Y61 CRD 08 white smoke at engine

[Loodfick]

Hi all. I need some help please. There is white smoke underneath the hood when I crank the starter. This happens before it starts and when it starts it sounds seriously bad. The smoke is coming out of the left next to the intake. What could it be?

[4bye4]

White smoke Is unburnt fuel mate. Could be a blown head gasket or blown head. Possibly a leak in one or more injector lines. When you say it sounds bad, what sort of bad. Is it a choff choff sound?


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[Loodfick]

Good day Mate. Had it towed to a mechanic. He says that it was a hole in the intake manifold. He showed me how the air has blown to the side walls causing black marks. I must have seen white because I did not start it I just turned the key over for a short period. When my wife had it running before this it sounded bad but I think it is just the hole. The guys says it looks like my rings are going and showed me oil on the intercooler. I have a catch can fitted and he says that you only do that if you rings are on thier wag out. Says I basically need a new engine?? How do I know and what could I do?

[the evil twin]

Replied in your other post but... the only way to diagnose the engine is with a leak down (compression) test.

A hole in the intake manifold is a) unusual and b) not good... how many K's on the engine and what is the history of teh vehicle?

White smoke is unburnt fuel (as 4x4 said) but I would have thought that more likely from a warped/blown exhaust manifold which is more common

Catch can is not 'only because rings are going' on the ZD30... they are an engine that dumps lots of oil blowby residue in the Intercooler so maybe a 1/3rd of all ZD30's in Oz have catch cans fitted by owners to stop the shitty blow by going back thru the combustion cycle

[Loodfick]

Ta for the reply mate. It has 199,000 on the odo. I got it at 185,000 about 8 months ago. It may be the exhuast manifold. Let me check with him once he has had time look at it next week. So do I need to be worried about oil in the intercooler? Perhaps my catchcan is full and I hadn't noticed. He also pointed out oil close to what looks like the air intake at the turbo but I am not a pro, oil coming in doesn't make sense to me.

[the evil twin]

It isn't oil per se... it is blow by, or at least it shouldn't be oil unless the Turbo has shit itself
The ZD30 Intercoolers are crimped not welded and leak hi pressure inlet air and it gets worse with age.
The leaks usually manifest as a black oily residue at the corners of the cores near the plenums.
Being a VNT Turbo it doesn't matter until it gets waaaay bad and the Turbo maxs out Nozzle angle trying to hit ECU boost demand

The residue is mostly the oil and fumes 'blow by' (gases etc blown past the Rings) being drawn thru the atmospheric intake pre-Turbo sent to the combustion cycle as part of fumes and emmissions control etc.
If you take off an I/C hose there will be oily residue in the hose in every ZD30 known to man and in the I/C.

Catch cans are placed between the engine and the intake to filter out the majority of the residue and contaminants drastically reducing the amount going back thru the engine causing wear and also reducing engine oil efficacy.
If you don't empty the Can then the residue goes thru as normal.

All engines do the above but the ZD30 is def one of the engines that is top of the list for the most amount.

[Loodfick]

Ta mate. So I think I'll get the hole in the manifold fixed then check the catch can and make sure it is not full. I will also get the guy to do a conpression test just to see where I am at with regards to pressure loss. But is there anything else I need to do, or can I just keep driving it? We love the car but I don't want to have to replace engines etc. would probably drive for a bit longer and then replace it for a younger one or perhaps something else.

[4bye4]

Empty the catch can, even if there is not a lot in it. I can't bee all what you said about the I/C but if it is leaking oil replace it with a welded one. If it is not leaking clean it out and clean the oil from any hoses etc. there is no answer to your question about driving it, although if it's stuffed it will still be stuffed and if it isn't it won't do any harm. Hard to say what a compression test will show. It will show if good and if no good, but wear and tear is to be expected and differences in compression from new and imbalances between cylinders is to be expected. A leak down test will be more dig initiate if the ring are suspect. Myself I will replace my engine when it's necessary as I think 6 to 10 k is abetted option then a trade up to a more modern but less fun vehicle.


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[Loodfick]

Ok. I will do a leak down just to get an idea where I am at. Where would I go to get help doing the engine for less than 10k? I would even take off work and help work on it... any referrals to good mechanics for a patrol? I don't know enough to make educated decisions... not a good place to be in not sure who to trust. I will go to the mechanic where my patrol is now and get some fotos. Also open the catch can and see. Thank you guys for all the help. This forum is awesome. Ta

[4bye4]

Find out what the trouble is before planning the budget. Keep us informed.


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[Bigcol]

Good day Mate. Had it towed to a mechanic.
The guys says it looks like my rings are going and showed me oil on the intercooler. I have a catch can fitted and he says that you only do that if you rings are on thier wag out. Says I basically need a new engine?? How do I know and what could I do?

sounds like you need to find a mechanic that knows what he is doing

he is quoting you a stuffed engine as either he wants nothing to do with it
or his kids need new braces on their teeth

as your in WA, give Matt at United Fuel Injection a call, and see if he can help you

he has forgotten more about the nissan motors than most will ever know - (not affiliated, just had awesome service everytime I have been)

finding good mechanic's in WA who know the Patrols is difficult, but not hard

[Loodfick]

Ok. The guy came back. It is the EGR tube assembly that has gone. He is replacing that now. He had a look at the injectors and found the o rings are out of the groove. Replaced those. The rocker cover gasket and the gasket nozzels.


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[the evil twin]

No worries... EGR and leaking injectors make much more sense than the initial diagnosis

[Loodfick]

Dear All, as you know I have had my o rings on the injectors, the coper washers and rocker gasket. I now all of a sudden have a vibration / shudder at low rev's. Could this be the compression of a cylinder or perhaps faulty injectors causing this or do you guys think its more likely something else? It is only at low revs and can only be felt in 4th and 5th gear. It basically only happens between about 60 and about 90. Then it goes away.

What do you think?


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[4bye4]

Get it back to the mechanic who did the work and take him for a drive and see what he says, or much better still as Col said earlier
as your in WA, give Matt at United Fuel Injection a call, and see if he can help you

he has forgotten more about the nissan motors than most will ever know.
Where are you located mate?
Cheers Tony

[Loodfick]

I did take him for a drive but he seems to think that it is be drivetrain or axle or something there. It didn't do this before. Let me rather book it in at United Furl Injection and see what they say. Just wanted to know if you guys think vibration could be related. Let me take it to Matt and see how we go. Cheers for your help mate.


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[Loodfick]

Get it back to the mechanic who did the work and take him for a drive and see what he says, or much better still as Col said earlier .
Where are you located mate?
Cheers Tony

I am in North Perth. Butler....


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[happygu]

Dear All, as you know I have had my o rings on the injectors, the coper washers and rocker gasket. I now all of a sudden have a vibration / shudder at low rev's. Could this be the compression of a cylinder or perhaps faulty injectors causing this or do you guys think its more likely something else? It is only at low revs and can only be felt in 4th and 5th gear. It basically only happens between about 60 and about 90. Then it goes away.

What do you think?


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Has the clutch and flywheel been changed at any point.... Do you know if it has a single mass flywheel fitted instead of the dual mass jobby? The single mass flywheel can introduce a vibration / shudder at low revs.

Is it the original clutch, and the dual mass flywheel. Does it make any noises when cold? The dual mass flywheel could be on the way out.


Can you feel the vibration through the steering wheel, rather than engine noise / mechanical? Tyres need balancing, some Patrols have an inherent wobble between 80-90 due to front end geometry - especially when they are fitted with suspension lift.