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sorry if this is gonna get long winded, but i want to give you all the info now, as i feel that any advice will be needed, come morning !!
couple of weeks ago, my beast did something unheard of, it didn't start! it was a cold morning, and i assumed it was a glowplug issue. the engine cranked over ok, and sounded as if wanted to fire, but wouldn't, so before i killed the batteries i called the AA. upon his arrival, he asked me to attempt a start. it took more turns than usual, but she did fire, at which point he became misty eyed as he commented on how lovely it sounded.
ok, while he was there, he tested the batteries. this was done on what looked like a laptop. the batteries weren't isolated, and i cranked the engine with the imobiliser off, thus letting it turn over, without fuelling, the batteries checked out well, but the car had been ticking over. after a quick test on the glowplugs, he announced they were drawing the required voltage, no problem there.
the diagnosis was this. before she started, he had noticed she was turning over erratically, as if the engine was dumping its compression every now and again, and i sort of know what he means. he said the sound was absent during the battery test, because the oil would now be sealing the rings. if it happened the next day, i should have it tested, well it didn't, so i left it at that.
now, thats been bugging me. first thing in the morning, i turn it over a few times without the imobiliser, and it sounds just fine. hit the imobiliser, and it turns slowly, then spins faster, either at that point it catches, or slows, then picks up and fires. this morning was really cold, and i anticipated problems. radio off, heater off, then turn, sounds good, powerfull cranking, lights on dash bright. hit the imobiliser, wait for the plugs to heat, key off, let them heat again, hear the click, off, then on, and crank..sounds like the battery is really struggling, then spins like a whirling dervish, slows, then fires, clean as a whistle from the word go.
thing is this.if my valve or valves are sticking, then oil circulation wouldn't improve things, right? if i've got a bad ring or bore on a 40 k motor, then wouldn't the compression loss be apparent on the first turns of the key, blowing a bit of blue out the rear in the process? then there is the question of why it always sounds at full compression when the imobiliser is off, but cranking without fuel? if it was a petrol motor, at the moment when the engine was cranking fast, i'd be shouting, "go on you bugger,go on, nearly" assuming the load coming of the engine was some sort of ignition going on, but i don't know if heavy diesels should sound like that, the AA didn't think they should, but then he had 10 seconds to diagnose the fault.
the issue is this, if the consensus here is that lack of compression is the likely cause, i'll get it checked. if not, then its either battery, plugs or fuel, right? when the weather turned cold a few weeks back, i thought i was losing the rear window motor, it would hardly wind up, but now its ok, once the engine has run, is this pointing to a battery problem? is it that the extra load on the battery when the plugs are heating and the fuel pump is working showing the strain?
tomorrow morning i'm going to have problems, its freezing like a good-un out there, and frankly i cannot afford to push the boat out, replacing both batteries and plugs, only to find i've got a compression issue, so need to take a reasonably sound gamble, if there is such a thing.
i'll give you the symptoms again..spins fine and consistantly without dissarming the imobiliser, strong turns without fading over 9 or 10 turns. imobiliser off, glowplugs allowed time to really heat, then sounds almost dead for two turns, then normal, or even quicker, maybe back to normal before catching, but never really slow. one fired, no smoke, or not excessive, and never ever runs rough, always smooth and strong. then its ok for the rest of the day. sometimes takes 4 or 5 spins, but never a concearn. when i bought it a year or so ago, it started faster, usually one turn cycle would do it, so it has become more sluggish. any ideas??
couple of weeks ago, my beast did something unheard of, it didn't start! it was a cold morning, and i assumed it was a glowplug issue. the engine cranked over ok, and sounded as if wanted to fire, but wouldn't, so before i killed the batteries i called the AA. upon his arrival, he asked me to attempt a start. it took more turns than usual, but she did fire, at which point he became misty eyed as he commented on how lovely it sounded.
ok, while he was there, he tested the batteries. this was done on what looked like a laptop. the batteries weren't isolated, and i cranked the engine with the imobiliser off, thus letting it turn over, without fuelling, the batteries checked out well, but the car had been ticking over. after a quick test on the glowplugs, he announced they were drawing the required voltage, no problem there.
the diagnosis was this. before she started, he had noticed she was turning over erratically, as if the engine was dumping its compression every now and again, and i sort of know what he means. he said the sound was absent during the battery test, because the oil would now be sealing the rings. if it happened the next day, i should have it tested, well it didn't, so i left it at that.
now, thats been bugging me. first thing in the morning, i turn it over a few times without the imobiliser, and it sounds just fine. hit the imobiliser, and it turns slowly, then spins faster, either at that point it catches, or slows, then picks up and fires. this morning was really cold, and i anticipated problems. radio off, heater off, then turn, sounds good, powerfull cranking, lights on dash bright. hit the imobiliser, wait for the plugs to heat, key off, let them heat again, hear the click, off, then on, and crank..sounds like the battery is really struggling, then spins like a whirling dervish, slows, then fires, clean as a whistle from the word go.
thing is this.if my valve or valves are sticking, then oil circulation wouldn't improve things, right? if i've got a bad ring or bore on a 40 k motor, then wouldn't the compression loss be apparent on the first turns of the key, blowing a bit of blue out the rear in the process? then there is the question of why it always sounds at full compression when the imobiliser is off, but cranking without fuel? if it was a petrol motor, at the moment when the engine was cranking fast, i'd be shouting, "go on you bugger,go on, nearly" assuming the load coming of the engine was some sort of ignition going on, but i don't know if heavy diesels should sound like that, the AA didn't think they should, but then he had 10 seconds to diagnose the fault.
the issue is this, if the consensus here is that lack of compression is the likely cause, i'll get it checked. if not, then its either battery, plugs or fuel, right? when the weather turned cold a few weeks back, i thought i was losing the rear window motor, it would hardly wind up, but now its ok, once the engine has run, is this pointing to a battery problem? is it that the extra load on the battery when the plugs are heating and the fuel pump is working showing the strain?
tomorrow morning i'm going to have problems, its freezing like a good-un out there, and frankly i cannot afford to push the boat out, replacing both batteries and plugs, only to find i've got a compression issue, so need to take a reasonably sound gamble, if there is such a thing.
i'll give you the symptoms again..spins fine and consistantly without dissarming the imobiliser, strong turns without fading over 9 or 10 turns. imobiliser off, glowplugs allowed time to really heat, then sounds almost dead for two turns, then normal, or even quicker, maybe back to normal before catching, but never really slow. one fired, no smoke, or not excessive, and never ever runs rough, always smooth and strong. then its ok for the rest of the day. sometimes takes 4 or 5 spins, but never a concearn. when i bought it a year or so ago, it started faster, usually one turn cycle would do it, so it has become more sluggish. any ideas??
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