03 alh smoke at startup and diesel smell

03 Jetta wagon

Things done
Fuel filter
Timing belt
Timing (have vcds) set just slightly retarded with specified and actual matching
Glow plug vcds mod as well as contact cleaner gp harness. May still need to replace.
Egr/cooler/cat delete. Race pipe installed solenoid delete. No tune.
Vnt actuator
Thermostat (was staying open when I bought car)


Got the car with mostly clogged intake so started there. Found Vnt actuator rusted through. Car ran a lot better after getting boost back but at start up it smokes like crazy and stinks like diesel. Once car is up to temp smoke mostly goes away but raw diesel smell remains. If I stop at a light and have the wrong wind or none at all car reeks in no time. When I was doing my timing I noticed my cold start injector duty cycle was at like 56% when a nuts was at like 5% while doing his timing. Also took car for a drive with vcds still on and duty cycle remained high all the time. This was all at operating temperature. New to vcds so any help is appreciated.
I am a diesel locomotive mechanic so I'm not a complete idiot but could use some help.

Thanks
Mike

I believe if the cold start valve isn't working correctly it will keep the timing advanced. Ran into a similar problem and no matter how far I retarded the timing by adjusting the ip sprocket the timing remained too advanced. Then when I would retired it more......it was too retarded to start. This engine has the same as you describe. Smoke and strong raw fuel smell.

The trouble with replacing the cold start valve is you have to pull the ip to access it. Also even used they are pricey. I have a spare ip that I'm eventually going to swap out to hopefully remedy the problem.

Let me know what you end up doing.

dweisel

Will be watching this one as well.

I'd begin by setting the Timing about 50% above the center line in the Graph. With retarded timing, it will be ever so slightly sluggish on the start. Also, as the TB wears in, timing will tend to retard just a little more.

So, beginning there is cheap and simple!

AndyBees said:

I'd begin by setting the Timing about 50% above the center line in the Graph. With retarded timing, it will be ever so slightly sluggish on the start. Also, as the TB wears in, timing will tend to retard just a little more.

So, beginning there is cheap and simple!

Click to expand...

Andy, on the pump I was dealing with. The VCDS timing graph was always off the chart. No way to get it even close to within the correct parameters.

dweisel said:

Andy, on the pump I was dealing with. The VCDS timing graph was always off the chart. No way to get it even close to within the correct parameters.

Click to expand...

That was when warm (operating temp)?

I've never liked how the daughter's car sputters when starting cold: I'll light off instantly, but then chug for a bit. I'd had the timing set WAY at the top (and perhaps dribbling over): shop up north set it lower- they'd noted the same smoke and diesel smell issues (now that lots of things have had time to settle down I need to double-check- I'd had a leaking fuel return line [not sure why the shop didn't see this!], not sure if correcting this has solved the issues or not).

UhOh said:

That was when warm (operating temp)?

I've never liked how the daughter's car sputters when starting cold: I'll light off instantly, but then chug for a bit. I'd had the timing set WAY at the top (and perhaps dribbling over): shop up north set it lower- they'd noted the same smoke and diesel smell issues (now that lots of things have had time to settle down I need to double-check- I'd had a leaking fuel return line [not sure why the shop didn't see this!], not sure if correcting this has solved the issues or not).

Click to expand...

Yes. Didn't matter if I ran it all day. Still smoked with that raw fuel smell. That particular engine is on the back burner with several other projects ahead of it.

My 2000 Jetta (soon to be my son's) has always amazed me. It starts really good, almost instantly at almost 370k miles on the OE IP, etc.! The ALH in my Vanagon starts really good too. I did had a grounding issue early on that drove me crazy until I found the problem. After solving the ground issue, it starts almost instantly with just under 210k miles on the engine.

My 5.9 Dodge Cummins (1998, first with the 24 valves) starts instantly too!... virtually zero smoke!