What Have I Found

[adrianf.]

Just having a good look over the Ally and had a look underneath.

 

More or less under the drivers seat just infront of the fuel tank there is a alluminium looking object about 15" - 18" long.

 

It looks a bit like a radiator of some sort and is warm to touch so i guess its connected to the cooling system somehow.

 

I dont remember seeing one on the Gal i used to have and that was only a year older.

 

 

No doubt one of you guys or girls will put me in the picture as to its purpose in life and when i can expect it to break.

 

cheers

 

Adrian.

[big_kev]

Fuel heat dissipator ?

[lazyb5]

yep theres one on my Gal as well ....hmm interesting

[Dave-G]

ISTR it's piped up to the A/C somehow

[mk2vr6]

ISTR it's piped up to the A/C somehow

 

a fuel cooler linked into the ac?

how does that work then?

what happens if you dont run the ac?

[big_kev]

It looks a bit like a radiator of some sort and is warm to touch so i guess its connected to the cooling system somehow.

 

You got a picture of this ?

[Sher]

When I looked a few years ago I seem to remember I worked out it was an oil cooler for the gearbox?

 

It looks very exposed to me. The complication of the Galaxy, Alhambra, Sharan is amazing and is why the Galaxy was the most unreliable car in the Ford range.

The Sharan was more unreliable than the Galaxy. No figures for the Alhambra.

[mk2vr6]

if its the fuel cooler it will look like this.number 11 on the drawing Edited September 30, 2007 by mk2vr6

[Sher]

Yes Its Itemm 11 I'm sure.

 

Anyone know the technical reason for this?

[adrianf.]

Yes its deffo item 11.

 

As you say very exposed.

 

Still not sure what it does.

[mk2vr6]

funnily enough its name describes what it does :rolleyes:

[adrianf.]

So IF it is a fuel cooler then WHY.

 

Why the hell does it need a fuel cooler for.

 

My old Vauxhall Viva managed without one so whats so special about this one :rolleyes:

[mumof4]

Maybe..its to cool the fuel when it gets a wee bit warm to stop it going boom whilst you are driving... :rolleyes:

 

I mean..i can tell when my lad has a temp as his nuts hang very low to keep em cool...as im sure you blokes have the same thing when you get a wee bit warm..soooo stands to reason it would be where it is the coolest which is under the car as all the cold air rushing around it will keep it cool maybe???..well..way im thinking it might work..coz no point putting it where it wont get cool like in the engine bay where it can get pretty warm.

[adrianf.]

Oh good god, why me ??? :rolleyes:

[mumof4]

Wot??? :rolleyes:

[El Dingo]

Mof4 - Is there LIVE SPERM in DIESEL then????? :rolleyes:

[mumof4]

Umm no..i was useing it as an analogy...the fact that things that are lower than the heat source are usually cooler..or that things that need to be cooler need to be lower than the heat source..

 

 

or i could say..you never know what you might find in a fuel tank if a bloke is caught short in the middle of no where and needs to um relieve himself....

[mk2vr6]

the fuel is cooled before it returns to the tank, the fuel is in a constant cycle of being pumped round the system, it sits in the fuel lines, filter, fuel rail and injectors in the head and is in close proximity to the bit where it goes bang and gets warm in the process! the fuel that isnt burnt is returned to the fuel tank, if warm fuel is allowed to keep circulating eventually you will have a hot fuel load sitting in the tank! then next when its put under pressure in the injection system the injectors will deliver a reduced fuel amount due the now reduced viscosity of the hot fuel! and result in an inefficent burn,reduced power and reduced mpg!

[adrianf.]

Just sounds like another thing to go wrong if you ask me. :16:

 

Managed for years without one so why have one now. :)

 

Right then where did i put that hammer and hacksaw :lol:

[Sher]

Thanks mk2vr6 for the explanation.

 

Is this common now on modern diesel cars?

 

Here we have heat being thrown away and at the other end fuel being consumed in a most inefficient way by the preheater because the engine is so efficient.

 

I've seen a lot of posts recently about this smelly polluting device over the last few weeks.

 

I'm confused since

 

(1) Diesel has a very high flash point temperature so the hazard is not as high as petrol. Throw a match on diesel and most likely the match goes out. Try the same on petrol and you get a mini explosion. We did not see fuel coolers before.

 

(2) Surely the Fuel injection system adjusts for the temperature of the fuel so it can compensate for the reduced density of the fuel on the injection stroke or is this peculiar to the PD system.

If the viscosity of the fuel is less the system will find it easier to push the fuel in and increase the fuel burn.

 

I know/think that the system can control the fuel injected, when the MAF is faulty or disconnected the fuel injected is less and torque and power are way down.

 

P.S. I obviously need to read more about the Diesel Engine system in the Galaxy, Sharan, Alhambra range. Anyone know where?

Preferably not in German!!

[sanjsanj]

by diesel engine in the galaxy sharan alhambra, i think you mean the PD engine...

clicky me

or

click me

 

We all know (i hope) that the specialty of the PD engine is the very high pressure it pumps diesel into the engine. Could this high pressure be another cause for the diesel to get hot?

[big_kev]

Reason for fuel cooler:

 

Maintaining a steady fuel temperature is essential to achieving the performance and clean running of Tdi engines.

 

Without this provision, the bulk fuel temperature in the tank would steadily rise in use.

 

Under high pressure injection conditions, overheated fuel would markedly reduce the fuel delivery from the injectors.

 

While the ECU can compensate for reasonable fuel temperature variations by adjusting the fuel mapping,

[Sher]

Thanks big_kev

 

I ripped the info. from the Landrover site

 

That's what I want info as to where I can read definate inf ormation not just nepharious Google Searches I can do myself, which repeat the same garbage churned out by PR firms who really do not undersatnd what is really going on.

 

Question:- Does this cooling take place on return to the tank or on the way to the tank?

 

I will try and look now.

[big_kev]

Question:- Does this cooling take place on return to the tank or on the way to the tank?

 

I would think on the return to the tank ( after it has been near the hot engine thingy )... :lol:

 

I am not sure what you mean by "on the way to the tank "

[Sher]

I am not sure what you mean by "on the way to the tank "

 

It was way past my bed time. I usually fall asleep after 9pm and wake up around 3am.

 

I notice 3 mistakes in my post.

 

Should read "on the way to the engine"

 

I am surprised that this device is present. Upon return to the fuel tank, which we know is a large object with a large surface area, I would have thought able to reduce the returned fuel back to a more normal temperature without this extra complication.

I am obviously wrong otherwise it would not be there.