Help - e53 Knocking from transmission - VIDEO

[ants_oz]

To be perfectly honest, you would probably never NEED glow plugs living in Melbourne. If you went up to Buller or Hotham, sure. But not Melb. They WILL kick in with low coolant temps, but that doesn't affect us here in Aus - we just don't get the truly cold temps.

My SOLE reason for doing the glow plugs next winter is to stop the puff of smoke on startup. Only reason. Mate, mine went through last winter here in Hobart without a worry in the world, and I know my glow plugs are dodgy.

With the glow plug controller, you get an aftermarket one for about $75 or $80.

With regard to burning of emissions - they are bullshitting you. The SOLE purpose of a glow plug is to assist combustion at low temps, or until the engine has reached operating temp. That is all they do. Even before the engine reaches operating temp, it is capable of maintaining combustion purely through compression anyway. Just might be a little more soot out the pipes.

[SMOKEY53]

Originally Posted by ants_oz

Sometimes you are better of saying "Sorry guys, I can't afford to do this right now, can you please put the car back together and I'll just have to take it home and park it for a while"....

Then take it home and do it all yourself

Easy enough for me to say - I'm a qualified mechanic - but they are pretty ballsy carrying on the way they are.

Those warranty mobs are pirates. Pure and simple I reckon.

Yeh agree, although this is the mechanic I chose - not the warranty mob. The warranty mechanic, I went and spoke to him, and he said he'd be replacing as little as possible - just whatever it took to make it run right. He didn't care how many times it came back, but his instructions are to fix it as cheaply as possible - which doesn't create much confidence.

Normally I would tackle this kind of job myself, but I don't have a garage - only a communal underground carpark at my apartment building - and from what I've read, the injectors can be a dog to get out - and the glow plugs have a tendency to snap off in the head. Guarantee if it can happen, it WILL happen to me - at this rate! Car is cursed....

[ants_oz]

Glow plugs - the trick with them is to do them when the engine is hot. Means you have to work quick to get the intake manifold stripped off after the engines been run for a while, but that's the best way. And always tighten them a smidge before loosening them. That's just a generic statement about parts like that anyway.

I know your situation - I don't have a workshop anymore either. Everything I do is in the open air, and it SUCKS!

With regard to parts, any mechanic should be happy for you to supply your own parts. Make it clear that you will supply all the parts you are able, and that obviously you don't expect them to warrant the part - just their labour. If they are legit, they should have no probs with it. After all - it could very well mean they get MORE Business out of you, rather than less.

[SMOKEY53]

Originally Posted by ants_oz

Glow plugs - the trick with them is to do them when the engine is hot. Means you have to work quick to get the intake manifold stripped off after the engines been run for a while, but that's the best way. And always tighten them a smidge before loosening them. That's just a generic statement about parts like that anyway.

I know your situation - I don't have a workshop anymore either. Everything I do is in the open air, and it SUCKS!

With regard to parts, any mechanic should be happy for you to supply your own parts. Make it clear that you will supply all the parts you are able, and that obviously you don't expect them to warrant the part - just their labour. If they are legit, they should have no probs with it. After all - it could very well mean they get MORE Business out of you, rather than less.

Thanks mate, if it needs injector done under warranty then I might buy the parts and get the glow plugs sorted at the same time - given manifold will be off again anyway. Will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Good to have a diesel brother on the forums!

[ants_oz]

Yeah, makes sense to throw glow plugs at it at the same time. Looks like it would be a half-day job for me to do them, so a decent amount of work.

Us oil burners have to stick together

[SMOKEY53]

Update time. Wanted to close this out because I find it so damn frustrating when I'm trying to research things on forums when someone starts a thread, asks for and accepts all the help in the world - and then never posts the outcome. So.

Had the injector seals replaced, new clamping cradle (not a technical term) fitted to hold the injector down, EGR cleaned, PCV replaced and fuel filter replaced. New manifold gaskets and seals etc. Mechanic figured out that the person who replaced the rocker cover gasket (which coincidentally happened immediately before I took delivery of the car as it was picked up during PPI and I demanded it be fixed) must have levered against the injector - in the process bending the stud attached injector - thus allowing the compression leak. Unbelievable. Picked the car up this morning and it's a lot quieter and idles smoothly.

So obviously the sound of that compression leaking out past the injector was the cause of the fearful knock.

Mechanic has suggested that the injector is still bad, that the backflow test shows that and that the car will be down on power and using more fuel. But considering the backflow test was conducted before the injector was sealed (and not again after) I don't know......

I could get in there again and replace the injector for peace of mind, but if the car is running fine and not throwing any codes, it might just be labour in vain. Will keep an ever watchful eye on it.

Can upload a video of the backflow test for anyone interested, otherwise - consider this chapter of the nightmare is over! For now.

Thanks for all your help!

[SMOKEY53]

Update time. Wanted to close this out because I find it so damn frustrating when I'm trying to research things on forums when someone starts a thread, asks for and accepts all the help in the world - and then never posts the outcome. So.

Had the injector seals replaced, new clamping cradle (not a technical term) fitted to hold the injector down, EGR cleaned, PCV replaced and fuel filter replaced. New manifold gaskets and seals etc. Mechanic figured out that the person who replaced the rocker cover gasket (which coincidentally happened immediately before I took delivery of the car as it was picked up during PPI and I demanded it be fixed) must have levered against the injector - in the process bending the stud attached injector - thus allowing the compression leak. Unbelievable. Picked the car up this morning and it's a lot quieter and idles smoothly.

So obviously the sound of that compression leaking out past the injector was the cause of the fearful knock.

Mechanic has suggested that the injector is still bad, that the backflow test shows that and that the car will be down on power and using more fuel. But considering the backflow test was conducted before the injector was sealed (and not again after) I don't know......

I could get in there again and replace the injector for peace of mind, but if the car is running fine and not throwing any codes, it might just be labour in vain. Will keep an ever watchful eye on it.

Can upload a video of the backflow test for anyone interested, otherwise - consider this chapter of the nightmare is over! For now.

Thanks for all your help!

[powers1]

Glad you got it sorted

You are spot on !Lots of people ask for help on the Forum and then dont bother to provide feedback when they fixed the problem!

I PMed you my email,for you to send the injector readings but havent received it

Just one thing !When the mechanic removed the injector with 70ml return reading ,why didnt he clean the injector and then take another reading?

Anyway ,important thing is you fixed the knock sound ,which is what this thread is about and doesnt matter who initially suggested to you that the noise could be injector knock

[SMOKEY53]

Thanks Fernando, you the man! 😉

Can send you the vid but it's nothing interesting - heaps of fuel going into one of the containers, not much into the other 5!

Coming home tonight I pulled a u-turn on to an empty 4 lane road and gave it full throttle as I straightened up - it pulled like a train - first time since I have had the car that it's felt right.


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