106 1.5 D Cold Start Problems

Hi Folks,

This problem has been with me for a few years now, i have never got to
the bottom of it. It has been into the garage but as i`ll explain once
started the car runs fine for the day.

In the summer it runs fine. Its an M reg and has done 50k miles.

In the morning, when cold and damp the engine wont start it turns over
and white smoke comes out of the exhaust. Eventually it starts and then
will run fine for the day.

In Dec 04 i replaced the glows plugs and the voltage over them is fine,
so i am assuming that isnt the problem, at the same time i replaced the
Heat Relay box as well in case that had gone.

Now does anyone have any ideas, several suggestions have been made:

1. Fuel dropping back down into fuel tank do to poor seals? (Solution
prime the bulb until hard then start)

2. Valve clearence is to small, and when cold it hinders the start. Due
to poor compression and worn pistons.

3. Glow Plugs, one report suggested that glow plugs can wear far quicker
and it may well be them especially if they were cheap ones.

4. Fuel pick filter blocked.

It has been into a garage before about this but they haven`t found a
problem becuase the car always starts as i pointed out above.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks

 

I had this problem with my xantia, I never solved it either however. I did
find that if I turned the ignition on, waited for the light yellow pigtail
to go out, then turned the igntion off, then turned it on again starting as
normal after the pigtail light went out it started fine.

I found this prblem got worse as the age of the car progressed.

Regards
G.

 

Have you checked the valve clearances?

I had exactly the same problem, which was cured by adjusting the valve
clearances, as they were too small.
I was always brought up on the fact that clearances reduced as things get
hotter, but on the 1.5D this does not happen.
At least check the valves, as this is an easy thing to do.
I then took out the shim peices, which are on the top of the valve covers,
and ground them down a bit on a sharpening stone. Selectively, of course.

 

Hi James,

Do you have an old battery or a new one - my 306 t/d was exactly the same.
I've just put in a new battery - it now starts first time and no more
smoke shooting out the exhaust.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Mark

 

This was my experience as well - 1.5D with about 50K on the clock, it
started being very difficult to start in winter but was better in the
summer - though never 100%.

I did the lazy thing - having decided it was probably this following
testing/replacing all the obvious stuff like the heaters, and the
battery (by coincidence - the original died), I took it to a local Pug
specialist and asked them to check it. They reshimmed the valves, at a
cost of a bit over £100 (IIRC - it was about three years ago).

Matt
http://www.807faults.co.uk

 

Hi Brian, i am no mechanic, but i have done everthing else, this morning
i tried to prime the fuel system using the runner bulb to see if the
fuel had drained back, nope it was fine, tried the leave ignition on
until heater relay clicks out (not when light goes out) and that didnt work.

So i turned the key and left it turning over, white smoke out of the
exhaust and eventually it fired (20secs)

Does this sound like the valve clearences? (this is now what i think it
is, as there is no compression in the engine, and i think the fuel
eventually seals it?) so it will fire.

Please let me know and i`ll tell the mechanic when he services it, as i
dont want to remove any bits of the engine!

Thanks

 

Hi Brian, i am no mechanic, but i have done everthing else, this morning

A pound to a penny it is the valve clearances.