Hitachi digger white smoke?

[Big Kev]

Your possibly very right Wazza, I suppose I wont know until it reoccurs or tank comes out. Digger was a hand me down from another company quarry I haven't talked to anyone from that branch to confirm if there was any issues with fuel before.

[Wazza]

The tank is probably the biggest issue as i had to blow it back with an airline and the flow still isnt great but digger has been running trouble free for 2 months now but i had to blow back the line to the tank the other day again. Looks like its a tank out job for a deep clean down the line

Not saying it is but that's the classic symptoms of the fuel bacteria blocking suction filters and lines , even here its often misdiagnosed as just a blocked suction strainer so they replace it.
If you have had water in your fuel tank the likely hood of it is even higher ..

[Big Kev]

Just thought i would report back on what the problem was. Bottom filter was half full of water + taking in air at bleeder. The tank is probably the biggest issue as i had to blow it back with an airline and the flow still isnt great but digger has been running trouble free for 2 months now but i had to blow back the line to the tank the other day again. Looks like its a tank out job for a deep clean down the line

[Big Kev]

Haven't heard of this problem here Muz as regards the bio in diesel. I ran the digger most of today as well and can report all is good so far, even the primary filter drained this morn when I turned the bleeder on. hopefully she will keep going from here. just a hydraulic leak from central area of digger, I suspect bust pipe as its everywhere but i need someone to dig while I watch as its a pressure leak and not showing while running idle. But thats a nice worry now at this stage. I might make a digger out of her yet

[Muz]

Probably is here as two climates and fuel are similar Wazza, just ive never came across it or heard of it. I did take all the banjo bolts I could see out and they were all as clean as a whistle so probably tank is full of dirt/silt or possibly that bacteria. Would that bacteria be more prone to accumulating in part time or parked up machines rather than steady working machines?

Dont think you will have a problem with this in the digger here as fuel is being used/cycled often.. Ive heard yachtsmen complain of it, as they carry 2-300 gallons at a time that doesnt get a lot os use and becomes stagnant the tanks at the pier can get contaminated also.

Of much more importance in this country is when the fuel distributers f**k up,... and put far too high a bio content in the diesel this causes premature clogging of filters particularly at lower temperatures. We had big problems with this last year at this time.

[Big Kev]

Run digger all day today since working on her last wed, first half of day was light work and second half was fairly heavy digging and not a hiccup out of her unless hearing an odd miss when turning the revs up. Tried her for about 10 mins in power mode and she seemed ok. Fingers crossed she continues like this, mechanic will hopefully be out some time in next two weeks to replace primary filter unit.

[Big Kev]

The bacteria is not at all uncommon here ,I would be a bit surprised if its rare or unheard of over there .

Probably is here as two climates and fuel are similar Wazza, just ive never came across it or heard of it. I did take all the banjo bolts I could see out and they were all as clean as a whistle so probably tank is full of dirt/silt or possibly that bacteria. Would that bacteria be more prone to accumulating in part time or parked up machines rather than steady working machines?

[Wazza]

Never heard of that bacteria Wazza, filter will have to be changed as its paper and according to fitter If they become contaminated with water they need to be replaced. digger will run just ok in eco mode and like a pig in power mode so that makes sense of the shortage of fuel I found

The bacteria is not at all uncommon here ,I would be a bit surprised if its rare or unheard of over there .

[Big Kev]

Never heard of that bacteria Wazza, filter will have to be changed as its paper and according to fitter If they become contaminated with water they need to be replaced. digger will run just ok in eco mode and like a pig in power mode so that makes sense of the shortage of fuel I found

[Wazza]

found the bottom filter(secondry filter quarter full of water, then primary filter was very little fuel coming to it so i blew the line back through to tank. Fuel flow was a bit better but nowhere near what it should be so looks like tank off for clean when fitter gets here.

Water is the kryptonite of diesels, especially common rail as you would already know. I dont know if you get the bacteria{diesel bug} over there that grows in the diesel water interface ,it can block suction strainers and filters ,even plug fuel lines if badly contaminated.

[Big Kev]

Finally got time to look at digger on wed, found the bottom filter(secondry filter quarter full of water, then primary filter was very little fuel coming to it so i blew the line back through to tank. Fuel flow was a bit better but nowhere near what it should be so looks like tank off for clean when fitter gets here. I will try to run her before fitter arrives to see if fault persists (White smoke next morning after days work)

[Muz]

Found all the filters Muzza, four in total on machine with three changed barring the charcoal primary filter which I suspect might be the culprit, When I get time I will check the primary as I think fitter disabled drain as nothing coming out when I turn the drain handle( fitter wants to change it next time he's back to a bowl type) and banjo bolts, must be at least 6 or 8 of them I can see from top side, To be fair to company fitter has a lot on his plate and we are 1 hour from his base at head office so he's reluctant to travel too often. I never got a chance to run machine before he arrived last two times as it takes 2 hrs work before issue shows up. I wasn't with him the two times he was with the machine so I cant confirm if he checked for a good flow to high pressure pump. Engine is common rail

Yep .. when you get some work before a shut down.. its a sign of obstruction and accumulation due to flow ... 'usually' .. ive even seen some polythene stuck in a filter body head , as they have 90 degree bends too , and thats where the stuff gets trapped .. just have to clear it all the way back to tank

[Big Kev]

Oooh one of those fandangled things , Does it have a suction control valve "SCV" ,if faulty those things can cause fuelling problems

Thanks Wazza, I haven't got a clue but I will find out, with common rail it is more complicated and more need to get diagnostics hooked up but I dont even know where the plug is and what it would look like? I have a couple of diagnostic tools but depends on whether they can read it or not

[Wazza]

Engine is common rail

Oooh one of those fandangled things , Does it have a suction control valve "SCV" ,if faulty those things can cause fueling problems

[Big Kev]

Found all the filters Muzza, four in total on machine with three changed barring the charcoal primary filter which I suspect might be the culprit, When I get time I will check the primary as I think fitter disabled drain as nothing coming out when I turn the drain handle( fitter wants to change it next time he's back to a bowl type) and banjo bolts, must be at least 6 or 8 of them I can see from top side, To be fair to company fitter has a lot on his plate and we are 1 hour from his base at head office so he's reluctant to travel too often. I never got a chance to run machine before he arrived last two times as it takes 2 hrs work before issue shows up. I wasn't with him the two times he was with the machine so I cant confirm if he checked for a good flow to high pressure pump. Engine is common rail