TD4 running rough and black smoking.

I don't normally ask for help but this problem has me stumped, especially as diesels aren't really my thing.
The engine is running rough and smoking black while it's doing it.
Over the last week or so, I've noticed a small miss a few seconds in length about 10 seconds after starting. This seemed to coincide with a fill up from a budget petrol station.
Over the weekend I fitted 3 new glow plugs and a £25 MAF which improved the low RPM torque. I also deactivate the EGR by plugging the vacuum pipe. I also put in 20 Litres of V Power. noticed that there was a slight misfire after about 30 miles but I put that down to the duff fuel. This morning I noticed the misfire so monitored the live data for a bit. I monitored MAF, LP pressure HP pressure and MAP.
Monitoring these parameters showed nothing untoward however.
So before driving home tonight, I decided I'd reactivate the EGR by unplugging the pipe.
The engine started perfectly, no glow plugs and no spluttering after a few seconds. However my excitement was shot lived as no sooner had I got moving, the engine was coughing and spluttering like it was from the 20's. I happened to glance in the mirror and saw the smoke screen behind. Thick black smoke was spewing out the back. I gave it full throttle and the smoke and missing cleared. However every time I used light to medium throttle, the missing and smoking resumed.
So anyone got an idea of where I should be looking next.

Have you checked that the intercooler upper rubber hose isn't rubbing through on the engine cover

Boost pipes are all intact with no holes or leaks as far as I can tell.
Boost pressure just peaked at 205kpa in first with foot planted. But spent most of it's time between 150 to 190kpa on my trip home. HPFP shows between 65,000 and 95,000 kpa. The LPFP is reading between 310 to 360kpa depending on demand.

Ay up mate. I believe your egr is fooked, probably stuck open. But to check properly, put your old maf back on and delete the EGR and see what happens.
As for the miss, I'm still sticking with one of your injectors is on its way out. But it could be the wiring harness has a bad wire, you know as well as me it's nearly impossible to check that harness.
Mike

I'm confused with the EGR bit as it idles perfectly. Presumably if the ERG was stuck open, idle would be poor. I'm no expert on diesel engines though. I did try to test the injector loom but it's a hit and miss affair. Substitution to a known good loom is the only real test. I'll put the old MAF back on tomorrow and see how she runs. It's running like a petrol car with a duff dizzy cap.

My egr stuck open when I put it back on briefly the other month. Guess what, ran like a bag of spanners and loads of black smoke under acceleration.
Mike
Oh tick over was perfect.

Skinny Mike said:

My egr stuck open when I put it back on briefly the other month. Guess what, ran like a bag of spanners and loads of black smoke under acceleration.
Mike
Oh tick over was perfect.

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How did it run on idle?

Sorry, you probably missed the edit. I forgot to put it in first time.
Tick over was perfect.
Mike

Sounds like an egr problem friend of mine had this and that was malfunctioning egr valve he replaced it and prob cured mine is blanked off yes it gets a little stutter at 2000 revs but I don't really notice it so don't worry

Seeing as you probs have the same MAF as me, it may be worth doing the MAF disconnect, generate a fault code (2 actually) then connecting the new MAF and reseting the fault codes. Mine was significantly better after this and smoking stopped. Failing that it is sounding like the EGR - better to get rid.

Ok, how about this for a scenario. My original MAF is faulty enough to stop the EGR activating. So I fitted this new MAF which now allows EGR activation, although I'd blocked the pipe, preventing it from actually working. So tonight I decide to reactivate the EGR, which has now stuck open. I did the MAF fault code reset before fitting the new MAF.
I've still been the 2K miss although this hasn't been so bad and I actually think it's poor fuel related.
Although thinking back. I did notice a bit of a misfire under light throttle a few miles after fitting the new MAF. However I think that could be fuel quality related.

HI Nodge68
Make sure that all the jubilee clips are tight on the EGR, and the hose fitted to the EGR is not split or as a tiny hole, air filter is clean, air filter cover fitted correctly at the back, you can test the EGR by bringing the revs up to 3000 on the engine for 10-15 seconds then foot off about 10 -20 seconds later the EGR should close and you will notice this by the engine tone changing, but it doe's sound like the EGR is at fault is it gunked up,

Do you know how often the oil was changed before you got it?
It could be some blockage in the engine due to poor maintenance causing the blips. I DO NOT recommend flushing a diesel engine, but an oil change every 1000 miles for the next 3 will help clean it out.
Mike
Edit, have you changed the crankcase breather?

Arctic2 said:

HI Nodge68
Make sure that all the jubilee clips are tight on the EGR, and the hose fitted to the EGR is not split or as a tiny hole, air filter is clean, air filter cover fitted correctly at the back, you can test the EGR by bringing the revs up to 3000 on the engine for 10-15 seconds then foot off about 10 -20 seconds later the EGR should close and you will notice this by the engine tone changing, but it doe's sound like the EGR is at fault is it gunked up,

Click to expand...

Interesting. As far as I can tell all hose clips are tight. I did have the manifold off over the weekend so I could change the glow plugs. I changed plug 2,3 and 4 but No 1 simply refused to turn, so i left it alone.
Everything went back together ok although one of the studs on the lower manifold was missing when I removed it. I couldn't find the correct size from my stocks of bolts so I left it out.
The EGR was cleaned 2 months ago.

Skinny Mike said:

Do you know how often the oil was changed before you got it?
It could be some blockage in the engine due to poor maintenance causing the blips. I DO NOT recommend flushing a diesel engine, but an oil change every 1000 miles for the next 3 will help clean it out.
Mike
Edit, have you changed the crankcase breather?

Click to expand...

I got the car without history but I can see it's been reasonably looked after. I did a service when I got it but it was obvious the crank case filter was choked up with gunk. I fitted a new air filter, oil filter, CVF as well as cleaning out the inlet manifold, EGR and filled using decent semi synthetic oil. I also changed all the vacuum pipes as they were showing age. Up until last week, it's been running perfectly, except for the 2k misfire.
It's all rather odd.

Maybe you've dislodged some gunk with the new oil and filters.
I use carlube 5W30 full synthetic. It's the one with the GM label on. I'd give it another change before you start spending any serious money on it.
One other thing that I haven't tried as my engine is clean and I know the history having owned it a long time, but I've read with interest on other forums. Adding an amount of ATF fluid into the oil on the next change, about a 3rd seems to be the consensus and running for a couple of hundred miles. People have reported good results, others say it's a load of rubbish and is just the effect of repeated oil changes. But you will know ATF is an amazing cleaning agent.
Mike

I'll look into this issue over the next couple of days. I used the family Kuga for work today as the wife is using her summertime BMW convertible. Strangely that was running like a bag of spanners until I serviced it 2 weeks ago. Maybe it had some BMW virus that has infected the Freelander's BMW engine. All very odd really.

Nodge68 said:

I'll look into this issue over the next couple of days. I used the family Kuga for work today as the wife is using her summertime BMW convertible. Strangely that was running like a bag of spanners until I serviced it 2 weeks ago. Maybe it had some BMW virus that has infected the Freelander's BMW engine. All very odd really.

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OK, final thought on this, then I'll shut up (promise)
After re-reading the original post and answers numerous times! I keep coming back to the faulty injector conclusion or loom. Black smoke, lumpy running, just screams injector/loom.
But I do still think the EGR is duff.
Right, said my piece, I'll bugger off and do some work now
Mike

Skinny Mike said:

OK, final thought on this, then I'll shut up (promise)
After re-reading the original post and answers numerous times! I keep coming back to the faulty injector conclusion or loom. Black smoke, lumpy running, just screams injector/loom.
But I do still think the EGR is duff.
Right, said my piece, I'll bugger off and do some work now
Mike

Click to expand...

I appreciate the input Mike
My loom resistance test was inconclusive so that's the next items to check or substitute.
How would I go about checking which injector is duff? My diagnostic device doesn't show any faults but it might not be comprehensive enough to give me an idea.

Unless you catch it running lumpy it's nearly impossible to work out which one is duff.
When I had one go bad years ago I had two options. Take them all out and drop them into the local bosch diesel place for testing, or wait until it failed enough so you can unplug them one by one and see which one doesn't make it run any different!
I eventually did option 2 as option one costs money, and I am from Yorkshire you know. But it took nearly 5 months for it to get to a point where I could check it.
One good thing about these injectors, they're well engineered.
Someone else might know a better trick.
Mike