Just to say Hello to everyone from here in West Norfolk.
I have recently purchased a 57 plate 1.6 diesel Berlingo van for carrying out little errands and travelling backwards and forwards to part time work. It only has 3 months MOT and has done 135,000 miles so I was hoping to get to know it a little better before the MOT needs renewing.
I will probably need the help and assistance of the other forum users so please be gentle with me if I inadvertently place a post in the wrong section or perhaps repeat a question that has been asked previously.
Looking forward to chatting with the other forum members in due course
Ive had mine for best part of 4 years now and know it pretty well inside-out - engine, chassis, panels, the lot.
Its done 163k and still goes like stink and uses no fluids at all so these engines can go on into old age but... not without a lot of TLC. What Id do ? ... Change your oil/filter straight away(5W-30 and good quality filter). Maybe do an engine flush. Wont arm it( and no, big lumps of crud wont fall off and circulate and blow the Turbo etc because if that was the norm nobody would do flushes!). Start using a diesel additive on a regular basis. Get a DPF cleaner(fuel additive or direct injection). It works and if its been a stop/starter or short distance van, it will need it, and if its going to BE the above then you will need to do this on a regular basis and do a blast down the motorway weekly to force a regen. These are pretty bomb-proof. They tend not to rust as a general rule and the running-gear is simple and uncomplicated. Get under and check your boots and gaiters for splits and do the obvious lights, seat-belts, wiper blades. I can honestly say with good maintenance, mine has cost me nothing and owes me nothing. Things have tightened up on the emissions front so you may be wise to get some of the above running thru the diesel and DPF before you take it in because it can be a struggle to get them thru on the Nox on the higher mileage ones like ours.
These are just my thoughts, others will have other ideas that may help you out also.
All the best with it.
The following 1 user says Thank You to pluggit1 for this post:1 user says Thank You to pluggit1 for this post • Sierra Charlie
Welcome to the forum.
I think Pluggit1 has given you a good overall starter for ten. The only thing I'd add, especially if you are concerned about emissions, is to replace the fuel filter but that's a pet thing of mine, keep the fuel right as much as you can.
You don't say whether or not you have service history which will likely assist your decisions & planning if you have it.
Best of luck with it.
(10-08-2021, 12:54 PM)pluggit1 Wrote: Ive had mine for best part of 4 years now and know it pretty well inside-out - engine, chassis, panels, the lot.
Its done 163k and still goes like stink and uses no fluids at all so these engines can go on into old age but... not without a lot of TLC. What Id do ? ... Change your oil/filter straight away(5W-30 and good quality filter). Maybe do an engine flush. Wont arm it( and no, big lumps of crud wont fall off and circulate and blow the Turbo etc because if that was the norm nobody would do flushes!). Start using a diesel additive on a regular basis. Get a DPF cleaner(fuel additive or direct injection). It works and if its been a stop/starter or short distance van, it will need it, and if its going to BE the above then you will need to do this on a regular basis and do a blast down the motorway weekly to force a regen. These are pretty bomb-proof. They tend not to rust as a general rule and the running-gear is simple and uncomplicated. Get under and check your boots and gaiters for splits and do the obvious lights, seat-belts, wiper blades. I can honestly say with good maintenance, mine has cost me nothing and owes me nothing. Things have tightened up on the emissions front so you may be wise to get some of the above running thru the diesel and DPF before you take it in because it can be a struggle to get them thru on the Nox on the higher mileage ones like ours.
These are just my thoughts, others will have other ideas that may help you out also.
All the best with it.
I was planning on carrying out an oil and filter change. I also intend to do the cam belt and water pump too. However on the short journey back to mine it pulled really well, but has been parked up on my drive for the last few days whilst I tinker about carrying out a few little jobs like changing bulbs in lights that dont work or half work ( dash centre consul time and date ), brake light, number plate light, interior light. Plus repadding the sunken drivers seat. Checking tyres to include the spare whilst making sure I have a working jack and wheel brace.
The one thing I have noticed is that it does smell of exhaust fumes when I first start up, doesn`t help having the windows or door open I know but I am only pottering about moving it up and down the drive to gain access to my garage. Just wondering if an oil and filter change plus introducing a fuel additive will help cure this?
Hope it is ok the post this query here in the intorduction section
To add to the list, a good diesel injector cleaner (https://www.berlingoforum.com/thread-21371.html), perhaps clean the EGR valve to help with idle/starting/emissions, etc. A bit fiddly, but not too difficult, plenty of videos around for example here: https://youtu.be/wTQtVJEqGXI although other also exist.
Thanks very much saskak for taking the time to reply and the link to the egr cleaning video. I did the egr valve on my daughters VW Golf earlier in the year and it was full of black gooey carbon and I am half expecting my van will probably be the same. Its always helpful though looking at the video first to give an insight and tips on how to approach the job beforehand
Check the injector seals for leaks if you can smell fumes getting in the cabin, when they get really bad you will hear a chuffing noise and black tar like substance around the injectors.
Are we there yet?????
Ex 1.6hdi van now 3 seater 1.4 multispace
All good advice. And a VERY good point I forgot..the CAM-BELT. Do it before anything else. Spare tyre also, it gets forgot, usually flat when you most need it and sometimes a pig to drop the cage if its not been dropped in 10 yrs.
At 130 odd thou you may get a puff of blue smoke on start-up that stops when the oil gets round, its probably a bit of valve-stem seal wear. Mines done it for years, never got any worse and barely noticeable only on colder mornings. You,re probably smelling that.
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