hard to start smoking engine

tslone · Sep 10, 2017

Ok everyone, I am new to the forum but thought it would be good to sign up so as to get some clues or solutions to a problem I have been dealing with on my Mahindra 6530 4wd. The issue started last year and was quick in developing. When attempting to start the engine belches out large amounts of black smoke and is extremely reluctant to fire up. I use the glow plugs before trying to start. Before this all began, the tractor would fire up almost immediately and most of the time without using the glow plugs. I had it in the shop for about 4 weeks and the mechanic said he could not fix it. He tried everything and even rotated the fuel pump hoping to alter the timing, checked the turbo, and the injectors, and cleaned the air intake but still no luck. Many times I have to crank the engine for a very long time for it to fire up. Even to the point of nearly exhausting the battery. Once the engine is started, there is a slight bit of black smoke from the exhaust but when the engine is revved, it all clears. It also seems to have lost some working power especially when moving up slopes or pulling a 7 ft. rotary mower. Any advice is welcomed.

KYErik · Sep 10, 2017

The loss in working power makes me think you may have lost some compression (worn rings or poor sealing valves). Older diesels with low compression can be hard to start- people start using huge bursts of ether and it makes things worse (a little ether can be ok).

Are you sure that the cranking speed is "normal"? If the starter is dragging/not spinning the engine fast enough- the engine will be hard to start. Check your battery and cables. Someone may need to open up the starter to be sure the brushes and bushings are OK.

I have an old Case 530 backhoe (from the 60's). I was having lots of trouble starting it- even with a new battery and good cables. It seemed like the cranking speed was a little low. The starter brushes looked OK but the internal wiring looked a little frayed. I took it to a starter/alternator shop and they sold me a rebuilt starter. I installed it and the cranking speed seemed at least twice as fast- the engine now starts reliably within 2-3 seconds of cranking.