General 2.3jtd maxi 2004 problems

[prw]

hi guys, i have an 04 maxi with 37000mls just bought in apr 07,i have noticed that when i stop at a junction and take off blue/white smoke appears for about 3 seconds also if i reverse on a steep slope, also if i apply the handbrake when the van is even going at a snails pace it just seems to grab with a bang , the van is under warranty with the garage (not fiat) but i would like to know before i bring it in

 

[MarkEJ]

I'm not familiar with your engine (never owned one), but blue/white smoke would seem to indicate oil being burnt at that particular moment. The 2.3 is a Fiat-only variant; in your place I'd want this at least explained.

The handbrake thing is (seems to be) more or less standard. I'm not completely familiar with the detail, but where you have disk brakes on all four wheels, the handbrake (just acting on the rear wheels) can't be applied mechanically in the same way as the footbrake. If it does, there is a risk that with hot brakes (pad / shoe / disk) the brakes grip very well, and then release slightly as they cool down (this was I believe a common fault with Iveco Dailys a few years ago). There is therefore some mechanism to keep the handbrake gripping tight, and the behaviour you've noticed is probably a side effect of this.

Merc Sprinters get round this by having both drums and disks on the rear wheels, with the drums solely for the handbrake. Just a different way of designing around the issue!