General Help from drivers of 2.5TDI

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General Help from drivers of 2.5TDI

poco

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Advice appreciated from anyone who drives an older style M/H based on the Fiat ducato 2.5lt tdi
I would like advice from other experienced drivers of this van as to how the engine should perform.
We have owned our van, a 1997 Eura Mobile 585 sport with the above engine for about a year, and have done around 4000miles including a two week trip to France.
We are loving the motor home experience, but I do find the engine a bit under powered especially on hills, as this is the only diesel vehicle I have ever driven I have nothing to compare it with.
I realise it’s not meant to perform like a sports car and has the aerodynamics of a brick but just wondered if it’s performing as it should.
I tend to drive at around 60-65mph but would struggle to go much faster than this anyway unless going down hill, on some hills I have to crawl along in 2nd gear.
Also I notice when I first start the engine there is quite a lot of grey smoke, but it does stop a few yards down the road, is this normal? The van is regularly serviced and the fuel consumptions not bad, I keep checking the oil but it never needs toping up.</SPAN>
 
Hi Poco,

I was just trawling around and came accross your post.

We have a 98 Hymer with the same engine and yep it is very slow. As you say hills are quite a problem but it only has 115 bhp which isn't very much for 3.5 t of motorhome. I tend to only use 1st and 2nd to get started then around town it is third for everything. I find 4th quite flexible and keep it there until 40mph when I use 5th, which pulls quite happily up to the max which again as you say is around 65 with 70 as tops. Apparently if you are patient it will probably eventually get to 80 plus but I would think fuel consumption will take a dive.

I find it difficult not having a rev counter as i beleive the power band (maximum torque) is quite small and it can be difficult basing changes on engine noise alone. I found the worst time was coming out of a junction from a standstill straight onto a hill, needed a long stretch of 1st before i dared try second!! Got there eventually.

Mine also smokes a huge amount on start up but after a mile or two it all disappears and runs absolutely clean, though I am looking to see if that is normal as it is embarrasing starting up on a campsite and covering everyone in diesel fumes!! I can't find out for certain if there are glowplugs and a thermostarter. Mine always starts quickly, just the smoke. though I do wonder if quite a lot of the smoke is condensation as it is so cold at the moment.

Hope this helps.

keith
 
I own a 1993 2.5 TDI motorhome, I was suprised at how quick it actually is, but it seems like the revs are high in 5th when cruising. Had it weighed the other day at 2600kg, no water, but a gas tank lots of tools and bike on the back. fully laden might be a different story. As for the thermostart, is a Beru flame start system on my van which I am currently trying to get working, I replaced the flame starter element but I understand your supposed to hear a 'pop' the start the van, but mine isn't popping!

a bit of white smoke on startup but as it warms very clean exhaust fumes. As I said power seems fine to me, albeit with unladen van, but it is definately geared towards torque rather than top speed.

let me know if anyone has any experience with these flame heater systems.

cheers

leGe
 
I'm not an expert but there is also a solenoid mounted on the inlet manifold which pulses, this squirts fuel over the heater which is the supposed to release the heated diesel into the cylinder. On my 98 model this doesn't come on until the temp drops to at least 4 degrees, at which point the heater lamp on the dash comes on for around 40 secs and then starts to flash at which point you activate the starter. There should also be a control box around somewhere nearby! As mentioned this is on a 98 which may have a different make of thermostart.
 
I own a 1993 2.5 TDI motorhome, I was suprised at how quick it actually is, but it seems like the revs are high in 5th when cruising. Had it weighed the other day at 2600kg, no water, but a gas tank lots of tools and bike on the back. fully laden might be a different story. As for the thermostart, is a Beru flame start system on my van which I am currently trying to get working, I replaced the flame starter element but I understand your supposed to hear a 'pop' the start the van, but mine isn't popping!

a bit of white smoke on startup but as it warms very clean exhaust fumes. As I said power seems fine to me, albeit with unladen van, but it is definately geared towards torque rather than top speed.

let me know if anyone has any experience with these flame heater systems.
Hello all,my first m/h with fiats 2.5 tdi was a 1996 kontiki,struggled to make 70mph only if bashing headwinds,great with a tailwind,if run at 60mph on m/ways it did up to 28mpg.Sold it after 60,000 miles and 8 years touring home and abroad,smoked grey only on winter start ups.My current camper is a 1999 625 bessacar,this is much lighter than the kontiki and 3 foot shorter and with the same engine is so much more tractable,its just on 21,000 miles and storms up to 70 no matter which way the winds blowing,in fact on one overtaking situation it was at 85 no problem,this camper is well into the 30,s on fuel at steady 60mph,the smoking is the same as the kontiki cold starts only and soon clears.I,m a retired diesel fitter so my vans are well maintained,never had a problem with the beru flame start,but don,t use the camper much in the winter.The 2.5 sofim engine isn,t strangled by emmission controls like the later 2.8 so you do get a bit of smoke here and there.Cam belt on the kontiki,i changed it at 40,000 and 7 years old belt was perfect,on the bessy,i could hear a noise from the cam belt tensioners,the van was 9 years old but had 19,000mls only on the clock,the belt and tensioner were changed,the belt was perfect but top tensioner fell to bits as i took it off,i don,t go along with this age detioration of belts at all,if your bothered just pull back the cover and look for cracks.Read alot about this 5th gear failing,never had it myself but is it the syncro that fails or the gear?Remember you have a 116bhp diesel pulling upwards of 3 ton so let the motor spin.cheers noknees.
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Hi all, I see that this post is 5 years old... but maybe someone out there can help me. I have my first motorhome 1993 Fiat Ducato 2.5TD Iveco engine 8140.27 and 15-20mpg max. However I have smelly exhaust fumes. Engine when cold produces a little bit of a smoke but start like a clock no problem.
Refurbished all 4 fuel injectors 2 months ago...
Any other ideas where problem may be??? Roto pump, cylinder compression - valves???
 
Hi all, I see that this post is 5 years old... but maybe someone out there can help me. I have my first motorhome 1993 Fiat Ducato 2.5TD Iveco engine 8140.27 and 15-20mpg max. However I have smelly exhaust fumes. Engine when cold produces a little bit of a smoke but start like a clock no problem.
Refurbished all 4 fuel injectors 2 months ago...
Any other ideas where problem may be??? Roto pump, cylinder compression - valves???
I have the slightly older engine in mine and more or less the same problem, I haven't gotten to the bottom of it yet. Did think about getting injectors refurbed, can I ask where you got yours done?


Thanks
 
Hi all, I see that this post is 5 years old... but maybe someone out there can help me. I have my first motorhome 1993 Fiat Ducato 2.5TD Iveco engine 8140.27 and 15-20mpg max. However I have smelly exhaust fumes. Engine when cold produces a little bit of a smoke but start like a clock no problem.
Refurbished all 4 fuel injectors 2 months ago...
Any other ideas where problem may be??? Roto pump, cylinder compression - valves???

I would think boost leak / wastegate stuck open. If the compression was that bad you would feel it turning the crankshaft by hand with a spanner
 
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