300TDI 90 loss of power & smoke on start up

Hi all, another one for you. Apologies for length explaining this.

Recently I filled up and trundled home, next time I took the old girl out she started absolutely fine, until about a little down the road where she lost power broke down. I made a post about this and got it sorted or so I thought: https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-ro...ight-any-recommendations.378737/#post-5351449

Next time I took her out, same thing. 2 miles or so and she lost power, had to get recovered again (cheers insurers).

Had at my local mechanic who knows his stuff. I thought perhaps an air lock given the leak off pipe issue but it's the wrong side of the injectors. So he started looking and found a ton of water in the fuel filter - so clearly I picked up bad fuel (makes sense, that tescos had half the diesel pumps turned off). That explains the random loss of power after running fine as water was likely being pulled into the engine. Also explains why after being left a bit she started again.

He also noticed my turbo was crudded up stopping the actuator moving, but we got that apart and cleaned it totally up, works fine now.

He replaced the fuel filter and drained the engine, all seemed fine, put a gallon in for me and I took her down another petrol station and whacked a load of diesel in.

Was running it back to the garage and just round the corner from there she lost power again. After taking some time to tick over and pumping the accelerator she eventually started up again and crawled her back to the mechanics.

Left her idling / gave some revs for 5 / 10 mins and the engine itself is running absolutely sweet as a nut. I've used her for some very short runs since and she seems fine, but perhaps a tiny bit down on power.

Important thing to note - when changing gear at high overrun, she was making a bump / thunk. That's now stopped since the engine drain.

On start up, she kicks out a decent amount of grey / white-ish smoke for about 1 maybe 2 seconds. No smoke comes out her pipe at all after that.

So, I'd love your opinions on the recent emission of smoke on start up.

The timing belt was done by a specialist landy place only 18k miles ago, and she turns over on ignition in 0.5secs or less easy job, no matter the temp. I've always said the engine itself is absolutely fantastic.

I'm praying my mechanic is right and perhaps there's just a tiny bit of water left in the fuel pump that's being pulled through on start up and that's causing the smoke.

Due to the power feeling a tiny bit down at low speeds it might be the injectors need sorting / it may be down on compression.

I don't think it's oil leakage as there's no blue in the smoke.

I've yet to do a sniff test on the smoke as I need someone to start it for me as it goes so quickly I can't round to the pipe in time.

So yeah, opinions needed on injectors needing cleaning / replacing, compression issues, or (and I bloody pray not) a cracked head / gasket. Or the best case scenario and just a tiny bit of water in the fuel pump.

Help needed, and cheers in advance!!!


Edit: Just thought RE compression - she was running fairly hot for a couple of months which started seemingly randomly and sorted itself out just as randomly... potential damage from overheating?!

Last year the fuel station I use and another in the same group a few miles away had delivery of fuel from the oil firm that was contaminated with a lot of watery crud. Result dead cars and other vehicles all over the place [ I was lucky as had filled the day before ] It cost the oil firm or its insurers millions with many damaged vehicles and stations shut for extend period as their underground tanks/ pumps had to be replaced.
Tank / lines been cleaned out ?

Cheers for the reply tottot, I got to admit I hadn't thought insurance route as it might be difficult to prove. My mechanic said he'd had a jag in with the same issue who he thinks filled up at the same place as me.

Engine & tank drained (I got it back will a gallon, just enough to shimmy down the other brand petrol station) but I don't know / don't think the lines were cleaned out. Kinda assumed when it was drained all the lines would have been done too and they'd flush through with fresh fuel when I filled up.

Just had a play around - parked out the wind and managed to start and get round to sniff the smoke before it went. Definitely a diesel-y smell to it.

Have checked the oil filler cap, no mayo on there so thinking not an oil / coolant gasket leak.

Timing-wise engine seems to be running absolutely fine, sounds great. Seems fine under constant revs for a minute or so.

Checked removing the oil filler cap whilst engine on and no pressure pushing on that, all that happened was it bounced around very slightly from the engine vibrations.

Also did the same with the expansion tank and no bubbling / pressure coming up through that either. Only thing I noticed was a tiny bit of steam coming out of it (and I mean tiny, could barely see it - is that normal from coolant for a stationary vehicle? I'd guess yes as it's ya know... soaking up that heat...). There was a very, very faint smell to it that I couldn't quite place, perhaps a tiny bit oily / fuelly but then again my hands were covered in crud, the engine was running, I'd just wiped a load of ****e off beneath the rocker cover / leak off pipes so perhaps it was just from that.

Don't know if that helps at all? Looking for as much advice as possible before I start stripping down to the head or similar, equally don't want to assume all fine and break down a few miles from the house again!

Best thing is to keep running it, A fuel injection pump can quickly corrode if left standing with any water in it. Bit of steam from coolant tank normal.
May well be worth checking/draining fuel filter again in case more water turned up from a hidden corner. Very unlikely any head or other internal damage from water in fuel but checks of injection system could be worth it.