Cold start on GU Patrol

Hi Russell,

I've noticed the same thing on my MQ SD33T patrol. I think it is related to your glow plugs - if they dont get hot enough to start it first go, then your diesel keeps cranking fuel in until it starts and then when it does it burns all the fuel and hence the smoke. I would start by checking the glowplugs - its pretty easy to do with a multimeter I believe.

Below is an message posted from www.egroups.com/messages/patrol4WD relating to cold start problems with the GU - you might find it useful:

"I must be the only person to have more from myselve on my post but
hopefully it will helpful to someone in the future.

As I stated previously our 2002 TD42T was misfiring and blowing smoke
after cold starts, <3 degree C.

Nissan New Zealand have just changed out the original plugs with
ceramic glow plugs. They work a dream. We had a -3.6 degrees C
yesterday and it started cleanly and smoothly after the standard
single glow (they didn't actual change the glow time).

Besides the plugs replacement they by-passed the glow resistor on the
inlet manifold. The ceramic glow plugs are NGK Y712JS 0291, the old
plugs were NGK Y712RS 01Y4.

Nissan fix procedure details follows.

Fix Procedure : 097 Date : 04/08/2003.
Title : UY61/Y61 TD42T Engine Misfire and Blowing Smoke after Cold
Start.
Introduction : In the event you are presented with a customer
complaining of Engine misfire and blowing smoke after cold start on
UY61/Y61 TD42T models, please follow this procedure outlined below.

Repair Procedure :
1. Test the vehicle at the cold start condition to confirm incidents.
2. If incident is confirmed, install the C/M kit. The C/M kit
consists of the following parts.
Parts name New Parts No Current Parts No
Glow Plugs 11065-VC700 11065 63G00/11065 31 N00
Loop patch harness 11080-VC200AU
3. Replace all glow plugs with C/M ones(described above)
4. Disconnect glow resister on the intake manifold.
5. Disonnect glow resister harness as shown in below photo, resister
is no longer required(cutoff hard aginst the glow resister)
6. Apply sikaflex to the resister to cover the cut wire area as below
photo (cover the exposed wires on the top of the glow resister).
7. Connect loop patch harness in order to by-pass the resister
circuit.
8. Attach the loop Patch connector to the bracket where the resister
connector was installed.
9. Test and confirm operation of Quick Glow system.

(Note the Loop Patch is simple to contact the two terminals. I would
think that you could use the plug from the unused glow resister that
you cut off anyway.)"

Hope this helps,
Dave.

There was a post on here yesterday or day before about this too.

As I've been having the same problem as you other blokes with my 2000 4.2TD, I printed up what the last post suggested, which was something like what's been described above. IE: cutting glowplug cables and stuff. My Nissan workshop head man (who looks on here from time to time....g'day Graham) said he wouldn't recommend I do anything like cutting cables etc......that all applied only to earlier MQ (possibly GQ too) models.

Instead he suggested I take off the common rail from the top of the glow plugs and test each one with my multimeter for resistence. If there is no resistance, then the plug needs changing and this should fix the problem

He also suggested I buy plugs from repco or similar as genuine parts are too xxxxy.

That's a job I'll do on saturday morning.

Stay tuned.

I went through the same problem exactly with my 2.8TD Daihatsu Rocky, after changing all the glow plugs to new ones and it was still doing it my mechanic suggested Injector seals. Horrified at the price of now replacing all my injectors I opted for the more contriversial alternative and got some good diesel injector cleaner. Put it in every tank and after about the 4th tank it stopped doing it.
My mechanic was saying that overnight (if there is a leaky injector) some of the diesel can leak into one of the cylnder's causing it to flood if you like. When you start it, it runs rough as guts and blows heaps of smoke until you clear it out.
Just another idea anyway...

Also, asuming your glow plugs are actually working at all, DO NOT try to start as soon as the light goes out.
Wait at least a few more seconds, as on most vehicles the glow plugs stay powered for some seconds AFTER the light goes out.
My elderly TD42 starts first kick every single time- always has, and all glow plugs etc are original. (14 years old!)
However, I am suspicious that some or all of your plugs might not be working at all from what you have said.... (In warmer weather my 4.2 cold starts no problem with the glow plugs disconnected- I have tried it on purpose..)
Cheers and good luck.

Russell
Just a thought but I have a 2.8 GU which was getting more difficult to start until I recently replaced the battery which immediately cut glo-plug warm up times and kicked the motor into life at the flick of a switch.
The failing battery was not obvious until the day it died.

Cheers
Bob L

RussellV Try this . Turn on ignition , then sit quietly and listen for a small click behind the dash . When you hear this , (about 10 to12 sec,s ) start up . The click is the glow plug,s turning off when thay reach max temp . I had the same prob with my 99 GU , and this worked , haven,t had a prob since . I went through the same process of checking out the glow plugs and other things by United Fuel in Perth and thay told me to do this , it worked ,so thats what i do now . Cheers