Xsara diesel stalling on motorway

Christ0pher

My 04 Xsara diesel just recently started loosing power and stalling when at or above 110kph. There is a grey/blue smoke haze from the car I can see in my rear view mirror - but if I slow down to under 100kph everything is normal - no more smoke & power is normal. It's the XUD diesel - no turbo. I'm planning on bringing it to a garage during the week - but any ideas what this could be - I really hope it's not something serious (expensive !). thanks!

Row

Was the timing belt replaced in the last while...??
Is the engine light on when this happens..??
Is there aloud clattering noise from the engine when you rev it...??
It could be alot of things....egr...timing advance solenoid.

Christ0pher

Row wrote: »

Was the timing belt replaced in the last while...??

About 20k miles ago - current milage is 98k

Row wrote: »

Is the engine light on when this happens..??

Nope

Row wrote: »

Is there aloud clattering noise from the engine when you rev it...??

Not that I noticed, although it is a clattery engine, i.e. not v refined.
At first I thought maybe a gunked up fuel filter - but would that explain the smoke? There is a whining (very hard to hear) that sounds like it's under the car under acceleration, a sort of metallic whining. But it comes and goes. Again all this started in the last few days.

Row

Could be the maf sensor..but this would usally bring on an engine light.
If its not had the diesel filter lately it maybe no harm in fitting one and see how it runs.

Christ0pher

thanks for the help. i'm booking it in tomorrow to my local mechanic, soon find out what the heck is causing it.

mike65

I'm going to guess the diesel fuel filter is clogged up. They are not to be ignored on the XUD (or any engine come to that but when I drove a van with the 1.9 XUD9 it was a thing to replace quite often)

Christ0pher

My mechanic located the problem - the catalytic converter is blocked. This caused a backup of exhaust in the system, causing the manifold to get red hot and the engine to suffocate at high revs.
A new cat is over 260 quid. I'm looking out for a used one, 'cos I can't afford to stretch to almost 300 quid for the part. Anyone know if Citroen / Peugeot models share the same cat? Locating a good one may be difficult.

Tea drinker

hmmmmm

The age-old household tip that lemon juice makes for a great cleaning agent has found new use in the garage.
Researchers have found that a simple wash of citric acid can spruce up exhausted catalytic converters in diesel-powered cars, renewing their pollution-busting properties.
In diesel engines, catalytic converters contain a honeycomb of platinum that cleans up exhaust gases by turning poisonous carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons into more benign carbon dioxide. This breaks down molecules that could contribute to smog.
But sulphur in the fuel and phosphorus from anti-wear oil additives can gum up a converter and prevent it from working. Researchers have tried various methods to clean them out in the past, mostly involving strong acids. But while these often do a good job of wiping away the gunk, they also tend to eat away at the valuable platinum.
Now scientists from the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry in Madrid, Spain, have found that a dilute solution of citric acid can wash out the catalyst killers without damaging the platinum. When tested on a simulated stream of exhaust gases, the cleaned-up catalysts were as good as new, the team reports online in Environmental Science and Technology.

http://www.bioedonline.org/news/news.cfm?art=1737

Slidey

Christ0pher wrote: »

My mechanic located the problem - the catalytic converter is blocked. This caused a backup of exhaust in the system, causing the manifold to get red hot and the engine to suffocate at high revs.
A new cat is over 260 quid. I'm looking out for a used one, 'cos I can't afford to stretch to almost 300 quid for the part. Anyone know if Citroen / Peugeot models share the same cat? Locating a good one may be difficult.

You could just take it out or drive something through it.

Thats what I always did when the Trooper ones became blocked. John Gormely apparently has a bounty on my head over it. :rolleyes:

Row

Here is the diagram of the Cat converter on a xsara straight diesel Dw8b... (No 10 in the diagram)
Pm me you vin if you need the exact part no but i'm guessing its 1705 SR.

Remember you could also fit a universal catalytic converter....e.g.
http://www.bmcatalysts.co.uk/unicats.php

Christ0pher

thanks Row, that was a great help in locating the correct part. I've ordered a CAT today online, as I can get it a bit cheaper than my mechanic quoted. I should have it early next week. I tried breakers yards - but no-one had the specific part.
Interesting info re: the lemon juice. Too late for my disintegrated CAT, but thanks.
The idea of just doing without a CAT did cross my mind - but feck it I'm a stickler for doing it by the book. Thanks lads