plugs they look shiny and new all the way down to the head - I'd venture they're not the originals. I don't have the slim long reach socket that will fit them but at this point it doesn't look like I need it.

Next steps, start it again from cold after the weekend and see if today was a one-off, if not then try the test again a couple of days later.
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I fear your car may be a tricksy one. Had it occurred to you that it was a cunning rouse on behalf of the pesky A2 to avoid you selling it? ?
 
my TDI75 is doing this quite often now too. Just the first start of the day and not everyday. Strong smell from the exhaust of fuel and greyish smoke when key turned. settles though after a few seconds. AT 200k though and never changed glow plugs so I guess not too unexpected.
 
Mine's going up to WOM tomorrow to sort this out, with a replacement set of known good injectors in hand. If it's not obviously anything else (glowplugs, valves etc) then the plan is to put new seals on the good injectors and fit them.
 
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