I pulled injectors today to send in and have serviced, new nozzles, balance etc. What I found though surprised me, because it looks like there is no degradation of the existing nozzle. Now in the past on VW's etc that have this kind of mileage there's always nozzle degradation, a depression that forms on the nozzle where the orifice of the heat shield exists, but in this case there's nothing.

I tried to take a reasonable picture with my ancient digi camera showing the surface of the nozzle so people could look at and comment on. I'm now questioning the need to have the nozzles replaced.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks
Steve A

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Steve A
92 W140 OM603
97 VW Jetta TDI
90 Passat variant TDI 6 speed MT
94 Chevy K1500 6.5TD
05 E320 CDI
+ others

A good diesel shop can test/adjust pop pressure and check pattern, my local shop charges $20/ea. Even if you buy new nozzles, they need to be balanced, at $20/ea.

Could very well be fine.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

This is the way it came out of the car. I'm just suggesting that the nozzles don't look like they need to be replaced, balanced, maybe.

steve a

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Steve A
92 W140 OM603
97 VW Jetta TDI
90 Passat variant TDI 6 speed MT
94 Chevy K1500 6.5TD
05 E320 CDI
+ others

Just maybe they are not the original units that came with the car. Do you have the service records? If they check out well with a good spray pattern why change the nozzles?

I cannot tell from the Photo but if there is any metal eaten away between the Pintel in the center it the exposed face of the Nozzle that is an indcation they have been in there awhile.
Also how the Nozzle looks may not be a good indication of how they will spray. I have had new Bosch Nozzles out of the box that would fail part of the Pop Testing.

There is a part of the Pop Test where you test to see if the Pintel is seating in the Nozzle well. You find out what the opening pressure is and then bring the pressure up to 200 psi less than the opening pressure and hold it there. This pressurizes the Injector but is not enough to unseat the Pintel and cause it to spray.

If the Pintle to Nozzle seat is bad Fuel will drip out of the Spray Nozzle. Bosch specifies how may drops and over what period of time are allowed.

And the above has nothing to do with the balanced opening Pressure. After several years of use it is possible for your Injectors to have the opening pressures out of spec.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

That's the reason I took a low horizon view of the nozzle, there just isn't anything eaten away on the nozzle and if these were original I would have expected there to be some kind of deterioration in the center. There was only a tiny amount of carbon deposit that came off with a little rubbing.

My commentary wasn't directed towards the testing, just to the visual inspection of the nozzle and what I expected to see after over 170k miles. I thoroughly expect to have them tested before I reinstall them. As for the visual inspection, it now looks like these nozzles have been replaced previously, at least from what I can see.

Thanks for the comments guys.

steve a

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Steve A
92 W140 OM603
97 VW Jetta TDI
90 Passat variant TDI 6 speed MT
94 Chevy K1500 6.5TD
05 E320 CDI
+ others