Fuel evident around top of injector - Now what?

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:30 pm

So I finally had some time to dig into the CRD yesterday and figure out what is causing my power loss issue. I pulled the radiator reservoir aside and got after a lot of grunting and cursing at the lack of room... Got the EGR tube out so it can be "fixed" properly once and for all.

In other news, the manifold end of it doesn't seem to be loose at all... Bugger. So the next thought is that the EGR on my new engine might have been partially frozen open. No matter... That system is being cured today.

HOWEVER - While I was poking at things, I happened to glance down at the #1 injector, and I saw a small amount of diesel fuel collected around the base below the clamp. Thoughts? It doesn't look like a lot, and I have NOT been smelling diesel when running... Which I did when my Jetta had an injector fuel leaking #2 all over the engine.

Do I need to do anything about this? Are the bases of the injectors connected, like if #1 was leaking, could it migrate to the top of #2, or vice-versa? There also seemed to be a wet area around #2, but I didn't see any green fuel there that was obvious.

fastRob · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:57 pm

Surprised no one has responded.
Are we loosing a critical mass of intrepid diesel people or what?
We are in a similar state with ours, I think. Bizarre problems.
Not knowing anything, here goes. A leaky injector is not good. How bad, I do not know.
Have you tried the search or gone back in the archives?

CATCRD · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:42 pm

It's probably leaking from the bleed back line at the top of the injector. Not a huge deal. My back injector was doing this. I noticed it just looked wet and was collecting dust in a stained area around that injector. Eventually it quit leaking.

geordi · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:21 pm

I haven't searched yet b/c I still am not certain what is causing this behavior. It is worse when the engine is cold, and at low speeds. If it was the return line leaking, I wouldn't care about that either. Let it drool. But that was dry, AFAIK.

On a positive note, it appears that the EGR *WAS* stuck partially open (or GDE is not being totally forthcoming about their EGR pprogram - which is OK, considering the legal issues) because the turbo NOW holds the pressure when the engine shifts gears under constant accelerator.

Before "fixing" the EGR, the boost (analog boost gauge remember) would rise to 20psi under moderate (60%~) throttle and an uphill grade, but as soon as the shift at 40mph happened, the boost would almost instantly PLUMMET to 6-8 psi, and not recover. Yesterday and today, under a cold engine both times (so not feeling a lot of power response, but the EGT was saying 1400 deg) the boost HELD AT 20 THROUGH THE SHIFT. That is a DEFINITE improvement!!!!

With this power loss... I'm still of the opinion that it is linked to an electronic part somehow. With the extra heat in the EGT, yet power not feeling like it matches... I'm wondering about the injector.

There have been "good days" where the CRD felt like it had TONS of power, and when I hit it and got 1300-1400 EGT during an acceleration run, it would be rocketing ahead and the butt-dyno was saying "LOTS OF POWER!!!" Right now... Not so much.

Performance drags and it smokes badly (Big black clouds) when I push off of a light or stop sign, until I let off the pedal and immediately go back into it to the same level. Like flipping a switch, it then accelerates like it should have the first time... But still not as "sprightly" as when it is having a good day.

I'm just thinking that these injectors may not be all working properly. I'm hoping it is the #1 or #2 if any of them, b/c the #4 is a bastage to get to with the tool. I'm planning right now to spend tomorrow extracting and swapping #1 (shouldn't take long with the proper tool) with one of the ones from my blown engine. If it still does this same thing... Then swap #2... And #3 if needed. I just want to figure out what is causing this... I'm running out of options tho. This isn't a starting issue or I would be looking at the pump. I just think that maybe the injector isn't opening properly with low rail pressure... And when I let off and go back in, that the rail pressure "hammers" it and it opens how it should. The smoke... Maybe it is staying open or drooling? Not while the engine is off however, or the motor would have been hydrolocked or make VERY interesting noises when it starts on the inital rotation.

Thoughts? Opinions? Random useless facts?

stoutdog · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:42 pm

geordi wrote:

Thoughts? Opinions? Random useless facts?

The African Elephant is the largest land mammal. :SOMBRERO:

Before you start pulling injectors, have you run some injector cleaner through your system lately? You probably have, but I felt like being a dolt and asking the dumb/obvious question. :mrgreen:

TJ2 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 9:02 pm

Probably useless, but. . . replacing the bleed back line is cheap. If it could stop the leak you'd be ahead at least on that score.

Fuel evident around top of injector - Now what?

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