Starting

[Chaz]

Hope someone can help

Having trouble starting, it used to start first time but have noticed over the last few weeks that it turns over a few times before firing. Now cold weather is here it even worse. Went out this morning engine turned over but would not start. Glow plug indicator was on for about 5sec. Turned ignition off tried again had to turn the engine over for ages strong smell of deisel and then it finaly started big puff of white smoke from the rear. Could it be the glow plugs ? If one glow plug was not working would that cause the bad starting.

Chaz

 

[kbekl]

do you run on diesel or bio ?
glow plugs are the most probable

 

[Chaz]

I run on Diesel

Chaz

 

[rustic]

I would go for Glow plugs, there are 2 types for different models, so check which one.
There is a download on the site for glow plug testing.

Symptons for one failed glow plug is white smoke on start up and rough running. In the summer you won't even notice one gone.
2 failed, gets more difficult to start, and lots of white smoke.
Any more gone, you have to have a good battery as it could take ages.

If 2 have gone, replace all 4, keep the 2 working ones as back up.
I always carry 2 spare now, as when you remove the bus bar linking all 4, and find one faulty, it is easier to replace it there and then.

The problem is once one goes, it puts more current through the others,
Not on initial start up, but the heaters are partially on during the warm up time, several minutes until the temperature gets up. The current is controlled through a resistor in series with all 4 glow plugs that are in parallel.
On start up the resistor is by-passed.
But the remaining glow plugs that are working will over heat shortening their life.

So 1 will go then another then 3rd and 4th will go even quicker.
Hope this helps.

Regards, Rustic

 

[jims-terrano]

I agree with testing the Glow Plugs, see the downloads section.

This said my starter went last year, well it took about two years before I found out it was the starter. Replaced the starter and now starts on the button no problem. Even sometimes in summer it would behave like it had a flat battery.

Jim

 

[Chaz]

Thanks for the info

I think I will start off by replacing all four glow plugs the truck has done 72000 miles and as far as I know they havent been changed so I will see if that cures it.

Chaz

 

[Timbo_1975]

Hope someone can help

Having trouble starting, it used to start first time but have noticed over the last few weeks that it turns over a few times before firing. Now cold weather is here it even worse. Went out this morning engine turned over but would not start. Glow plug indicator was on for about 5sec. Turned ignition off tried again had to turn the engine over for ages strong smell of deisel and then it finaly started big puff of white smoke from the rear. Could it be the glow plugs ? If one glow plug was not working would that cause the bad starting.

Chaz

It was -12 here last night. The pre-glow period on my truck was about 10 seconds before the light went out, and it fired on about the 3rd or 4th revolution.

The first few seconds of running i did have the odd random misfire and corresponding white puff from the exhaust but that is to be expected!

5 seconds of lamp sounds like not enough, so I would be investigating the resistance of the coolant temp sensor in the t-stat housing as this regulates how long the ecu decides to keep the light on for.

I dont have the resistances to hand but they are in the online workshop manual.

 

[Timbo_1975]

PS, i know most people have suggested looking at the glow plugs themselves, but one or two failed ones will usually allow the engine to fire on the working cylinders upon cranking, with the other pots chiming in as you continue to crank.

Perhaps you could elabourate more on the precise symptoms?

Assume you have a good battery / starter and a decent cranking speed, otherwise not even all the glow plugs in china are gunna help you start up!

 

[briggie]

It was -12 here last night. The pre-glow period on my truck was about 10 seconds before the light went out, and it fired on about the 3rd or 4th revolution.

The first few seconds of running i did have the odd random misfire and corresponding white puff from the exhaust but that is to be expected!

5 seconds of lamp sounds like not enough, so I would be investigating the resistance of the coolant temp sensor in the t-stat housing as this regulates how long the ecu decides to keep the light on for.

I dont have the resistances to hand but they are in the online workshop manual.

http://bebrs.pie-dabas.net/Webs/Terrano/R20/ec.pdf

 

[Chaz]

PS, i know most people have suggested looking at the glow plugs themselves, but one or two failed ones will usually allow the engine to fire on the working cylinders upon cranking, with the other pots chiming in as you continue to crank.

Perhaps you could elabourate more on the precise symptoms?

Assume you have a good battery / starter and a decent cranking speed, otherwise not even all the glow plugs in china are gunna help you start up!

Yes battery ok plenty of power, starter ok

What happens is you switch on the ignition glow plug light on dash lights up I wait for it to go out and then crank the engine. What happend this morning is it turned over but would not fire I switched of left a few seconds then tried again turning over but not firing. This time I continued cranking and you could feel it trying to fire it took about 20 to 30 sec of cranking could smell diesel and she spluttered into life large plume of white smoke from the back once fired up was fine. It starts fine a few hours after even when left at work for 8 to 12 hours it is when it is left overnight first thing in the morning.

Chaz

 

[briggie]

do you run on " normal diesel " ? ..... ie not bio diesel , because i think that diesel used to wax up prior to additives/detergents being added at manufacturing

 

[briggie]

i remember a few years ago seeing pictures of trucks stranded on roads cos the diesel had waxed up

 

[jims-terrano]

Leave it a bit longer after light goes out as it carries on heating but not at full power. Even give it another heat before turning over, this may help prove if it's heating up properly.
Just how fast does it turn over? does it sound like battery is a bit low even though you've tested battery OK?

Jim

 

[Chaz]

do you run on " normal diesel " ? ..... ie not bio diesel , because i think that diesel used to wax up prior to additives/detergents being added at manufacturing

Yes Normal diesel

 

[ssteve]

try a set of glow plugs first, cheapest and easy done youself

ssteve

 

[Chaz]

Leave it a bit longer after light goes out as it carries on heating but not at full power. Even give it another heat before turning over, this may help prove if it's heating up properly.
Just how fast does it turn over? does it sound like battery is a bit low even though you've tested battery OK?

Jim

Battery is fine turns over quite fast not slugish

Chaz

 

[briggie]

glow plugs are about £10 each .... easy to fit too ( or so ive heard ) ... will certainly not do any harm to replace them , and its one cause out of the way :thumb2

 

[jims-terrano]

Battery is fine turns over quite fast not slugish

Chaz

Don't sound like the starter then. Get your self some glow plugs ordered and fitted then.

Jim

 

[Chaz]

Gona get some tomorrow and see if its any better