am getting a crackling noise when i start my1.8d ford fiesta 1997 if the engines cold. The noise goes away after about 30 seconds. I know that when a diesel engine is cold its a bit louder than usual untill the oil circulates but this is a funny crackling sound. The car drives great no smoking or anything is this anything to worry about?? can i buy a treatment to put through the engine???.

james, February 2008

Hi James. The noise you are referring to is called "injector crackle"
The reason for this is the increase in fuel (a bit like a choke on a petrol engine) to help with the starting and running when cold. The injector pump has a wax pellet that melts to return to normal running. This is your 30 second period. The colder the ambient temperature, the longer the pellet takes to melt, the longer the crackle will continue. There is another scenario where the injectors "dribble" due to wear, but this is normally accompanied by intermittent crackle at idle. If the vehicle is high mileage 80,000+ it wouldn't hurt to get them checked anyway, you could save yourself some mileage costs if they are worn too much. So to answer your question and if you have no running or economy concerns, the noise is fairly normal in moderation. ie not overly loud. Good luck.

Paul, February 2008