White smoke from TD4

[circusace]

Hiya,
I have a 2002 TD4 freelander, recently serviced (not by a landy dealer). When I start it first thing, lots of white smoke, sometimes if I idle at traffic lights white smoke for a bit, but once engine on normal running temperature it seems ok.

Any ideas anyone. I was told it could be fuel related, perhaps over fueling??

Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[andyb]

White smoke is water or air in the fuel.

Did they change a fuel filter....prehaps there is an air leak somewhere there.  :oops:

[circusace]

Thanks Andy, not hugely mechanical myself, but fuel filter did spring to mind with me!  Was scared it was going to be a head gasket, but pressure is good, coolant temp is good, and level is good, and no crap in the coolant.

It's going back in to garage on Friday now, fingers crossed. Will let you know outcome.

Any other theories out there?

Cheers?

[circusace]

Well it returned to the garage, they kept it a day to cool down. Reckon it's grey smoke=oil +water.
However they can find no leaks, and temp & pressure of coolant is fine. I have a long drive today, so will watch it & see what happens. Looked on internet & head gasket failure on TD4 seems very rare, so am not convinced.

Other suggestions I have had are-
*A duff batch of a certain supermarkets diesel!
*Over fueling when it starts?

Could it be something like that?

Have re filled with a better brand of diesel now, so we'll see if that makes a difference.

[Range Rover Blues]

Perhaps the long run might help sort it out.

[circusace]

Cheers for that.

Well I have done well over 350 miles in the last 2 days. Still very smokey from start until engine temp gets up, I would describe it as a 'steam train' to start with!!

The engine temp has not varied at all, and coolant level is still the same, and no pressure loss etc when I release coolant cap.

Strange.

[maddogz]

I had a problem with my 01 td4 that was similar to yours. Mine had light blue smoke at startup and if it idled for a while it would smoke again. The oil was blowing back up the dipstick too.
I changed the crankcase breather and it sorted it.
Might be a totally different problem to yours but you never know  :D ;)

[simdeb]

might seam a daft question but is the smoke coming out of the exhaust  or from under the front as the Td4 have a pre heat that when you first switch can cause a lot of smoke thought mine was smoking bad till one day it did it outside the house got out  to look and it was coming out from under the front took it main dealer and a fault was found on the pre heat ,never had any more problems with it .

simon

[circusace]

Thanks all. Well have done over 600 miles this week now, still smokey on start/for first bit. Coolant fine, so not that!

I did have oil dipstick jump out several weeks back, so seems VERY likely that it is the breather on the crank case. Is this easy to do yourself? How do I do, do I have to get from Land rover?

Also note there is a turbo filter, another possibility.

Apart from the smoke, it is running well!
Thanks.

Just seen this filter on ebay for around £20, so will get one, can someone tell me where it is, and how to change! Thanks again!

[maddogz]

 The cranckcase breather is really easy to do. Took about 20 mins. I got mine from Craddocks it was about 40 quid. You just need to get into the air filter housing and the filter is in there. When i asked Craddocks for the part they said there wasn't 1 on the td4  :roll:. Found 1 on ebay and got the part number off it, then went back and ordered it (it came up as a fuel pressure sensor and filter i think).

[Oddball]

The filter is on the back of the rocker cover. You will need to remove the top engine cover (3 bolts) the air filter cover (5 allan keys) and the braket that hold the injector wires in place (3 small reverse torx). You should then be able to get at the filter housing from there.
L R sell the filter seperately now so you dont have to replace the whole assembly. Comes as a kit, filter, gasket and O ring.

[circusace]

Chers for that, got one from ebay, for under £20 squid, plus the guy sent me instructions which are the same as above. Hope to do at the weekend, will update on effect to smoke.

[circusace]

Thanks for all your help, I have changed the filter today, certainly was solid with black oil, so looking likely. Only problem is now, that I have managed to break one of the silly black plastic splitters that take the fuel from th fuel line into the injectors. (sits in head of injector), and as it's Saturday afternoon, LR are closed. Does anyone know what make the TD4 injectors are? or if there is anywhere else I could get one of these plastic thing, as it's now held me up!!

Thanks again

[circusace]

Well filter done, and new injector bleed off pipe later, and we have solved the problem, smoke gone, acceleration better, so thanks to all!