georgiabenz

Car: 1999 E300 Turbo Diesel

I removed the cylinder head and had the stuck glow plugs removed. Put the head back on and everything seemed fine at first but after a two hour round trip it started idling rough. I checked under the hood and there was exhaust coming out of the cylinder head cover port for injector #2 . Upon further inspection we figured that the locking ring collar that holds the pre-chamber in place was not torqued properly. I purchased the Spline Socket from the dealer, removed the cylinder head cover and injectors and tightened all six collars to 130 Nm.

Now it still idles very rough and low and it has very weak acceleration from a stop but is better after shifting into third. It also blows a tremendous amount of white smoke out of the exhaust. The Glow Plug light stays on and the engine is throwing a P0300 and P0380 code. The car starts perfectly fine on the first time.

It ran fine after initially reinstalling the head but now I have all of these problems. I removed all of the injectors and had them cleaned and tested. I checked the fuel lines and they are fine. Could this be some sort of timing problem? What could cause all of the white smoke from the exhaust?

I took a video of the engine running. I don't know if you can tell much from the first part, but you can see the white smoke coming from the exhaust and asctuall hear the engine "missing" at the end of the video.


What the heck have I done?

marc hanna

Have you checked the compression?

sand8

White smoke normally associated with water vapor. May be the head gasket crack and allows coolant to get into combustion chamber. The above suggestion to check compression is good idea.

Plutoe

"The Glow Plug light stays on and the engine is throwing a P0300 and P0380 code." The P0380 is a faulty preglow module(that's why the lamp is always lit) and no doubt the major reason for the white smoke(incomplete combustion)--forget the water HS.

P0300 I have not seen in years--MB calls the fault--compression\ignition miss and refers you to specific sections in the Diesel manual and sifting through the HS you either have a bad injector or a leak(bad fuel pressure) in the fuel delivery system.(spray patterns are very important in the 606's)

I would concentrate on replacing the preglow module first--then if the P0300 returns you have more grunt work to do and finding a shop that knows MB mechanical injectors there specs bla bla, but not going back to your brother in law for cleaning!!

marc hanna

If you have poor compression in one cylinder then the fuel won't ignite and will start to burn in the exhaust, which will produce white smoke.

Just my opinion, but if were just the preglow, then after the engine warmed up the white smoke and the miss would go away.

I think you definitely have to start off with checking the compression - I think it's always the starting place with diesels. Where you go from there is still up in the air.

reknez

99 E300TD, my engine is leaking around the injector; to be exact around the sealing ring of the prechamber. I can hear the air escaping and dowsing with soapy water the bubbles really boil. Knowing that there is no seal between prechamber and the head, could that be causing the leak, or is it something else? The prechambers are torqued to 100 ft/lbs. I much appreciate any help.

Carsy

Georgia Benz,

Are you using coolant & is there any bubbles in your radiator header tank?

reknez

I have another problem: When pumping air into the glow plug holes I hear air in the crankcase meaning the air is escaping past the ring, something hard for me to accept because the engine never needed a drop of oil between oil changes. Any thoughts on that?

Carsy

The rings will be dry so pour in a little oil ,20ml say & see whether the noise lessens.

There will always be some leakage.

reknez

thanks Carsy, at the present time I can't do anything because the weather is to darn cold. Will post later.