• Welcome to the Land Rover UK Forums

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to register then please Register Now

Disco, power loss and white smoke! HELP!!!

northcountryboy

northcountryboy

In Fourth Gear
Started up my 95 300tdi disco last night and managed to get about 100 yards down the road before I had a complete power loss, it never stalled but there was no power, after pumping the accelerator for a bit the revs picked up again, tried to pull away and got about 10 yards and it did it again, then stalled! Started up and managed to limp home, 10 yards at a time building up the revs and trying to pull forward but losing power each time! Went out this morning in the hope that it had all been a bad dream and that the Disco would be running fine, started up ( took longer than usual to turn over) and idled ok but as soon as I went to pull away it started all over again, noticed today in the light a lot of white smoke out the back ( it usually smokes a bit for the first couple of hundred yards anyway) but this was excessive even for my old disco! It will still rev up to 3500 ish but was smoking the street out so stopped then as I try and pull away power loss!! It has been whistling for a while when I have been driving it in the past and asked about that on this forum (whistling 300tdi disco) and with various suggestions I looked and couldn't really see any loose pipes ( not that mechanically minded though!!)
any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, had a few people already telling me horror stories about head gaskits etc and other people saying it might just be air in the fuel lines!! HELP!!!!
 
If it happened all of a sudden i would first check the fuel supply is it the correct fuel, does the lift pump work? then i would check the injection pump timing.

Lynall
 
Check all the fuel lines are done up from pump to injectors(airleak). I think white smoke can be overfuelling, but wouldn't explain power loss. Head gasket would usually have overheating and water loss, check level.
 
same thing happened to my friends recently it was his fuel pump what had packed in, it would tickover just about,, costly job aswell, but like they say check all pipes etc, rule things out one at a time.:)
 
Had a wee look under the bonnet and 90% sure the loud whistling is coming from the turbo, took the rubber pipe off but couldn't see in as it faces the rear ( need a mirror) however felt in with my fingers and it feels a little loose, nothing major though. Would a turbo problem explain the white smoke? no water in the oil and vice versa so makes me think head gasket is still intact, but I'm no mechanic!!
 
Had the same happen to the Dodge 50 at work. Less power than usual and loads of white smoke. Cleaned sedimenter and changed fuel filters and it will do 40 again.
 
TEMPL4R said:
When did you last change the fuel filter and clean out the sedimenter?

Chris
Click to expand...

never been changed since I've had it, is it an easy/inexpensive job that could be done my self? I'm just trying to work out what order to work in to eliminate faults ( cheapest and easiest options first!!)) some people are saying just to change the fuel filter etc whilst others are telling me worst case senarios about cylinder heads and knackered turbos!!!!

any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

thanks
 
northcountryboy said:
( cheapest and easiest options first!!)
Click to expand...
You've said it yourself.

On a Diesel, the first thing you do is change the fuel filters and clean the sedimenter, before you do anything else. About £5 for a filter and takes about 30 minutes. Change at least every year.

When you get a problem with a vehicle, never look for the most expensive or difficult solution.

A Diesel with blocking filters will free rev when it's standing, put it under load and it just doesn't go.

Chris
 
TEMPL4R said:
You've said it yourself.

On a Diesel, the first thing you do is change the fuel filters and clean the sedimenter, before you do anything else. About £5 for a filter and takes about 30 minutes. Change at least every year.

When you get a problem with a vehicle, never look for the most expensive or difficult solution.

A Diesel with blocking filters will free rev when it's standing, put it under load and it just doesn't go.

Chris
Click to expand...
would this explain the white smoke?
 
Turbocharger went on the ERF ECT I drive for work a week ago last Sunday,worked fine up to the bottom of a slight hill,then sudden power loss and more smoke than I have ever seen from a truck that wasn't on fire.Limped in bottom gear 50 yards to the next bus stop.
The two cars behind me were not to be seen,even though it was dark and they had headlights on.When the smoke cleared,they had both stopped,not being able to see beyond their windscreen wipers.

Two hours later,ERF expert arrived,started engine,ran fine on tickover.As soon as throttle touched,billows of white smoke.
He smelt the exhaust,it stank of burnt oil,even though the smoke was white.The truck had burnt half a gallon of oil in 50 yards!!

I only mention this,as it sounds very like your story.

Regards,
Nick.
 
A bit more....the ERF man pointed out that it was unwise/risky to start the engine as after a turbo failure,it is possible for the engine to run on the oil it's burning.If this happens,you only have a few moments to get in,hope you can get it into gear and stall it before it over revs itself to destruction.

Regards,
Nick.
 
And another thought,he said the intercooler would be full of oil and would need to be cleaned out,you could take off the turbo to intercooler pipe and see if its oily in there.
Hope I am wrong and it's something cheaper.
Regards,
Nick.
 
Possible, Nick. I had a Renault Laguna a couple of months ago that broke the Turbine shaft, you could tell something catastophic had happened as it poured out smoke when it tried to rev. The same when tractors blow the Turbo, a sudden plume of smoke.

I'd still start with the filters, as they haven't been changed, it won't do any harm even if it isn't the problem.

Chris
 
ncooper said:
A bit more....the ERF man pointed out that it was unwise/risky to start the engine as after a turbo failure,it is possible for the engine to run on the oil it's burning.If this happens,you only have a few moments to get in,hope you can get it into gear and stall it before it over revs itself to destruction.

Regards,
Nick.
Click to expand...

I've had that t-shirt!
 
If the turbo is broke and white smoke is pouring out, won't there be a probable turbo runaway? :eek: I had that problem when my head gasket went, the engine just ran on for about 4 seconds at maximum revs. Luckily it shut down before any damage was done. I think it was something to do with excessive oil getting into the turbo.
 
Back
Top Bottom