Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

Can anyone give some pointers? Got a Pajero that was running well, but now will hardly start, blows black smoke, very little power. Drove to work and it ran fine. Got in to drive home, not fine. What could happen while it was just sitting?

Timing? Fuel Pump? Air? Is there a lift pump? If so how does a person know that it's working? If the timing belt (new) has jumped a tooth what kind a symptoms would a person notice?

Multiple things could happen.

Shorted components on the glow plug control unit
fouled plugs/clogged injectors/poor working IP

I can't say what your particular problem is (though I can recommend a good mechanic in your area!)

I would discount the glow plugs as a problem because of your description of lack of power once running, they only affect the starting, not the running.

I also doubt clogged injectors because I would expect white smoke not black (though I'm not the most qualified person in that particular department)
Black smoke indicates incomplete combustion, or too much fuel, or not enough air.

If it was your lift pump I would expect white smoke as well since it would be a lack of fuel or too much air

timing is possible, not sure on injection pump but maybe... generally nothing should happen suddenly while parked though.

Could be the gov sleeve in the IP . If it's stuck wide open you'll get the continuous blast of black smoke.

Turning down the fuel mixture screw can help temporarily but that's somewhat cheating the IP system.

Check your fuel filter as well.

Check all the fuel lines and hose clamps - if there's a tiny leak it will suck air into the lines and when the vehicle is off it can sometimes let the fuel drain back to the tank and give you very hard starting. You won't necessarily see any fuel leaking out from the line. Had this happen to my delica recently, but because I installed the WVO system and hoses shrunk a little after initial install.

Check all the fuel lines and hose clamps - if there's a tiny leak it will suck air into the lines and when the vehicle is off it can sometimes let the fuel drain back to the tank and give you very hard starting. You won't necessarily see any fuel leaking out from the line. Had this happen to my delica recently,

I'm dealing with this problem right now, however this causes white smoke, not black.

Hey robinimpey thanks so much for posting this but I must have messed up while texting you: it is white smoke...

Here's a couple things I tried:
It wouldn't idle for even a second upon starting, so I disconnected the hose from the outlet on the fuel filter and pumped the primer, seemed to spurt out the outlet fine, so I hooked it back up. Then it would at least run (very rough) if I kept the rpms above 1500. Then while running I tried loosening each nut on the injector lines to let them spurt a bit. Each nut loosened caused an equal decrease in rpm, so I couldn't pinpoint which one might be the problem.

I drove it about 10 minutes on the highway, it could barely reach 100km/h. Poor pajero can at least be sick at home. It smokes a steady bit of white/grey while idleing but turns black while under load. I don't know if I'm following proper procedures but I'm going to look at the notches on the pulleys to rule out a timing belt skip...

Thanks again for posting this and thank you guys for your help!!!!! Any input is greatly appreciated as I know squat about the problem and can't wait to get it back on the road!

Hey robinimpey thanks so much for posting this but I must have messed up while texting you: it is white smoke...

That changes everything!

I would focus on injection pump I think... could be timing, but I'm wondering if you have a fuel delivery problem of some form.

In the morning when it's cold, take the fuel line off at the pump and see if there's fuel there (without pumping or cranking)... If not then you've likely got the same problem I was having, a tiny air leak in somewhere in the fuel system.

a few more suggestions:

1. Using/have used some form of alternative fuel? Change your filter.

2. Did you happen to put gasoline in it instead of diesel? It would cause the problems you're talking about. Take a sample from your filter - does it look, smell, feel like diesel? Did this happen shortly after re-fueling?

3. Check for EGR operation... it may not be working properly.


~John

Thanks,
I ordered a fuel filter, coming tomorrow, in the meantime I flushed my old one with diesel conditioner but it didn't work... I tried to be sensitive with my wife about a possible diesel/gasoline blunder, ..."the yellow handle? for sure?"... haha, she almost made me drink some!
Thanks again for the help guys it's very much appreciated I'll let you know how it goes

.."the yellow handle? for sure?".

Just be careful, at Shell stations gas is the yellow handle and diesel is the black...

hehe thanks, we don't have a Shell here in lil' ol' Radium... But good to know, she's learning English and color coding is useful at first, but then becomes offensive as she progresses haha

I took samples from tank and filter, definitely diesel.
Fuel system keeps its prime overnight, all clamps tightened.
New fuel filter installed, didn't solve it, trying to get some instructions on EGR servicing then more reading for possible plugged injector servicing, will keep you posted.
Thanks!

Is there a lift pump on these machines or does the injection pump draw straight from the tank? If there is a lift pump does anyone know what pressure it should be pumping? How about its location?

Did you get the air out of the system when installing the filter ?

Undo the exit line on the fuel filter and pump out any air in the system (prime).

The Pajero filter blocks differ from the Delica's.

There is a plastic/white (quarter-sized) knob on the side of the filter housing. Turn it counter-clockwise and it will pop out. That is your pump-action primer.

Once you get all the air out (fuel will come out in a stream), then put the hose back on. A few more pumps and start and test.

Make sure you have something to collect the diesel when it comes out.

Also check your lines.

My return line on my 1st Pajero was bad and after removing it and shooting it with an air line in, noticed it was in fact leaking.