Hello All from Perth,
Been gleaning useful tips and help off this site for a good month now; so decided to do the right thing and put my head above the trench!
I bought an '04 VH (LWB Midroof 5speed DOFA engine)for courier work, 211xxxKm and tidy enough. Prior to this I would be considered a diesel virgin.
Did a search on common issues and this site featured prominently in the 'hits list' and within days I was up to my armpits in ' Black puddin' so black; even the white bits are black!' (M.Palin:ripping yarns)... sorry, I just don't want to run the risk of plagiary (or is it polygamyism)
The rear doors had a sooty sheen to them and the blue had been rubbed off the Oval badge after much scrubbing over time.I blocked the EGR off and get no soot or smoke out the back anymore. The turbo under power; seemed to have a surge-pause-surge habit and I assumed maybe an Eco thing (pretty big on that down here) The inter-cooler inlet hose had a split in it just before the IN> part of the motor. Took both hoses off and treat them to a very hot spa, with strong(rubber compatible)chemicals(see :- Black Pud) and used Alum tape to bind it up to see if that worked. Yes it did! but for a week only until the tape burst open (couldn't imagine why!) cleaned again and used Pu sealer on primed split surfaces and swathed the external with 2 layers of fibreglass cloth oozing with Pu; cured in 2hrs under heat and has been delivering what it should, and where it should without fault since.
I have the heater switch issue as well as the Temp Gauge,Tacho,Dash Instrument cluster playing tag after 3 hrs or so, but a bit of apprehension in the afternoon always keeps you sharp behind the wheel I believe! I intend to run my OBDll diagnostic in real time data and capture the variations that cause that...
Anyhoo; thats my bit for now.
Cheers