Any ideas what has happend?

Right, car was running fine then last week the radiator split (plastic on the top) while out.

Got it home (and drove fine on way home, just left the header tank cap off to ease the pressure) and ordered a new radiator which I fitted today.

In order to fit it I removed the battery box, intercooler and engine oil cooler. Put it all back together and went to start it to bleed it.

Was a bit lumpy on start up and was smoking far more than it ever has (oily smell to it) also sounded far more rattly than usual (like a bag of spanners).

Went through bleed process and it overheated once but stopped, filled it up again, seemed ok and decided to take it for a spin round the block.

Now when I put my foot down there is no response and loads of black smoke comes out the back and after about 2-3 seconds it picks up and drives but if I take my foot off the accelerator then it's gets sluggish again and takes 2-3 seconds to clear with more black smoke.

I can't understand what I could have done in changing the radiator to cause problem to the engine as it was fine before the radiator split, or was the fact the radiator split a sign of something going wrong?

Confused.com

Any ideas?

Cheers

Sounds like the head gasket , But I'm a petrol/gas p38 er

Did you disconnect the MAF and or MAP while replacing the radiator?
Did you reconnect them properly?

I don't think so but not 100% sure where they would be.

Just did mechanical things, apart from moving the ECM when I moved the battery box but just lifted it out and moved to one side, didn't unplug anything?

Could I have done it by accident?

head gasket cause the radiator to be split?

Dr W said:

I don't think so but not 100% sure where they would be.

Just did mechanical things, apart from moving the ECM when I moved the battery box but just lifted it out and moved to one side, didn't unplug anything?

Could I have done it by accident?

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If you moved the ECU, check the connectors, also when the RAD split it would no doubt have sprayed water around under the bonnet so check the fuse box for signs/smells of burning and make sure the connection from the battery is good. Check the in tank pump runs.

Now I am a petrol man but if it was me I would be trying to find out why the rad split ie if it was pressure build up why? - but maybe its not dso critical in a chip pan

sandyt said:

Now I am a petrol man but if it was me I would be trying to find out why the rad split ie if it was pressure build up why? - but maybe its not dso critical in a chip pan

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The plastic fails due to fatigue on a diesel unlike on a V8 where they explode due to HGF or slipped liners cracked block etc

Datatek said:

The plastic fails due to fatigue on a diesel unlike on a V8 where they explode due to HGF or slipped liners cracked block etc

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Ah I see so where is the fun in that

sandyt said:

Ah I see so where is the fun in that

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The fun is that the cash stays in the wallet to spend on something interesting

Datatek said:

If you moved the ECU, check the connectors, also when the RAD split it would no doubt have sprayed water around under the bonnet so check the fuse box for signs/smells of burning and make sure the connection from the battery is good. Check the in tank pump runs.

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Cheers, Battery nice and tightly done up so I'll check the fuse box first if the god forsaken rain ever stops I'll have a look.

Was going to try and buy a sniff kit to test but didn't realise the cost. Don't recovery people carry sniff tests, could always call them out to test it for free.

What's the easiest way to check if the in tank pump runs?

Might also run it and see if the pipes get hard.

It's odd because there had never been any signs of overheating (even up to point radiator burst) and it has been as good as gold since I bought it, has done 172k miles though so maybe fatigue (although doesn't explain the the smoke and the dirty patches under the exhaust pipes, as if running too rich). Also no signs of oil in the water and oil is black as black although wasn't much in when I tested so thought maybe it had been burning it, or depositing on my drive as usual )

Dr W said:

Cheers, Battery nice and tightly done up so I'll check the fuse box first if the god forsaken rain ever stops I'll have a look.

Was going to try and buy a sniff kit to test but didn't realise the cost. Don't recovery people carry sniff tests, could always call them out to test it for free.

What's the easiest way to check if the in tank pump runs?

Might also run it and see if the pipes get hard.

It's odd because there had never been any signs of overheating (even up to point radiator burst) and it has been as good as gold since I bought it, has done 172k miles though so maybe fatigue (although doesn't explain the the smoke and the dirty patches under the exhaust pipes, as if running too rich). Also no signs of oil in the water and oil is black as black although wasn't much in when I tested so thought maybe it had been burning it, or depositing on my drive as usual )

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Take the fuel filter off, hold a container under it, get a mate to turn on the ignition with the engine cold, you should get a burst of fuel while the glowplug light is on. If you do a search there are details of the amount of fuel in a given time but if it's pumping it will not be your problem.
If the engine oil was low could be your problem, engine may be goosed

Datatek said:

If the engine oil was low could be your problem, engine may be goosed

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Let's not start thinking about that. :doh:

Dr W said:

Let's not start thinking about that. :doh:

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Don't forget, the oil provides a significant amount of engine cooling on the diesel if there is any there, just look at the size of the oil cooler

Datatek said:

Take the fuel filter off, hold a container under it, get a mate to turn on the ignition with the engine cold, you should get a burst of fuel while the glowplug light is on. If you do a search there are details of the amount of fuel in a given time but if it's pumping it will not be your problem.
If the engine oil was low could be your problem, engine may be goosed

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180ml in ten seconds. Has to be done by feeding + to socket 5 on fuel pump relay socket for that time. The one that is contrary to the other three is pin five. Will also tell you if pump is working or not.

Well had a mate who's a landy mechanic look over it and test all the obvious things, he can't see anything that would cause it and thinks the issue is either head gasket or something not happy between a couple of the injectors where it's got hot.

He thinks the best plan is to stick a new engine in it as will be cheaper and quickler than doing the head gasket (as not something I want to tackle) and could spend a fortune jsut trying to figure out what's wrong plus the old girl has already done 172k miles.

Anyone know a good place in the south west for getting engines, not sure I want to go through ebay as don't know what you're getting.

Not a happy day :frown:

You have removed the inter cooler are all pipes secure and tight, black smoke lack of power = leak I don't understand why you undid all these items to get the rad out?? Fan/cowling , hoses off and then rad bolts and out....and obviously slam plate and grill

The radiator splitting the plastic across the top is pretty common. Mine went on my diesel last year towing up a steep hill. It blew with such force it blasted a big hole in the underbonnet insulation.
I would be looking at you intercooler to see if any damage was caused.
The symptoms you described seem to me to be lack of turbo pressure.

Get yourself a smoke bomb, drop it in, then just wait to see if smoke starts coming out of places it shouldn't.

Or if you're crafty, get two end caps from some PVC piping and some piping that'll be a snug fit in the intake piping, one end cap will attach at the inlet manifold the other just after the airbox. With one of the PVC end pipes drill a hole bit enough to fit an airline barb and seal it up.

Get yourself a compressor and an airline with a regulator. Set the PSI to be a shade over what you're currently getting (you'll need a tech sheet for a ballpark figure or a boost gauge). Turn on the air and listen for any leaks. If you find one seal it up (usually it is a loose jubie). Rinse and repeat.

Bix said:

Get yourself a smoke bomb, drop it in, then just wait to see if smoke starts coming out of places it shouldn't.

Or if you're crafty, get two end caps from some PVC piping and some piping that'll be a snug fit in the intake piping, one end cap will attach at the inlet manifold the other just after the airbox. With one of the PVC end pipes drill a hole bit enough to fit an airline barb and seal it up.

Get yourself a compressor and an airline with a regulator. Set the PSI to be a shade over what you're currently getting (you'll need a tech sheet for a ballpark figure or a boost gauge). Turn on the air and listen for any leaks. If you find one seal it up (usually it is a loose jubie). Rinse and repeat.

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Troubling is bix the crankshaft breathers are always leaking chucking out oil all over the plastic turbo intake tube