Fuel Pump Calibration Needed

[Mont Tremblant Delica]

L400 Deisel 2001 needs fuel pump and calibration. She starts up fine and after 2 or 3 minutes starts chugging and blowing white smoke from the exhaust. That continues until the engine warms up to mid temperature - about 15 minutes - then runs fine. This happens whether parked inside or out. So, it's not due to the ambiant environmental temperature - it's due to engine temp. Glow plugs have been replaced. All diagnostics seem to indicate that the fuel pump is the problem. The TPS in the pump on this model is electronic and built into the pump. It needs to be calibrated to the engine for timing etc. Does anyone know of someone who can calibrate this unit. I'm told by Coombs Country Auto on Vancouver Island, the team at Heritage Napa Auto Pro in Calgary and Rising Sun in Vancouver that the only place to do this would be in Japan. Does anyone have any advice? Many thanks in advance!

 

[Growlerbearnz]

The 2001 models had an ECU-controlled injection pump, using the Bosch VE-EDC (or was it VE-MV?) system manufactured by Diesel Keiki under license.
The pump itself is quite dumb, and has no calibratable or adjustable internal components unlike the mechanical VE pump. There's a guide to how VE pumps work here, the VE-EDC section is at the end.
The ECU is also fairly dumb and not calibratable: as long as all the sensors are feeding it the correct data, the engine should run normally.

I would first check the Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve, make sure it is fully closed. Disable it temporarily as a diagnostic step (pinch/block the small vacuum hose that drives the valve so it can't open) and see if that resolves the problem. EGR valves are notorious for sticking open, and easy to get to so it's a good first step.

If that doesn't help, your symptoms are consistent with the injection timing being retarded between the cold startup phase and the fully-warmed up running phase. The most likely fault is the ECU being fed bad data from one of the temperature sensors (air, fuel, or coolant: I'm not sure how many of these were actually implemented by Mitsubishi) until the other sensors are up to temperature. I would check the temperature sensors, but I don't have an L400 so you're going to have to find the wiring diagram and work backwards from there to find them.

It could be the timing control solenoid valve on the IP is malfunctioning (sticking open= retarded injection) but only during a certain temperature window, which is improbable.

A sticky timing piston could also cause retarded timing, but it would be unusual for it to be so consistent. A sticky timing piston would be a result of bad, dirty fuel, so if your engine has a history of not being maintianed that might be worth looking at.

 

[Mont Tremblant Delica]

Thank you Growlerbearnz! That is a helpful and detailed spot of information.

A possible fix of installing a toggle switch in the dash to activate a heating coil to be attached to the glow plugs to keep them warm for a longer period than they would otherwise heat up for, has been suggested as a temporary solution. It seems that after the plugs stop heating up (approximately 2 minutes), fuel stops being injected.

I've had to leave the van in Calgary, Alberta at Heritage Auto Pro and fly back to Montreal. So, I'm not doing the work myself. I've sent what you've been kind enough to give me to Carlos Reyes and his mechanic Moe at Heritage Auto. I'm sure it'll help them eliminate some potential issues and get closer to, if not achieve, the goal of getting this beauty back on the road.

BTW - nice addition to the original paint on the L300 in the back of your profile pic. I lived in Japan for 23 years and had a couple of L300s while there. I've brought 2 L400s into Canada last year. This is the second - it is a beautiful looking unit, but has been presenting me with a few issues. Step by step - this adventure is becoming the journey.