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

[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!

 

[PlacidoD]

I thought I would update this thread:
Got home 10 days ago and took the van round to the garage that afternoon. They plugged it in to diagnostics and gave it a look over. There was nothing much to report on the diagnostic report (details below) and really they could find nothing wrong.
That did not totally surprise me. I had been matching throttle setting to engine revs for the rest of my trip with black haze seeming less obvious. There was zero loss of power throughout my travels and, when I tried to induce black smoke on a steep hill on my way to the garage I could not!
I have checked and the van had a full service in February 2024 before being advertised for sale and bought by me.
I have no idea when the diagnostics were last reset.

So diagnostics have been reset, I cancelled the oil warning light (Van has only now done circa 4k miles since the February service), fueled up at Sainsbury's and put a bottle of Wynn's Gold Formula Treatment in the tank. Will have to see what happens but it looks like the fault has cleared itself!!!

Looking back the oil warning light might be a red herring (Not sure when it was last reset but I have note of the mileage at which I have just reset it - just under 100,500 kms). The black smoke was just a very light haze until after I fueled up at an Avia PFS on the B500 on the way out of Baden-Baden and up into the Black Forest. There was still no big problem until I was diverted off the B500 for well over 40 km (off I think near Ruhestein then travelling ever downward to Freibad Oppenhau then a massive 1 in 5 circa 8 km climb on a twisting very narrow road back up to the B500 with diverted traffic including lorries coming the other way and cyclist pedalling in the their lowest gear to negotiate. That is when I was faced with clouds of black smoke as I climbed that unrelenting winding hill with me at the head of a queue of about 20 vehicles!!!

Anyway with everything reset I can watch for problems for the future. Fingers crossed it is sorted!

Symptoms & Diagnostic Trouble Codes
ENGINEP
2265:64-2F WATER IN FUEL SENSOR A RANGE/PERFORMANCE
ABS
TWO FAULT CODES UNDOCUMENTED
RCM
P1796CAN CONTROLLER BUS OFF
CLUSTER
U0073:00-EC CONTROL MODULE COMMS BUS OFF
BODY CONTROL MODULE
B1D16:29 DOOR AJAR SWITCH
U0010-00-08 MEDIUM SPEED CAN COMMS
U0121:0008 LOST COMMS WITH ABS MODULE

 

[Antz123]

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!

I bought my camper while working in Switz. They are among the greediest people on the planet IMO.
IF you are able, buy the recommended oil and oil filter and air filter and DIY.
Or if not, maybe drive to French or Italian border and get it done there.

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[The Wino]

I bought my camper while working in Switz. They are among the greediest people on the planet IMO.
IF you are able, buy the recommended oil and oil filter and air filter and DIY.
Or if not, maybe drive to French or Italian border and get it done there.

They live in a high wage high cost country it doesn't mean they're necessarily greedy anymore than anyone expecting a wage sufficient to live in the UK is compared to someone doing the same job for a lot less in a poor country