Mazda B-Series (B2200/B2500)

[carbuncle]

Hi guys. Share ko lang problem ko with my B2500. This happens every morning and nag start nung December. Im having hard starts in the morning. i let the glow plug heat for 8 seconds. 2-3 times ang pag start ko to finally have it started. then kapag nag start.. grabeng white smoke lumalabas.. tas nanginginig yung sasakyan. after naman ng mga 10 minutes ok na sya. no more smoke tas hindi na nanginginig. may naka exprience naba neto?

i dunno lang if may leak somewhere at napapasukan ng cold air makina ko. nag palit na rin ako ng fuel filter.. then nag pa change oil nung december 2008. nagpalit ng glow plug nung november 2007. then battery was changed nung march 2008.

[rna800]

Hi guys. Share ko lang problem ko with my B2500. This happens every morning and nag start nung December. Im having hard starts in the morning. i let the glow plug heat for 8 seconds. 2-3 times ang pag start ko to finally have it started. then kapag nag start.. grabeng white smoke lumalabas.. tas nanginginig yung sasakyan. after naman ng mga 10 minutes ok na sya. no more smoke tas hindi na nanginginig. may naka exprience naba neto?

i dunno lang if may leak somewhere at napapasukan ng cold air makina ko. nag palit na rin ako ng fuel filter.. then nag pa change oil nung december 2008. nagpalit ng glow plug nung november 2007. then battery was changed nung march 2008.

Sometimes this happens to my truck especially on the 1st start and it hasn't run for a day though not all the time. My RPM is the line below the 1k line on idle so I guess that's making it a little well not shaky but I could hear the stepboard the hood making sounds. After the engine is pre heated for about 1 minute, everything is perfect again. For the white smoke, I don't experience that.

[duskylim]

Dear Sirs:

The white smoke you are experiencing has usually 2 causes:

1) Long cranking times without firing cause the injectors to deliver a lot of fuel into the combustion chamber and then, when the engine does finally start and fire, not all the accumulated fuel is burned up, the unburnt liquid fuel is expelled as an acrid (masakit sa mata at ilong) white smoke. Its smells terrible and is irritating to the eyes and lungs.

2) If the smoke is continuous and the engine runs unusually slowly, with very little power, its possible that the cam has jumped a tooth on the belt, retarding the timing, which would result in the observed problem.

Of course be sure that it is not OIL smoke which means you need to have an overhaul na. Get a professional opinion. Also do yourself a favor and use better quality fuels, I recommend Shell, Petron, Total and City Oil in that order of preference.

The best solution is to make sure that your engine and in particular your fuel and glow plug systems are working properly. The best check for the fuel system is to go to a competent calibrator (e.g. DRT along Shorthorn - look for Gener del Rosario, or even the ultimate local calibrator - Jake Arellano at Central Diesel Clinic along Quezon Blvd just at the foot of the road to Capitol Medical Center). They are very helpful and will explain to you everything.

One thing people don't often do with the Mazda B2200/B2500 is to check the fuel separators, filters and thimble filter.

The water separator is just beside the fuel tank in the back and can get badly clogged if neglected - I should know because I was guilty of that myself. If you buy cheap water-contaminated diesel (guilty again) mabilis sya magbara. Don't bother trying to clean it out yourself, bukod sa napakahirap, its a 2 -3 person job. Just bring it to DRT and ask Gener to do it for you.

I know it seems expensive, but replacing the fuel filter regularly is essential to proper running, despite the fact that the manual says it should be changed every 10, 000 km - masakit sa bulsa! Well what I did was to get the one for a Hyundai Starex, and replace the original filter assembly of the Mazda, WHY?

1) the entire Starex filter assy is cheaper than the Mazda's.

2) the Starex filter has a hand pump na wala sa Mazda, so you can pump/prime it kapag naubusan ka ng crudo, with the original filter you had to crank it for a very long time to get fuel in, kawawa batterya mo!

3) the replacement Starex filters are cheaper and have a drain and sensor at the bottom for water and sediment... panalo.

Most people aren't aware that the injection pump has a last line of defence against dirt and sediment, its a tiny, thimble-sized filter at the base of the fuel inlet into the injection pump.

It has a nasty habit of getting clogged up reguarly so you should clean it out every 6 months or so. If it gets blocked your engine gets dramatically weaker - no power, walang hila, etc.

Bring it to DRT and have them clean it out for you, watch carefully and after seeing it done once, you can do it for yourself na.

If its not the fuel system, hard starting is a sign of DEAD glow plugs. Sadly they do not die all at once but one at a time. If you lose one or two, you might not even notice it, parang humahaba lang ang starting mo.

When you lose all 4 then it becomes extremely difficult if not impossible to start. You have to keep cranking forever kaya, and maraming diesel na naiipon sa makina, which becomes the white smoke you see kapag umandar na sya.

All that unburned diesel is BAD for your engine, it washes away the oil from the cylinder walls and shortens the engine's life, so you better fix it.

Again try out the KHT - Kitahara glow plugs - they have a reasonable price, good performance and reasonable life. Now the original NGK's will cost you about Php 1250-1500 each!

A Kitahara plug in the same range (go for 11.5 v to 12 v) is from Php 275-350 each - kitaamm! Admitedly they won't last as long as the original NGKs - mine lasted about 6 to 7 years, while the Kitahara's last only about 2 to 3 years.

But because they're 1/4th the price of the originals, panalo ka pa rin (it comes to half the effective cost).

Its quite likely you have to change glow plugs na so punta ka na ng Fordland sa Banawe at magdala ka ng sample ng glowplug mo - I think its a PZ-30 (11.5v to 12 volts).

Hope this helps,

Best Regards,

Dusky Lim

[rna800]

Dear Sirs:

I know it seems expensive, but replacing the fuel filter regularly is essential to proper running, despite the fact that the manual says it should be changed every 10, 000 km - masakit sa bulsa! Well what I did was to get the one for a Hyundai Starex, and replace the original filter assembly of the Mazda, WHY?

1) the entire Starex filter assy is cheaper than the Mazda's.

2) the Starex filter has a hand pump na wala sa Mazda, so you can pump/prime it kapag naubusan ka ng crudo, with the original filter you had to crank it for a very long time to get fuel in, kawawa batterya mo!

3) the replacement Starex filters are cheaper and have a drain and sensor at the bottom for water and sediment... panalo.

Most people aren't aware that the injection pump has a last line of defence against dirt and sediment, its a tiny, thimble-sized filter at the base of the fuel inlet into the injection pump.

It has a nasty habit of getting clogged up reguarly so you should clean it out every 6 months or so. If it gets blocked your engine gets dramatically weaker - no power, walang hila, etc.

Bring it to DRT and have them clean it out for you, watch carefully and after seeing it done once, you can do it for yourself na.

Hope this helps,

Best Regards,

Dusky Lim

Wow, this is a very good source of information. What I did with my fuel filter, my trusted mechanic advised to replaced it with the one that has pump. At first they advised to put a replacement and see what happens. F*ck that replacement, it didn't even last a month.hehe So I told them to find me a brand new. What they did, they bought the pump from Mitsubishi and they said that is what they are using for L300 and it fits perfectly for Mazda. Next is they bought the fuel filter from Ford and yup, the fit perfectly well. It has been a year already and from the moment I replaced the fuel filter, though it's more expensive than those replacement ones, I could say that the performance dramatically improved.

With regards to that tiny, thimble sized filter that you were pertaining to, I guess I should start checking that as well since I couldn't remember the last time I checked it.

[duskylim]

Dear Sirs:

If you do wish to attempt this job yourself without the benefit of seeing how its done, here's some advice.

The best procedure is to work on a COLD engine as touching a lot of hot metal tends to spoil your day.

For good access to the injection pump and its environs, I recommend removing the battery first. This gives you much more room around the pump and much better access to the area near the thimble filter.

Its pretty easy to find the filters' location, here's the procedure:

1) follow the fuel line from the the fuel filter to the injection pump. You will see a banjo union fitting where the bottom of the fuel hose connects to the pump.

2) unclip the upper part of the fuel hose from the filter assembly and prepare a small clean, container about the size of a shot glass to catch the diesel fuel.

3) Detach the hose from the upper fitting, bend it down a little and pour the contents (diesel fuel) into the shot glass (DO NOT DRINK), then unclip the lower hose from the banjo union fitting and detach it.

Set it aside carefully - don't loose it or let it get dirty.

4) The banjo union is secured by an ALLEN capscrew to a metal fitting on the pump body, use an ALLEN wrench/key to unbolt it, this requires some force especially if it hasn't been moved in a long time. Access is a little tight so be patient.

Set this aside too.

5) After removing the ALLEN capscrew you need to loosen the hollow bolt which goes down through the banjo union - attaching it to the pump body.

The head size is 17 mm and you will need a socket and power handle to loosen it. A universal joint will also greatly help.

6) After loosening it spray the whole area with WD-40, and wipe it off carefully with clean (preferably UNUSED) tissue or toilet paper. Its very important that this area is CLEAN - BEFORE you proceed to REMOVE or DISMANTLE it.

7) After cleaning the area, prepare a clean tray for all the parts about to be dismantled - believe me you will need it.

8) While your doing this I cannot emphasize enough the need for cleanliness and enough light (floodlighting is good) so you can see what you're doing.

9) Very carefully slowly unscrew the hollow top bolt, you see there are several parts associated with it:

a) the hollow bolt
b) a washer between the hollow bolt's head and the banjo union
c) the banjo union
d) a washer between the banjo union and the spacer
e) the spacer
f) a washer between the spacer and the pump body

place all of these onto the tray in the correct order of disassembly, or you will regret it.

10) Now get a sharpened brand-new Number 2 Mongol pencil (I **** you not) insert the point down the hole from which you removed the hollow bolt.

You should be able to feel and pull out a little spring whichi retains the thimble filter - set this aside in a clean place.

11) Now using the eraser side down, insert the pencil vertically into the hole slightly twisting, you should be able to remove the thimble filter - it will cling to the pencils eraser!

12) Wash everything 1st with kerosene then with diesel fuel. The best way to clean the thimble filter is with compressed air and those cotton buds they use to clean children's ears with.

13) Re assemble - Ta Dah! You're done.

Best Regards,

Dusky Lim

[duskylim]

Dear Sirs:

If you do wish to attempt this job yourself without the benefit of seeing how its done, here's some advice.

The best procedure is to work on a COLD engine as touching a lot of hot metal tends to spoil your day.

For good access to the injection pump and its environs, I recommend removing the battery first. This gives you much more room around the pump and much better access to the area near the thimble filter.

Its pretty easy to find the filters' location, here's the procedure:

1) follow the fuel line from the the fuel filter to the injection pump. You will see a banjo union fitting where the bottom of the fuel hose connects to the pump.

2) unclip the upper part of the fuel hose from the filter assembly and prepare a small clean, container about the size of a shot glass to catch the diesel fuel.

3) Detach the hose from the upper fitting, bend it down a little and pour the contents (diesel fuel) into the shot glass (DO NOT DRINK), then unclip the lower hose from the banjo union fitting and detach it.

Set it aside carefully - don't loose it or let it get dirty.

4) The banjo union is secured by an ALLEN capscrew to a metal fitting on the pump body, use an ALLEN wrench/key to unbolt it, this requires some force especially if it hasn't been moved in a long time. Access is a little tight so be patient.

Set this aside too.

5) After removing the ALLEN capscrew you need to loosen the hollow bolt which goes down through the banjo union - attaching it to the pump body.

The head size is 17 mm and you will need a socket and power handle to loosen it. A universal joint will also greatly help.

6) After loosening it spray the whole area with WD-40, and wipe it off carefully with clean (preferably UNUSED) tissue or toilet paper. Its very important that this area is CLEAN - BEFORE you proceed to REMOVE or DISMANTLE it.

7) After cleaning the area, prepare a clean tray for all the parts about to be dismantled - believe me you will need it.

8) While your doing this I cannot emphasize enough the need for cleanliness and enough light (floodlighting is good) so you can see what you're doing.

9) Very carefully slowly unscrew the hollow top bolt, you see there are several parts associated with it:

a) the hollow bolt
b) a washer between the hollow bolt's head and the banjo union
c) the banjo union
d) a washer between the banjo union and the spacer
e) the spacer
f) a washer between the spacer and the pump body

place all of these onto the tray in the correct order of disassembly, or you will regret it.

10) Now get a sharpened brand-new Number 2 Mongol pencil (I **** you not) insert the point down the hole from which you removed the hollow bolt.

You should be able to feel and pull out a little spring whichi retains the thimble filter - set this aside in a clean place.

11) Now using the eraser side down, insert the pencil vertically into the hole slightly twisting, you should be able to remove the thimble filter - it will cling to the pencils eraser!

12) Wash everything 1st with kerosene then with diesel fuel. The best way to clean the thimble filter is with compressed air and those cotton buds they use to clean children's ears with.

13) Re assemble - Ta Dah! You're done.

Best Regards,

Dusky Lim

[rna800]

@duskylim: Thanks for the information, sir. I guess I will bring it to a professional first, the one near Capitol Medical Center since they know that procedure more than I do. For that DRT shop that you have mentioned along Shorthorn, is that a big shop? If you happen to notice a shop along Congressional Ave. named Richmond, that is the shop where I always go to. Also, do you happen to know how long does it take to calibrate the engine and how much?

[duskylim]

Dear Sir:

I recommend that you go to DRT (del Rosario Trading) rather than Central Diesel Clinic if your problem is just the thimble filter.

Look for the owner/proprietor Gener del Rosario, and ask to have them clean out the filter at the inlet to the injection pump. You can mention me (sabay ilag) if you like. I have had much work done there and they are very good at what they do.

Sa Central Diesel Clinic medyo very busy sila most of the time, kaya baka matagalan ka sa paggawa, what can I say, when you're the best, the waiting list is long! Isa pa, this is a rather minor job, which can easily be done by a well-equipped and organized smaller shop (like DRT).

Kapag malaki na problema mo, dun mo na puntahan at istorbohin si Jake. BTW he answers questions on this forum under the thread called "Diesel Fuel Injection System Help Desk".

You can click on that link and check out his thread.

As to the shop you mentioned along Congressional - Richmond, I'm sorry pero di ko sila kilala, and I have never had any work done there.

As to the prices for calibration, that usually depends upon ano ang sira, kung ordinary job lang, mga Php 8,000 to 10,000 ang estimate - thats very comprehensive and involves reconditioning of the nozzles, and replacement of all the seals and gaskets, as well as calibration itself.

Of course if a major part failed mas mahal ang gastos mo. As to the question if its worth it, well, usually we recommend calibration after 100,000 km which is 7 to 10 years after purchase (I myself had NOT needed it yet on my Mazda B2500 or our 1995 Toyota HiLux), so para syang mid-life maintenance sa sasakyan mo.

I have been driving diesels since I was in High School (at the age of 13!). So medyo sanay na ako mag-maintain. That always helps.

I ran a shop (talyer) with a friend and partner ten or fifteen years ago. Kaya siguro dahil sa maintenance di ko pa kelangan magpa-calibrate.

I also use (and sell !!!) a very effective diesel fuel additive, which greatly improves my engine's performance and economy. Text me at 0916 549 8306 for orders if you're interested.

If you want to talk face to face, I will be attending Devildocs product demo sa Speedlab along Quezon Ave (katapat ng PEGASUS!) in April. Yes I have a water-methanol kit installed on my Naturally Aspirated (read NO TURBO) B2500.

You can also check out my B2500 there. Or you can just txt me and we can set an appointment.

Best Regards,

Dusky Lim

[carbuncle]

hello guys. to boss dusky, thanks sa very imformative and helpful reply. actually this is my second reply nag send ako ng napakahabang reply pero pag send ko nag loko yung tsikot na site. haayyy hirap ulitin.

anyway, ill be going to banawe this sunday to buy kht glow plugs, malamang nga 1 or 2 na ang busted na glow plug. dun ko sa raynor last pinapalitan yun, taga fairview ksi ako medyo malayo.

after this sana maging ok na. thank you so much. ill keep u guys posted kung anu mangyayari. nga pala.. i forgot to add rin, nag pa calibrate na rin ako nung november kaya lang linis lang sya. then i always fuel at petron fairview dito kasi cheap but high quality right now its 26.70 per liter. thanks again.

regards,

percy

[duskylim]

Dear Sirs:

As a guide, I am placing my own start-up procedure on-line.

If you have trouble starting (especially on cold mornings) try this procedure out:

1) charge the battery overnight on a trickle charge (1-2 amperes of charging current only)

2) make sure OK pa rin ang mga glow plug mo.

3) check to make sure the fuel system is clean and the filters will flow.

4) very-important - bleed the fuel system of all air so that you can't see any air in the fuel lines or near the filter - this is why its impt to have a hand - pump on your filter.

5) glow for about 8 seconds then crank, the engine should start after 2-3 revolutions.

Note: you will find that after bleeding the fuel system, if the filters, fuel lines and injection system is clean (and you are using a good quality diesel fuel) that most or all of the hesitation and stumble of the engine will disappear and the pull (hatak) will come back.

Regards,

Dusky Lim