Oil change urgency on Hobby T500 (Transit chassis) - Advice sought (2 Viewers)

[PlacidoD]

I bought this 2007 Hobby T500 with 96k km on the clock (60 k miles) late April. I have since done 2.6k km - so about 1,800 miles half of it. in the last few days

Literally as I was boarding the outbound Newhaven ferry on Tuesday a message flashed up "I(nfo)" and then something like "Oil service needed" (No prior warning.)

The van had a new clutch fitted by my dealer before it was advertised for sale early this year. So circa 3,000 miles since the clutch was fitted which presumably required an oil change (?). So my thoughts were to book the van in for an oil change on my return after a fortnight with circa 2,000 miles likely to be clocked up on this jaunt. However in the 750 miles crossing Europe since Tuesday the van has started smoking badly in particular on steep gradients under load (But next to nothing to see when cruising on the motorway). That was very evident on a detour forced on me in the Black Forest where the B500 was closed forcing a 30k detour culminating in a 8 km 1 in 5 ascent to get back on the B500!!

I assumed when the message first flashed up that it was mileage based but now I wonder if a sensor is telling me the air filter is badly clogged. The van is now saying something like "oil service due". So a bit more peremptory than the first message.

I am currently in Switzerland and plan to cross the Alps to Lake Como on Monday before retracing my steps back to the UK with another another weekend with family in Switzerland after Lake Como and then straight back to Dieppe and a further 275 miles to get home.

So my question: Am I safe to drive on and put up with the embarrassment of a smoking motor or do I pay Swiss prices for an oil change on Monday?!!!

The van is generally in good nick and there is absolutely no loss of power associated with the smokey exhaust I just feel embarrassed by the sight of it.

Thanks in advance for replies!

 

[The Wino]

I negotiated a 6 month warranty so if that is my problem I should be covered.

Can you help with where I will find that pipe? And are there any tell-tale symptoms that might identify that as the problem (e.g listening for a sucking noise or looking for signs of a split)? Maybe I can put some gaffer take or the like on as a temporary fix?

Diesel fuel filter and sensor (the yellow thing on the left) look fine. Fuel looks clear and the red bit is clearly visible!.

I am still searching for the wastegate!

So the general consensus is that I am causing no engine damage by driving on and sorting this at my regular garage at home? I can put up with the embarrassment of black smoke if I have to and try and avoid steep hills (though that is slightly problematic in the Alps!!!)

Is your warranty insurance based if so I suspect you will find split pipes etc are unlikely to be covered

 

[gus-lopez]

The turbo pipe ,if split, would be the one that leaves the turbo from underneath it & travels down above the top of the gearbox on the right hand side.to the intercooler. Easiest way to find it is lay on your back slide underneath on passenger side & it is the 3" pipe immediately above your head on the left hand side.

And are there any tell-tale symptoms that might identify that as the problem (e.g listening for a sucking noise or looking for signs of a split)?

It won't be sucking in but blowing out. On tickover run you hand all over it all the way up to the turbo .Better is if someone can increase the revs above tickover.
There is the possibility that the short pipe coming off the left hand side of the intercooler, when viewed from above, has split so check that one also .You can do that from underneath whilst down there it will be on your right.

Maybe I can put some gaffer take or the like on as a temporary fix?

Yes gaffer tape wrapped around it will usually do .

 

[PlacidoD]

Is your warranty insurance based if so I suspect you will find split pipes etc are unlikely to be covered

Yes. But it is what it is. If I am lucky I am covered. Given the age of the van I cannot expect mechanical perfection and if it sets me back a couple of hundred pounds then I am still many tens of thousands of pounds in hand compared with new or nearly new vans. (And even they sometimes have significant problems!!) And thank goodness I steered clear of Mark 8 Transits and wet belt plus injector problems!!!

 

[Landy Andy]

The transit engines in Defenders kill intercooler pipes, and intercoolers all the time.

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[Ianbenny]

Are these intercooler pipes at the front of the engine? On my 2.0l which was the same era, it went down behind the radiator, and this is where it cracks at the top where it is connected due to the fatigue caused by the engine moving when under acceleration. This may not be the same as yours but here is a diagram. The pipe that cracks is bottom center. It didnt cost alot to fix.

TDCi Annotated Engine Bay

www.talkford.com

 

[PlacidoD]

The turbo pipe ,if split, would be the one that leaves the turbo from underneath it & travels down above the top of the gearbox on the right hand side.to the intercooler. Easiest way to find it is lay on your back slide underneath on passenger side & it is the 3" pipe immediately above your head on the left hand side.

It won't be sucking in but blowing out. On tickover run you hand all over it all the way up to the turbo .Better is if someone can increase the revs above tickover.
There is the possibility that the short pipe coming off the left hand side of the intercooler, when viewed from above, has split so check that one also .You can do that from underneath whilst down there it will be on your right.

Yes gaffer tape wrapped around it will usually do .

"The turbo pipe ,if split, would be the one that leaves the turbo from underneath it & travels down above the top of the gearbox on the right hand side.to the intercooler. Easiest way to find it is lay on your back slide underneath on passenger side & it is the 3" pipe immediately above your head on the left hand side."

Gus,

Just got the van up on my Millenco ramps to take a look under. When you say "on the passenger side" I am guessing you mean my driver's side being an LHD van?

 

[PlacidoD]

An update: I could not find a split pipe with the van up on ramps and a couple of garages near Colico on Lake Como showed no interest in sorting the problem for me.

I used the motorway to get here travelling via the St Gottard (Big delays there) to avoid really steep inclines. Symptoms seem a little better having re-attached the dislodged pipe and I have learned to match throttle opening to engine revs to avoid the worst excesses of black smoke on steep inclines such as the steep hill through Gandria, Lugano on the way here.

Van is now booked in with my trusted garage that I have used for 20plus years. They agree with the MHF diagnosis arrived at in this thread.

My thanks to all who contributed to my ability to get on with my holiday knowing that the van repair could wait!