Toyota Avensis T25 D4D long cranking on poor cold startup

[shakeydelboy]

My Avensis 2.0 D4D T25 struggles to start in the morning. I have given the car service including oil filter, new oil and fuel filter. The car has recently had a new starter motor fitted less then 3 weeks ago.

The glow plugs are fairly new 6 months old.

What could be causing the issue? A lot of WHITE smoke on cold startup. Only happens on a cold startup. Once the engine is warm starts up first time as if nothing ever happened. NO BLACK SMOKE. 

Only happens on a cold start ...

 

I have only ever used Shell V Power

 

Hardly any power on cold start even when I warm up the engine about 10 minutes quite sluggish.

[taxijeff]

Sometimes its a loose fuel filter or somewhere sucking in air

[AJones]

I don't have a solution, but can tell you what hasn't worked for me. I have exactly the same issue on my 2007 Avensis 2.0 D4D, needs cranking for a long time on cold mornings, accompanied by a lot of white smoke but fine once started and starts first time, perfectly when the engine is warm or during warmer weather.

I know I've got one failed glow plug because it's seized but it's not worth getting it replaced, but 3 test good. I've changed the fuel filter and recently I found some threads on here, which refer to issues with the suction control valve (SCV) on the fuel pump being a known cause of this type of problem. Apparently the SCV which regulates fuel pressure can get sticky, causing low pressure during starting, affecting ignition. So I purchased a long-body SCV (apparently better, more reliable than the short-body SCV) and fitted it, the car still operates ok but it didn't fix the starting problem. Those threads also refer to getting the car engine control unit upgraded at the dealers to a new firmware, to change the fuel pump control settings but I haven't done that yet, I've just tried swapping the valve on the basis that if it was a sticky valve, then a brand new one should fix it. It didn't, so I don't think the issue was with the SCV.

Interesting to see that with a full set of glow-plugs and a new starter motor, you're getting issues because they're other causes which get mentioned.

I'm at a bit of a loss what it could be, I did wonder whether the fuel system might be getting some air in it somehow, losing prime making the first start of the day more difficult. But haven't investigated that yet.

If you find a solution let us know!