Problem with van

[axel132132]

Took it to man who does my mechanics (Mums mate) he said without it doing it constant (Cos its stopped doing it now :S) Then he cant really diagnose it.. He thinks its the EGR Valve but told me to just leave it and if it gets worse, or happens more constant come back to him.. you think thats a good idea? OR shud i go to a diff garage and see what they say?!

 

[Amp David]

If it is the EGR and its is failing, then whatever bit fails is going through the turbo, which then means shagged turbo.

 

[Amp David]

Diesel Engine Runaway, so you tube LOL

Think you'd have to be topping up your oil on a regular basis if things were worn that much.

 

[drew35]

Thick white smoke can be caused by burning brake fluid, and the fact that you're saying it happens after you're decelerated and then accelerated could make sense.

Check your brake fluid level!

The seals in the master cylinder leak and the brake fluid accumulates inside the vacuum cylinder hard breaking causes the fluid to shift and be drawn into the engine intake. The clonking could be the pre-ignition happening when the fluid gets inside the cylinder.

Ignore the comments about oil that only ever burns blue. It could be coolant, and if you're having to top it up seems likely. You would have to check to see what is cooled by anti-freeze. I'm not familiar with the vehicle but the EGR valve could be water cooled, head gaskets are quite often incorrectly diagnosed when it is a cooler with an internal fault.

Simply taking the hose off the turbo and putting a finger on the shaft to check for play would tell you something about the condition of the bearings. Once the turbo bearings start to make noise they don't stop they just fall apart.

 

[Amp David]

Can't be brake fluid as on them engines the vacuum is created by a small pump on the side of the alternator.

Yes, the EGR is water cooled also.

Again presuming its a 1.7 CDTI 100

 

[JD6400]

Took it to man who does my mechanics (Mums mate) he said without it doing it constant (Cos its stopped doing it now :S) Then he cant really diagnose it.. He thinks its the EGR Valve but told me to just leave it and if it gets worse, or happens more constant come back to him.. you think thats a good idea? OR shud i go to a diff garage and see what they say?!

Had a turbo go on one of our L200 crew cabs a couple of years ago , it revved its nuts off before most of the turbo vanes / fins left their former home and tried to escape out of the exhaust !

This was BAD !!!!!!:sad_smile:

 

[Strima]

EGR valve is easy enough to remove and take a look at, quite a common cause of problems but they often put the car into limp mode. Still worth a check as it's one of the easier ones to do, there are some videos on youtube that show you how to do it.

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Also check out the Vauxhall owners club, a lot of spotters on there...

 

[Guest123]

Vauxhall use Isuzu turbo units, these can be found quite cheaply if it does turn out to be the problem.

Must admit, I always though a failing turbo produced plumes of black smoke from the exhaust.....the one on my old disco did!

 

[Brightspark2]

My money's on turbo...probably seals...

 

[drew35]

If it was black smoke its soot not burning fully, diesel that hasn't combusted very well at all also appears grey, but its thick heavy smoke and it stinks!

Although diesels use vacuum pumps to generate vacuum for brakes and EGR operation they still have a vacuum cylinder, this is were brake fluid would accumulate.

Basically set all your levels to the line and whatever ones going down is what you're burning. If nothing moves its diesel not burning correctly causing the smoke.

Just a thought, but I doubt there is, you don't have a pre heater on that vehicle do you? It would have been an option probably. When it gets cold enough, like at the moment! The pre heater burns diesel and heats the coolant up so you're toasty inside. The pre heater dumps the exhaust fumes straight out underneath because it can't go into the exhaust system. The fumes produced are thick and grey!!! But like I say you would need to have one fitted, and that wouldn't cause any running faults.

 

[drew35]

If..... If its the turbo, and that shouldn't be producing grey smoke, then don't do what most people do when the thing lets go and just get out and wait for it to come apart or seize.

Put your foot so hard on the brake pedal that you're bending the seat, wrench the handbrake as far up as you can, put it in the highest gear, and dump the clutch as quick as you can!!! It may slip so just keep pumping the clutch in and out to get the engine to stall. And when you've stalled it, don't let anyone start it again!!!

 

[Resu]

Google Astra Owners Club Forum, join and ask. They are a very helpful, knowledgeable bunch.

 

[electric will]

Egr valves normally stick, do not fall apart, when they stick open which is the normal failure mode this causes excessive exhaust gas to re enter the inlet manifold, resulting in less oxygen, this means all the diesel injected into the cylinder doesn't get burnt, causing black smoke, I was a master technician for 8 years and have never known brake fluid entering the induction on a Diesel engine and being burnt.

 

[La Poste]

I'm with Drew 100%

White smoke is either water or unburnt fuel (possibly brake fluid but I never thought of this before).

You can tell the difference by standing at the exhaust and if unburnt fuel will smell like it.

Black smoke is engine oil or burnt diesel, burning oil does not produce white smoke and if a Turbo went it would be black smoke as the Turbo is lubricated itself by the engine oil so if the seals start going it will leak engine oil into the intake manifold and make the engine run more on engine oil thus producing excessive dark coloured smoke.

White smoke it not a sign of a Turbo going.

 

[Harness69]

I'm with Drew 100%

White smoke is either water or unburnt fuel (possibly brake fluid but I never thought of this before).

You can tell the difference by standing at the exhaust and if unburnt fuel will smell like it.

Black smoke is engine oil or burnt diesel, burning oil does not produce white smoke and if a Turbo went it would be black smoke as the Turbo is lubricated itself by the engine oil so if the seals start going it will leak engine oil into the intake manifold and make the engine run more on engine oil thus producing excessive dark coloured smoke.

White smoke it not a sign of a Turbo going.

how do men know these things??!!