Trouble with 2.5DT - will not start

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Oli Agust

Guest
My patience with my 1988 90 2.5DT is running out. It constantly throws
something at me that need fixing. I just finished rebuilding the front
brake cylinders, 5 days later the speedometer gave up and 2 days later
the car just stopped and I can't get it running again.

I was driving at around 90km/h when it rather suddenly lost a lot of
power, a few seconds later it lost it all and I had to pull over and it
would not start again.

I have checked the solenoid cut off valve and bleed the system but it
will not fire up. It seems to be getting diesel all the way. What
surprised me the most was that two of the after glow plugs were very
wet with diesel but the front two were not.

Could it be the injectors or did I maybe loose compression on the
cylinders, should I pull the head? Any suggestion appreciated since my
home mechanic knowledge is running out fast on this one! :)

 
On 7 May 2005 11:58:37 -0700, "Oli Agust" <[email protected]> wrote:

>My patience with my 1988 90 2.5DT is running out. It constantly throws
>something at me that need fixing. I just finished rebuilding the front
>brake cylinders, 5 days later the speedometer gave up and 2 days later
>the car just stopped and I can't get it running again.
>
>I was driving at around 90km/h when it rather suddenly lost a lot of
>power, a few seconds later it lost it all and I had to pull over and it
>would not start again.
>
>I have checked the solenoid cut off valve and bleed the system but it
>will not fire up. It seems to be getting diesel all the way. What
>surprised me the most was that two of the after glow plugs were very
>wet with diesel but the front two were not.
>
>Could it be the injectors or did I maybe loose compression on the
>cylinders, should I pull the head? Any suggestion appreciated since my
>home mechanic knowledge is running out fast on this one! :)

Well, before pulling the head at the very least do a compression test.
That could save you a lot of time and hassle. Is the oil and coolant
clean?

Getting diesel to the injector is half the battle, but I imagine it
needs to be there at roughly the right time - could the timing have
gone AWOL?

I think the DT is well known for buggering head gaskets though...




--

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 88" aka "Stig"
'77 101FC Ambulance aka "Burrt"
'03 Volvo V70
 

"Tim Hobbs" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:eek:[email protected]...
> On 7 May 2005 11:58:37 -0700, "Oli Agust" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >My patience with my 1988 90 2.5DT is running out. It constantly throws
> >something at me that need fixing. I just finished rebuilding the front
> >brake cylinders, 5 days later the speedometer gave up and 2 days later
> >the car just stopped and I can't get it running again.
> >
> >I was driving at around 90km/h when it rather suddenly lost a lot of
> >power, a few seconds later it lost it all and I had to pull over and it
> >would not start again.
> >
> >I have checked the solenoid cut off valve and bleed the system but it
> >will not fire up. It seems to be getting diesel all the way. What
> >surprised me the most was that two of the after glow plugs were very
> >wet with diesel but the front two were not.
> >
> >Could it be the injectors or did I maybe loose compression on the
> >cylinders, should I pull the head? Any suggestion appreciated since my
> >home mechanic knowledge is running out fast on this one! :)
>
> Well, before pulling the head at the very least do a compression test.
> That could save you a lot of time and hassle. Is the oil and coolant
> clean?
>
> Getting diesel to the injector is half the battle, but I imagine it
> needs to be there at roughly the right time - could the timing have
> gone AWOL?
>
> I think the DT is well known for buggering head gaskets though...


cam belt?


 
I dont think it is the cam belt, I'm sure I would hear strange noises
if something was really messed up. The engine turns over very happily
with the starter motor.

I don't see anything wrong with the engine oil and it hasn't lost any
water. I actually replaced the head gasket about a year ago along with
the "hot spots"...

 

"Oli Agust" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My patience with my 1988 90 2.5DT is running out. It constantly throws
> something at me that need fixing. I just finished rebuilding the front
> brake cylinders, 5 days later the speedometer gave up and 2 days later
> the car just stopped and I can't get it running again.
>
> I was driving at around 90km/h when it rather suddenly lost a lot of
> power, a few seconds later it lost it all and I had to pull over and it
> would not start again.
>
> I have checked the solenoid cut off valve and bleed the system but it
> will not fire up. It seems to be getting diesel all the way. What
> surprised me the most was that two of the after glow plugs were very
> wet with diesel but the front two were not.
>
> Could it be the injectors or did I maybe loose compression on the
> cylinders, should I pull the head? Any suggestion appreciated since my
> home mechanic knowledge is running out fast on this one! :)
>
try a sniff of easy start, if it fires, then the basic engine is fine, and
you have a fuel problem. If it will not run on easy start, then you have a
engine problem.


 
Since it's a weekend and I really need to get the car running before
the end of next week I thought I would just pull the head straight away
without doing a compression test since I don't have tester lying
around.

To my surprise and actually some relief it was the head gasket that was
blown between the two aftermost cylinders. I had imagined worse
things...

I actually have a head gasket and a set of piston & rings and big end
bearings already lying around that I have been planning on putting in
for quite some time.

So the engine is in pieces now, the top and bottom off, and new things
will go in tomorrow.

More of a question at the moment is why did the head gasket blow? The
engine has not been overheating and has been running smoothly, although
the mileage has been going up and some blowby has been occuring putting
oil in the airfilter, which is why I was planning on renewing the
piston and rings.

In connection to this I'm planning on taking the injectors for
reconditioning and putting in a new time belt.

So hopefully I will make friends with the vehicle again... :)

 
In message <[email protected]>
"Oli Agust" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I dont think it is the cam belt, I'm sure I would hear strange noises
> if something was really messed up. The engine turns over very happily
> with the starter motor.
>
> I don't see anything wrong with the engine oil and it hasn't lost any
> water. I actually replaced the head gasket about a year ago along with
> the "hot spots"...
>

Since the BMW engine has a timing chain, I'm pretty sure you'd have
heard it snap too!

Richard
--
www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
Running a business in a Microsoft free environment - it can be done
Powered by Risc-OS - you won't get a virus from us!!
Helping keep Land Rovers on and off the road to annoy the Lib Dems
 
In message <[email protected]>
"Oli Agust" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Since it's a weekend and I really need to get the car running before
> the end of next week I thought I would just pull the head straight away
> without doing a compression test since I don't have tester lying
> around.
>
> To my surprise and actually some relief it was the head gasket that was
> blown between the two aftermost cylinders. I had imagined worse
> things...
>
> I actually have a head gasket and a set of piston & rings and big end
> bearings already lying around that I have been planning on putting in
> for quite some time.
>
> So the engine is in pieces now, the top and bottom off, and new things
> will go in tomorrow.
>
> More of a question at the moment is why did the head gasket blow? The
> engine has not been overheating and has been running smoothly, although
> the mileage has been going up and some blowby has been occuring putting
> oil in the airfilter, which is why I was planning on renewing the
> piston and rings.
>
> In connection to this I'm planning on taking the injectors for
> reconditioning and putting in a new time belt.
>
> So hopefully I will make friends with the vehicle again... :)
>

This engine has a reputation for blown head gaskets - what the
cause it is open to debate.

'Course, the motoring press don't mention this very often, presumambly
since BMW don't makes mistakes, do they? ;-)

Richard
--
www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
Running a business in a Microsoft free environment - it can be done
Powered by Risc-OS - you won't get a virus from us!!
Helping keep Land Rovers on and off the road to annoy the Lib Dems
 
>
>
>This engine has a reputation for blown head gaskets - what the
>cause it is open to debate.
>
>'Course, the motoring press don't mention this very often, presumambly
>since BMW don't makes mistakes, do they? ;-)
>
>Richard

1988, not 1998....


--

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 88" aka "Stig"
'77 101FC Ambulance aka "Burrt"
'03 Volvo V70
 
I know this is a troubled engine and too my best knowledge it is
because of the turbo which it is not designed for. N/A versions seem to
have a better reputation. But aside from the blowby which is rather
annoying since it fills the air filter with oil, the engine has been
running rather well!

When I replaced the hot spots just over a year ago it was obvious that
I would need to replace the pistons since small cracks were developing
in the crown, something others have been reporting about this engine.
The hotspots also looked awful and needed replacing right away.

What Iv'e read here on this newsgroup is that people have had both good
and bad luck with the engine, but if they realize that it will sooner
than later need new pistons, rings, hot spots and a head gasket, this
can well be a beautiful and long lasting relationship! ;)

 
In message <[email protected]>
"Oli Agust" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I know this is a troubled engine and too my best knowledge it is
> because of the turbo which it is not designed for. N/A versions seem to
> have a better reputation. But aside from the blowby which is rather
> annoying since it fills the air filter with oil, the engine has been
> running rather well!
>
> When I replaced the hot spots just over a year ago it was obvious that
> I would need to replace the pistons since small cracks were developing
> in the crown, something others have been reporting about this engine.
> The hotspots also looked awful and needed replacing right away.
>
> What Iv'e read here on this newsgroup is that people have had both good
> and bad luck with the engine, but if they realize that it will sooner
> than later need new pistons, rings, hot spots and a head gasket, this
> can well be a beautiful and long lasting relationship! ;)
>

Change "BMW" for "Land Rover" and that sounds exactly the same as the
old 2.5 4-cylinders............. word for word!

Richard
--
www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
Running a business in a Microsoft free environment - it can be done
Powered by Risc-OS - you won't get a virus from us!!
Helping keep Land Rovers on and off the road to annoy the Lib Dems
 

>
> Since the BMW engine has a timing chain, I'm pretty sure you'd have
> heard it snap too!
>
BMW engine in a 1988 90?


 
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