Rough running at high elevation

[vanermi]

Today I just came from Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon and upon arriving came to a stop and idled for a min then when I hit the gas pedal the van sputtered and hiccuped and I had to step on it to go which caused black smoke to come out of the tail pipe. This is happening a lot as I drive around here. Is this a common thing with altitude or lower temps (8 C)?
I've just been driving for days on end with no issues until today.

Any thoughts?

[nxski]

Probably not the main cause but have you changed the air filter recently? Also, I think my friends may have spotted you around that area yesterday.

[Mr. Flibble]

First thought is you are in an excellent area to have your Delica! I know the area really really well, so if you want any cool places to see send me a PM!

First thought about your Delica though is your Turbo. The turbo's job is to force in additional air so that you get the proper pressure at higher altitudes. In general it is highly unlikely you will get your Delica to an altitude where your turbo won't be able to support the engine if it is working properly. So, it could be a sign that you are having some early turbo problems.

However, having said that, when first starting or from idle, your turbo won't be fully up to speed, and at higher altitudes turbo lag might be more noticeable which seems to be what you are experiencing. So, try going a little more gently on the throttle until the RPM's are up so your turbo is spinning faster.

EDIT.

I just did some googling, seems that at higher altitudes turbo lag becomes much more noticeable. So check to see how your Deli performs with the turbo up to speed. If she is fine, then you are just dealing with high altitude turbo lag. Try not to go so heavy on the pedal from low RPMs. (Otherwise, it probably feels like you are getting a pretty good kick in the pants when the turbo finally gets up to speed!)

[FalcoColumbarius]

How high is high altitude? If you have an altimeter on board then you might notice that at the 2,000 metre mark the lines turn a different colour. When I was talking to Pablo (viajeros4x4x4), he told me how "La Cucaracha" smoked something fierce when they were up in the Andes. Smoked more than my Granny did!



La Cucaracha over 4.500 meters in Bolivia

Falco.

[jessef]

Is this a common thing with altitude

Yes and No. You'll get more smoke then at sea level however air restriction (check air filter like Nick said) at that altitude is harder.

On your L400, the waste gate and/or EGR valve can be sticking open or closed. If either or both are, it will produce the symptoms you are experiencing.

If you haven't yet, bypass the EGR valve by blocking it off.

Check your wastegate valve to ensure it's opening and closing smoothly.

For fuel, use a good fuel additive or 2 stroke oil. That will help the fuel burn.

Also if you don't have one already, an EGT (pyro) gauge will be useful (not mandatory) if you plan to hit high altitude regions often along your trip. You'll be able to control the exhaust temps and black smoke by watching the pyrometer instead of watching your mirror.

edited. saw that you have an L400. 2.8 in that case Paul's reference is to an L300 which has a different engine/turbo than your L400.

[thedjjack]

My dad would tell you not to go up high

Plus staying by the ocean is nice!

[after oil]

for the record, my L300 ran a little rough in the passes in the Ouray/Telluride area, but was fine at lower elevations.

[vanermi]

Thanks everybody I really appreciate it. As soon as I got to lower altitude, the problem went away, however now I'm getting rough starts in the morning when cold almost as if the glow plugs aren't working, but once it's warmed up for a few minutes it's fine.

[Drumster]

We were down in that neck of the woods in the Fall of 2010. It's a beautiful area!!

I had no mechanical problems at any elevation nor was southern Utah's 101+ F temp an issue.
I'm running Evans waterless coolant, dual bypass oil filter with synthetic and have removed EGR valve; otherwise fairly stock.

Aside from blowing a headlight fuse I had zero issues with my L400.

I totally loved that trip!