Diesel engine kicking out a lot of smoke on start-up

[Idaho]

Any ideas on this one? 2.2 Ltr Turbo Diesel engine produces a lot of whitish smoke when starting up and for the first few minutes of driving then settles down.

I wondered about an oil leak into the engine, but the oil tank remains full. The other possible is that I have been sold some crappy fuel or that there is water getting into the engine.

Any mechanics out there?

 

[DarthSydodyas]

Perhaps this?

White smoke

Normally means that the fuel injected into the cylinder is not burning correctly. The smoke will burn your eyes.

* Engine/pump timing out
* Fuel starvation to the pump causing the pumps timing not to operate correctly
* Low engine compression
* Water/petrol in the fue

 

[Calva dosser]

Many older diesels do this. Mine does. Apparently it's usually just dirty injectors and there's some gunk you can buy to pour in the tank and sort it.

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

Get the fuel pump swapped. There is a top place in Plymouth...left at Charles X...right into Bretonside_ish industrial estate...2nd or third to left diesel engine specialist...they have an Italian Scottish engineer who's the dogs doodahs...he'll tell you what it is and what to fix...they will do a swap & refit while you wait sorta thing.,,prolly cost you £150ish.

Go down the injector route if you want to....but if you do and there's no change then it'll be the pump...and you'll prolly shagged the pump with the gunk if it's on it's way out already.

Got any fuel filters in line that may have too much water trapped in'em? or you could try cracking pipes and handpumping fuel through to see if water is in the pump/pipes......ooooooooooor is the main fuel tank got water in it or could it get water into it?

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

Get the fuel pump swapped. There is a top place in Plymouth...left at Charles X...right into Bretonside_ish industrial estate...2nd or third to left diesel engine specialist...they have an Italian Scottish engineer who's the dogs doodahs...he'll tell you what it is and what to fix...they will do a swap & refit while you wait sorta thing.,,prolly cost you £150ish.

Go down the injector route if you want to....but if you do and there's no change then it'll be the pump...and you'll prolly shagged the pump with the gunk if it's on it's way out already.

Got any fuel filters in line that may have too much water trapped in'em? or you could try cracking pipes and handpumping fuel through to see if water is in the pump/pipes......ooooooooooor is the main fuel tank got water in it or could it get water into it?

^^^ Thanks, Bosky. That'll teach me to log out properly.

White smoke often (usually) means there a bit of air getting into the fuel system... if you've got transparent lines going into the pump, check for bubbles. If not, re-seat the filter gaskets with a smear of oil and check everything's tight.

Might be a bit of water in there... there should be a tap on the bottom of the fuel filter - undo it to let the water / gunk out, then do it up again.

So long as it's not BLUE (ish) smoke (which is probably the turbo on it's way out) it's probably not major.

If it clears after a few minutes anyway, I wouldn't bother (unless you're doing a 'red arrows' impersonation).

As a rule:

White smoke = air being drawn in to fuel lines

Black = dodgy injectors/pump (unburnt fuel)

Blue = Oil burning - either piston rings or (more usually) turbo.

Don't listen to Bosky, ffs!

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

Many older diesels do this. Mine does. Apparently it's usually just dirty injectors and there's some gunk you can buy to pour in the tank and sort it.

Better still, change the fuel filter, but fill the new one with injector cleaner (wynns diesel magic, etc) before fitting it.

 

[jusali]

Get a petrol car and stop polluting our cities.

 

[chriswill]

Not just condensation burning off since the weathers got a little colder?

My mini does it with the added bonus of coughing out black carp all aver the drive

 

[chymaera]

Any ideas on this one? 2.2 Ltr Turbo Diesel engine produces a lot of whitish smoke when starting up and for the first few minutes of driving then settles down.

I wondered about an oil leak into the engine, but the oil tank remains full. The other possible is that I have been sold some crappy fuel or that there is water getting into the engine.

Any mechanics out there?

White smoke is unburned diesel. Has the engine got a fuel pre-heat system for starting in cold weather? If the pre-heat ceases to function it can be like electing a pope for several minutes until the engine warms up.

 

[Idaho]

Get a petrol car and stop polluting our cities.

I promise I am not polluting any of your cities

 

[jusali]

I promise I am not polluting any of your cities

Good!


And they're not just "mine" you know!

 

[djbombscare]

Get a petrol car and stop polluting our cities.

AT last its here. . .the non polluting petrol car

 

[jusali]

Particulates from diesel engines pollute a lot more locally than petrol engines end of! Diesels are at their most efficient on long journeys not pootling about cities chucking out soot.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Particulates from diesel engines pollute a lot more locally than petrol engines end of! Diesels are at their most efficient on long journeys not pootling about cities chucking out soot.

I thought Diesel were most efficient on Short journeys and over longer trips they weren't much more efficient than petrol?

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

Diesel engines are inherently more efficient than petrol engines, no matter the length of the journey.

 

[Idaho]

My diesel engine could well be fucked

It's a Toyota Estima - jap import - suseptable to cracked heads (piston head? Cylinder head? Engine head?) and is showing the symptoms.

Will cost over a grand if confirmed... ouch!

 

[Spion]

My diesel engine could well be fucked

It's a Toyota Estima - jap import - suseptable to cracked heads (piston head? Cylinder head? Engine head?) and is showing the symptoms.

Will cost over a grand if confirmed... ouch!

<eek> bad luck, dude

I've just spent a chunk on mine, but that was getting the underside back to new condition

 

[Idaho]

One cracked cylinder head diagnosed. A mere £1600 to fix

 

[chymaera]

One cracked cylinder head diagnosed. A mere £1600 to fix

Try a scrapyard for a complete engine.

 

[Idaho]

I don't want to spend time and money looking, and more money fitting, a part with no guarantees which could just as likely have the same fault or develop other faults.

 

[High Voltage]

One cracked cylinder head diagnosed. A mere £1600 to fix

maybe emphasis on maybe possible to get the head ali welded. (assuming, of course, that the head is aluminium.

There's cracks in cylinder heads and cracks in cylinder heads.

I've had a head welded (Rover V8) and it was fine.