Rover 75 CDTI Club SE 2002 - Help with bad chemical smell
 

Hi, new member with little mechanical know how so be gentle. I have had my 75 from new and loved every bit of it. However I have begun to notice a really strong accrid smell eminating from the car during and just after use, then came a cronic lack of power below 2500 rpm.

So far I have had it serviced, replaced 2 injectors, to no avail. I then had both fuel pumps replaced (1 near battery and other one in the fuel tank). This latter work seems to have cured the power loss, although still slower than was under 2500rpm, BUT the smell is still there!!!!!

I have now spent in excess of £1200 tryiung to sort this.

Anyone any ideas????????

at least the fuel pump expenditure is 'out of the way'...they all go eventually.

has the pcv crankcase filter ever been changed? it can cause oil pressure to build up and it could be somehow forcing somewhere hot it shouldnt? Mine was done at 80k when the dipstick seals blew. Its not a service item...

Search on "pcv" or "oil separat" for more info - lots of threads.

and have you had a new MAF ever? It seems to be responsible for most things! Nothing to do with your smell, but worth reading up on!

Hi there and :welcome: to the club.

Your lack of power below 2500 rpm is most likely the maf sensor going out of spec. it happens on all common rail diesels I'm afraid. To find out more use the link to rover Ron's site at the top of the page. There's info on there regarding this and solutions there are also how-to's as well.
I would normally have told you to use this forums search facility but if you do that with Maf problems you will end up looking through hundreds of posts.

Also the PCV valve and it's filter will probably do with a clean and a filter.it's not on the Mgr service sheet but it is on BMW and Landrover models that use this engine.

Also the Egr valve would possibly benefit from being cleaned this can become quite choked up as you will see from the pictures on Ron's site.

Not sure what's causing the smell, Have you noticed any fumes coming from the engine bay if you lift the bonnet with the engine running?

How many miles has your car done? and if possible if you put your location on your details can help others to assist in suggesting where you could go for further help, or you may get an offer from someone local who might be able to assist.



Russ

You could also be smelling coolant venting or leaking on to something hot
Check all your cooling pipe joints for signs of leaks and the pressure cap

I get a strange smell from my CDTi too. I have begun to suspect a leaking exhaust although I haven't been able to check this yet - I am sure I hear a light "fuffing" from the exhaust from time to time from outside the car. I have done all the usual PCV, EGR, fitted Synergy etc. The smell is there now and is no different top before I did all these things.

Is the front of your engine bay soaked in oil,

Ive just got my car back from a service and found out that my high pressure pump seems to be leaking, As my under tray is soaked in diesel, and also found out this is what killed my alternator too, As this was soaked,

Does any one know what one of these cost to be replaced?

Have you recently had your auto box serviced? I recently had the fluid changed in my 75 was a pretty strong smell that very well could be described as "acrid".

When I called the shop they told me that the auto box fluid smelled like that and that they probably had spilt some while refilling and that the smell would go away - which it did.

Driving with wrong shoes at Christmas I managed to smoke the clutch, this has left a clutch smell in the car which is still noticeable even now, clutch still works OK though. Dave