Hello, i have recently purchased an iveco 4x4 panel van swb. Whenever i cold start it, it belows out whitish smoke (and i mean bellows - cloud like, wafts down the road and people stop and stare!!)
Its fine after about 5 minutes, and is also fine if its a warm start.
It passed its MOT on emmissions.

I have heard it may be the timing chain?
A friend had a similar problem and spent vast sums of cash whilst the garage checked all options, eventually realising it was the timing chain tensioners??

Does anyone have any experience of this? and does it sound like a timing chain tensioner issue? Or if not, what else could it be?

Would like to have an idea, if anyone has experience of this, as many garages are apparently not that used to these vehicles, and may spend hours investigating a relatvley straight forward problem.
(its had new injectors and new fuel filter)

Many thanks in advance if anyone can help....

The usual problem is that whatever you have to pre warm the engine, e.g. glow plugs, aren't working properly. I don't know about your engine, what you have or the set up, but that's usually what it is.

Are you having starting problems when it is cold? Do you have to crank it over more than you think you should? When it does "start", is it running rough for a minute or two (and then the white smoke stops?)

The problem is that the fuel is cold, the engine is cold, the cylinders/lines/pumps/injectors etc are all cold. The fuel then doesn't evaporate properly, water vapour and unburnt fuel builds up end exits the exhaust as white smoke.

Do you have glow plugs? Can you check they are getting a current? Can you check they are switching off if they are getting a current? Maybe it's actually the injection timing is at fault, not the valve timing (I assume you mean the valve timing when you talk about the "timing chain".)

Hi Mark, thanks for the reply. I dont know anything about mechanics so my terminology may be incorrect, i was told it may be the timing chain tensioner?? maybe the timing chain is stretched?

Yes when the engines cold, its white smoke, which does blow through once its warmed up, so that makes sense.
Iveco 4x4's dont have conventional glow plugs though (injector pump??)....

sorry im not much cop when it comes to engines, i have just aquired the manual though so will see if that sheds any light...

As mark says it is cold so probably the glow plugs or injection timing. as far as I know the glow plugs are the same as any other. white smoke is unburnt fuel.
Take it to a diesel injector specialist and ask them to test your plugs.

Graeme

OK, do a quick weblookup on how diesel engines work, it'll help you understand some replies that will coming on this thread.

White smoke is nearly always a cold start problem (as said by Mark).

The fuel does not get burnt fully and after being squirted into the engine it gets pushed out of the exhaust as nice stinky white cloud. Its usually caused by the engine not being hot enough to burn the fuel (diesels ignite the fuel by compressing the air to a high temp. then squirting in the fuel - hey presto bang!).

The way that engine makers overcome cold start problems is to fit "glow plugs", these are NOT spark plugs, they are little ceramic electric heaters fitted into the combustion chamber at the top of the cylinder. They heat the air/fuel inside the cylinder enough to ensure that the fuel ignites.

Before you go chasing bad glow plugs check that you do not have to press a button or turn the key to a "glow" position to get the engine going. Next check the glow plug circuit and make sure that its active when it should be - some engines have automatic glow plugs which are activated as soon as you turn the key to the "on" position, a light glows on the dash and then goes out, then you can turn the key and start the engine.

You need to smell the white cloud to tell what it is. Most likely the others are correct, it is fuel, but unburned diesel it slightly bluish-white and of course smells like hydrocarbons. OTOH if it smells sweet it's coolant and you may have a leaky head gasket which can also only be symptomatic when cold (I presume your motor is too old for exhaust gas recirculation...).

Charlie

__________________
Unimog U500 w/Unicat

hello 'eyrewave', firstly congratulations on your purchase. I have a 4x4 iveco from 1995 and am now in USA on my route around the world having come across Turkey, central asia, Mongolia, Russia. They are great, sturdy trucks.

Once you have finally tracked down the cause of your problem then please remember to post the answer here ! I have a similar issue, I suspect glowplugs (as mentioned above) but haven't got around to sorting yet.
Mine is only an issue in below freezing temperatures and it is worst if I am parked at altitude (over 2500m).

Incidently, it would help me tremendously if you could get the bosch partnumbers for the injectors you fitted and also part numbers for the glowplugs if you also replace. be handy for me. Of course that's assuming we have the same vehicles ? mine's the 1995 2.5td.

Thanks n good luck.

Phil.
www.travel.uklinux.net

Hi Charlie, its funny you should mention this, as a couple poeple have said that the smell from the "gigantic cloud" is almost like veggie oil, its definately sweeter than normal pure diesel exhaust fumes....? hope its not the head gasket...
But if the headgasket goes/going doesnt it run like a dog?