gershon@ccicpg.UUCP ( Gershon Shamay) (12/13/85)
<this line for the hungry bears>
I am the lucky (or is it unlucky) owner of a GM Oldsmobile Diesel
station wagon (1981). Lately, I'm having problems starting it at quite
random times. "Glow plugs" was an immediate reply I got at the
service station. But that's not it. It starts right away in the
morning, even after cold nights (well, at least as cold as they get
here in California). And while changing oil, etc, the same service
station concluded that the glow plugs are OK.
More about the behaviour. I was usually starting it in the morning,
driving to my office and the car was parked there until 5-6 PM. Mostly
in the sun, quite warm. Then, at 5-6 PM it wouldn't start. Meaning I
have to crank it for about 30-40 seconds until it decided to start.
Once started, it drives A-OK, no problems whatsoever. After a short stop
(15-20 minutes) it would start fine. Only prolonged warming in the sun
seemed to make a difference. When finaly starting, a cloud of white
smoke come off the exhaust pipe, after which there's only an almost
invisible white smoke (condensation ?) for the rest of the drive.
Lately the problem happens more often at random times (and temperatures).
The fuel injector pump is almost new (10k miles). But the service station
told me that pressure is above normal in the cooling system, thereby
suspecting a head gasket leak.
I'll appreciate input from anyone who had this type of experience and
can tell me what the reason is.
{rlgvax, ccice5, dagobah, peregrine}!ccicpg!gershon
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From: gershon@ccicpg.UUCP ( Gershon Shamay)
Newsgroups: net.auto.tech
Subject: Diesel problems
Message-ID: <126@ccicpg.UUCP>
Date: 12 Dec 85 21:18:54 GMT
Date-Received: 19 Dec 85 10:09:52 GMT
Organization: CCI-CPG, Irvine, CA
Lines: 26
References:
<this line for the hungry bears>
I am the lucky (or is it unlucky) owner of a GM Oldsmobile Diesel
station wagon (1981). Lately, I'm having problems starting it at quite
random times. "Glow plugs" was an immediate reply I got at the
service station. But that's not it. It starts right away in the
morning, even after cold nights (well, at least as cold as they get
here in California). And while changing oil, etc, the same service
station concluded that the glow plugs are OK.
More about the behaviour. I was usually starting it in the morning,
driving to my office and the car was parked there until 5-6 PM. Mostly
in the sun, quite warm. Then, at 5-6 PM it wouldn't start. Meaning I
have to crank it for about 30-40 seconds until it decided to start.
Once started, it drives A-OK, no problems whatsoever. After a short stop
(15-20 minutes) it would start fine. Only prolonged warming in the sun
seemed to make a difference. When finaly starting, a cloud of white
smoke come off the exhaust pipe, after which there's only an almost
invisible white smoke (condensation ?) for the rest of the drive.
Lately the problem happens more often at random times (and temperatures).
The fuel injector pump is almost new (10k miles). But the service station
told me that pressure is above normal in the cooling system, thereby
suspecting a head gasket leak.
I'll appreciate input from anyone who had this type of experience and
can tell me what the reason is.
{rlgvax, ccice5, dagobah, peregrine}!ccicpg!gershonronc@fai.UUCP (ronc) (12/24/85)
Re: the Olds diesel that wouldn't start: We had the same problem
(randomly wouldn't start when conditions should be ideal, lots of
white smoke.) It was the head gasket. In fact we put lots of
head gaskets in the thing before we traded it in. (Not all at once,
of course. :-) The car was a '79 rabbit diesel. The only thing the
mechanic and we could figure out was that there was a tolerance problem
in the design. That is, if the tolerances of the block maxed out one
direction and the tolerances of the head maxed out the other direction,
it'd eat head gaskets. This is more important than with most engines
considering the large compression ratio of the diesel. We actually
solved the problem by replacing the head. But, a couple of months later
it exhibited a different characteristic: It'd start all right if it had
been run recently, but was a *bitch* to start in the morning. Like, you
needed two batteries in parallel to turn it over enough times to finally
get it to catch. We thought it was the battery and put another one in,
but the problem was finally traced down to engine oil getting into the
cylinders if the car sat long. (Like overnight.) You know something?
Diesels will burn engine oil as fuel. But they don't start very well.
That was about when we traded it in. I suspect the actual culprit at that
point was bad rings.
I don't know what the deal is with the Olds, but my opinion, arrived at
by experiance, is to stay away from diesels.
I know that doesn't help if you already own one. The only useful experiance
I can pass along is when you get the head gaskets replaced, find someone
who knows diesels to do it. You have to get those mating surfaces *really*
clean, and be *very* careful torqing down the head bolts.
Ron
--
--
Ronald O. Christian (Fujitsu America Inc., San Jose, Calf.)
ihnp4!{pesnta,qubix}!wjvax!fai!ronc
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility:
"If you are seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it."amm@lzaz.UUCP (A.M.MARAZITI) (01/08/86)
I read (with amusement) the problems of Olds and VW diesels. If you want a
diesel, a Peugot or Mercedes-Benz are the only two manufacturers of passenger
vehicles designed from the ground - up as diesels.
The american automakers started churning out gas block diesels after the oil
embargo/crisis (No 'gas' lines at diesel pumps!). My cousin bought a Caddy
'diesel', and had nothing but problems - blown head gaskets, warped heads...
I have has an older (1969) Mercedes-Benz diesel for over 5 years with no
problem(s) starting (except below -5F), or oil consumption, or anything!!!
The Benzes are *VERY WELL ENGINEERED* , and are *NOT* exhorbinant to own
if you can do your own repairs - I had 2 Benzes while going to college -
on a student budget. I had less problems than a lot of cheap econo-box owners.
BTW - 1986 is the 100th year anniversary of the invention of the motor vehicle.
No, it wasn't Henry Ford. It was Karl Benz!!!!!!
* Disclaimer: These are my (educated)
* OPINIONS, but you're free to disagree.
* (Gee, I'm a poet!!)
*
*
* - Albert
* *
* *
* *
* *
* * rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (01/09/86)
[] As long as we're praising diesels, let's hear it for the VW diesel. I have two diesel rabbits (1977) with > 100K miles each and (knock on wood) zero engine trouble, in either one so far. This one was not built from the ground up as a diesel, but as a mod to the basic rabbitt engine - a super successful one. It's easy starting, responsive, 45 mpg (4 speed stick) and oil change interval of 7500 miles. Except at idle and when starting, you would hardly know its a diesel. Anyone have any experience with the turbo version of this engine? I understand it's available on the Jetta but not the rabbitt (golf). -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg
mr@isrnix.UUCP (A Disgruntled Diesel Owner) (01/09/86)
]:[ amm@lzaz.UUCP (A.M.MARAZITI) writes: >> I read (with amusement) the problems of Olds and VW diesels. If you want a >> diesel, a Peugot or Mercedes-Benz are the only two manufacturers of >> passenger vehicles designed from the ground - up as diesels. it's nice to know that some people find "amusement" in the problems others have with their automobiles. >> My cousin bought a Caddy 'diesel', and had nothing but problems - blown >> head gaskets, warped heads... i'm sure that your cousin loved having you around as you handed him the tools. -- -- .^. michael regoli /|\ ...ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!isrnix!mr '|!|` <mr@isrnix.UUCP>