Smokey 300tdi

I have a Landrover 300 tdi with an embarrassing problem.
When the engine has warmed up and I slow down to a stop (at a junction for e.g.), the engine starts to smoke (what looks like white smoke). And then when I pull away I immediately leave clouds and clouds of more white smoke behind me but only for a couple of seconds - by the time I've got up to 3rd gear she no longer throws out anything and then stays smoke free until I again come to rest.
We thought it was the head gasket and so had it replaced, but it hasn't cured the problem.
The engine has done over 200K miles but has been regularly serviced. Despite this problem, she still pulls like a train and doesn't get hot. The only other weird thing, is that she is still using water - 400 miles will drain the reservoir.
My Land rover mechanic is not 100% sure why it's doing what it's doing but is erring towards either valve stem seals or the turbo, (but this wouldn't explain the loss of water and she isn't using oil) while his mate reckons the head could be cracked. Meanwhile my mate reckons it's the injectors - but after 1500 miles with injector cleaner in the tank, I'm not so sure.
I'm running out of money and patience with her: the head gasket job was £400.
She's GOT to get us to the south of France in the summer but for the first time ever, I've lost faith in her.
Any ideas would be REALLY appreciated -
Jason.

My guess, I'm sorry to say, either whoever fitted the gasket didn't do it well or your heads cracked or warped, have you noticed what the smoke smells like? Would you say it smells a bit like burnt antifreeze?

What I thinks hapening for what it's worth; either the temperature's opening a crack in the head or once up to temperature, the coolant's pressure squeezes a bit past the gasket but with the turbo running, the pressure in the cylinder is enough to prevent it getting in.

Have you tried radweld, occasionally you can be lucky.....

buy a freelander....

Beast o Bodmin said:

buy a freelander....

Click to expand...

Thanks Thin-Trucker...
I guess, ultimately, I AM looking at shelling out for a recon head .
Jeeez - not even the missus spends the sort of money I'm spending on this ol' gal......
Is this a common problem with the 300tdi heads?
I wouldn't like to say if the head/ head-gasket had been badly installed - don't forget, it was doing what's it's doing to end up at the LR garage in the first place....just an incorrect diagnosis has left me £400 out of pocket :doh:.

Cheers,
Snotty (Jase)

Sorry mate. Sounds like a cracked head to me to, got to be a real small one though.
I've fixed a problem like that on a motor bike before with some stuff called block fix, its better than rad weld, its for cracks. The bike is still working and it was years ago i did it.
I would definatly give it a go, what have you got to loose, a tenner tops could sort the problem for good. Follow the instructions to the word though as it can block more than your crack !!!
If it makes you feel better I would have gone for the head gasket being the problem in the first place to.
Good luck and try the block fix.

Thanks Shedjim....
I was seriously thinking of going with the "bock-fix" but then a mate pointed me in the direction of Turner Engineering..... I didn't even know you could get performance heads for LRs!!!!
The thing that holds me back with the rad-weld type solutions, is that my Landy is my one and only means of transport and if I accidentally inflicted further damage by bocking up more than just the crack, I'd be totally shagged for getting to work .
If she was just my off-road plaything, I'd be shoving Block-Fix down her throat like there was no tomorrow....
Thanks once again guys for your help.

Snotty.

Same thing is happening to my disco. Did you try radweld ?