The car is a 2003 1.3 JTD.

This evening I was following my wife who was driving the above, and after we'd done about eight miles of driving, the car suddenly kicked out a cloud of smoke (diesel smell). When we got home, she said that it was down on power and that the glow plug light came on and started flashing for about ten seconds.

I started the car up again, which it did perfectly normally, but once again the glow plug light started flashing for several seconds (until I switched off).

I understand that the flashing light could be glow plug trouble, but would that cause the smoke and/or loss of power after such a long drive?

Thanks.

it needs plugging to computer and checking for errors

Amazingly, the ONLY fault logged is "P0683 - Preheating glow plugs signal".

Glowplugs areny required for running of a diesel engine tho....
Once started, they are kinda obselete....

They are needed purly for aid in starting
What kind of diagnostic are you using?

Ziggy

nigel207 said:

Amazingly, the ONLY fault logged is "P0683 - Preheating glow plugs signal".

Click to expand...

It means the glowplug module has lost communication to the PCM (Power control module) which i believe is the engine ecu

But still it wont explain lack of power and smoke..... id be looking at a clogged induction or air leak

Black smoke is incomplete combustion, so too much fuel or not enough air

Ziggy

Hi Ziggy,

That's what I found odd (the issue after several miles). Problem is my wife only tells me about things several days later and only if I say 'car ok?'. The symptoms seem to be the same as when the MAF was faulty several years ago. I might try disconnecting it for a short while and see if the smoke/loss of power returns. At the time that didn't show up any faults either (either on the ECUScan that I use or at a Fiat Inde).

As for the glow plug light............ I suppose checking each of the plugs for continuity would be the first place to start?

Just coincidental that there are the two issues???
Nigel.

nigel207 said:

Hi Ziggy,

That's what I found odd (the issue after several miles). Problem is my wife only tells me about things several days later and only if I say 'car ok?'. The symptoms seem to be the same as when the MAF was faulty several years ago. I might try disconnecting it for a short while and see if the smoke/loss of power returns. At the time that didn't show up any faults either (either on the ECUScan that I use or at a Fiat Inde).

As for the glow plug light............ I suppose checking each of the plugs for continuity would be the first place to start?

Just coincidental that there are the two issues???
Nigel.

Click to expand...

It may forwell be MAF issue
Sounds like it too - but requires testing....

Some faults dont always log straight away some may take 3 key cycles

For example, i could remove post cat lambda and drive, i wont get an eml for a few key cycles
Even tho heater goes open circuit straight away....

Ziggy

I disconnected the MAF, and took the carb out. It had a little 'do', so obviously not that. After reconnecting, I again took it out (20 miles or so), and it did it once quite early on (a puff of smoke and a bit of hesitation). From that point I gave it a bit of an 'Italian Tune Up", and it behaved from then on.

One of the problems is that the car's used as a runaround and for my wife to go to work (5-6 miles in mainly urban traffic), so I'm thinking it might be something sticking (EGR - had experience of them on another car). It had a new one about 40,000 miles ago, but with the type of use......... I know that MAF's often don't leave a fault code (unless you've got high end diagnostics - again experience elsewhere), but do EGRs?