3/4 Fuel Injectors bad?? got them cleaned and tested...

Infinite_Karma · **Posted:** Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:01 pm

Hello everyone,

On March 8th, a little less than a week ago, I pulled out my injectors due to getting some white-ish/gray-ish smoke coming out the tailpipe, at starting, for about 5 minutes in the morning. Once my rig warmed up, there was no white /gray smoke throughout the rest of the day, until the next morning. Based on everything I read and researched, it was likely a faulty/leaky injector.

I pulled all four, and noticed that two of the O-rings were broken (on #3 & #4 injector), and each of the holes (where the injectors are inserted into the top of the engine) were covered in black sludge (and #4's hole smelled really putrid).
Here is a photo of the #4 Injector Hole, right after pulling out the injector (with broken O-ring):

I cleaned all the holes up later, and they looked much better. Below is #4 Injector Hole after 1 cleaning cycle, and it still had the copper crush-washer in there:

I made sure to get that crush-washer out of the hole, and cleaned each injector hole 3-4 times. All the other Injectors still had the crush-washers on them when I pulled them out, only #4 left it inside at first.

I drove the injectors 2 hours away to the closest Bosch Diesel Injector cleaning/testing place in the area, Diamond Diesel in Oakland, CA. (http://www.diamonddiesel.com/offices/oakland/).

The technician said it would take 45 minutes to test each injector (and cost $80.00 per injector), and they were closing in 3 hours, so they would have to be finished tomorrow (Thursday) morning. They said they could call me Thursday morning with the results, and then ship them back to me that morning, and I'd get them by Friday morning. Long story short, I got the injectors back four days later. Here are the results and in the technician's words, which I really don't know how to interpret:

#1 Passed!
#2 Failed (VL off by 1/2 throttle, VE "Pilot")
#3 Failed (VL off by 1/2 throttle, VE "Pilot")
#4 Failed (VE "Pilot")
Here is a copy of their report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7InKIvnNS4oLUNLNDk0SWpocDg/view?usp=sharing

How bad are my injectors?

Either-way, Monday night I put new O-rings on the injectors, new crush-washers on them, and installed them. I bled the air out of the hardline, started the rig after a few cranks... and the engine ran GREAT!

Maybe something will slowly get worse, but I don't want to wait to find out. Should I be worried?

Any and all recommendations are welcome.

Thanks,

Sarma.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:20 pm

Comments:
1. "O" rings have no function except to keep crud from falling down in the hole adjacent to each injector. I suspect the crud on #3 and 4 is directly related to broken "O" rings. Based on the picture of #4 you don't have enough of a mess to suggest a bad leak past either injector's crush washer.
2. some white/gray smoke during initial warm up does not by itself indicate a problem. Some CRDs do it (my son's does) some don't (mind did not) although my son's only does so for the 1st minute or so but that's in FL weather and might smoke longer in NE.
3. I'll let others comment on the test results but will note that the 1/2 throttle "failure" was for values of injected fuel quantity that were barely (in one case 0.01) outside the acceptable range.

My gut reaction is if engine runs great assume you are ok BUT keep running a quality diesel injector clean thru the system for the next say 5 tanks.

flash7210 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:44 pm

Usually when they test injectors they look at fuel volume and spray pattern.
I have no idea what those test results mean.
You should ask the shop what it means.

Infinite_Karma · **Posted:** Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:52 pm

Thanks you two for the feedback.

I will likely post the details of the report in the CRD TECH ONLY and find out if they have any perspective or baseline knowledge of those numbers and how bad/good it is.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:55 pm

White smoke at startup can also be an indicator of a small coolant leak into the combustion chamber. Could be a head gasket or small crack in head! :roll:

With a small leak, this usually only happens after vehicle has set overnight or for a long period of time after the engine has been operating at normal temperature and then shut down.

Have you seen any loss of coolant in the coolant reservoir which is another indicator.... :roll:

Infinite_Karma · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2017 2:55 am

My rig is at 147k miles. I have only owned it since 2012 and it had 114k miles on it when I bought it. I think this is the first time the injectors have been pulled.

I think the injectors are supposed to survive the life of the vehicle. Not sure how long they survive being in perfect operating condition, but they shouldn't sieze, break or blow out from what I've read.

Anyone else have any idea about how long the injectors typically perform at optimal working ability? Or maybe a better question is, how many people have had their injectors tested and they all came back passing perfectly?

That would be some good data.

racertracer · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2017 3:44 am

The only way they last if you run a quality fuel injector cleaner through them.

The previous owner of my 2006 had fouled injector 2 and 3, I reinstalled them and cleaned them with MMO running through the lines. It took a few fillups but eventually cleaned up.

I don't think your injectors are beyond repair and may be cleaned the same way mine were. Before buying new ones I would reinstall them and use a quart of MMO at 3 to 4 fill ups and see if power doesn't return. Mine did.

mass-hole · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:00 pm

If mine is cold and takes a few extra seconds to crank i will get a puff of white smoke. Its unburnt fuel that gets pushed out before the cylinders start firing, but it clears up as soon as the engine catches.

Bushman5 · **Joined:** Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:05 am **Posts:** 276

265,000 plus KM's, original injectors. Fed a steady diet of pre polished diesel and doses of Diesel Kleen (grey 3 seasons, white bottle in winter) additive every tank. Still going. Probably outlast the jeep.

3/4 Fuel Injectors bad?? got them cleaned and tested...

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