White/grey Smoke

[markyboy76]

Hi

Ive been noticing some white/grey smoke from my exhaust lately. It happens when I have let the car idle for a while and then drive away. Also in slow moving traffic around town. No other symptoms, not using oil or water, no noises etc. I did add some redex a tank ago is this the most likely cause? I did add too much but have used a tankful since.

 

[jasengine]

Possiblily turbo oil seals....

 

[markyboy76]

Yer I thought that but it was just the excess redex which is now all gone

 

[DarrenJ]

Yer I thought that but it was just the excess redex which is now all gone

Interesting! Mine smoked like a tractor on redex! It's nearly used it all up. When I changed the fuel filter on it last wkend it stunk of the stuff!

I'm not hearing good stuff about it here in Éire at all.

I think I was also getting bad diesel - a rural garage sells it for ~5 cent per litre cheaper and it's service with a smile and a comment on the weather usually! (that was prob costing me more with having to buy new fuel filter €24 bosch one and an afternoon of cleaning the air intake pipes out!

Hopefully now it will clear up, it's still smokey on start up.

Do you think that the smoke is from the stuff clearing crap out in the fuel system or that it's caused by actually burning the redex?

 

[DarrenJ]

Yer I thought that but it was just the excess redex which is now all gone

Interesting! Mine smoked like a tractor on redex! It's nearly used it all up. When I changed the fuel filter on it last wkend it stunk of the stuff!

I'm not hearing good stuff about it here in Éire at all.

I think I was also getting bad diesel - a rural garage sells it for ~5 cent per litre cheaper and it's service with a smile and a comment on the weather usually! (that was prob costing me more with having to buy new fuel filter €24 bosch one and an afternoon of cleaning the air intake pipes out!

Hopefully now it will clear up, it's still smokey on start up.

Do you think that the smoke is from the stuff clearing crap out in the fuel system or that it's caused by actually burning the redex?

 

[markyboy76]

Interesting! Mine smoked like a tractor on redex! It's nearly used it all up. When I changed the fuel filter on it last wkend it stunk of the stuff!

I'm not hearing good stuff about it here in Éire at all.

I think I was also getting bad diesel - a rural garage sells it for ~5 cent per litre cheaper and it's service with a smile and a comment on the weather usually! (that was prob costing me more with having to buy new fuel filter €24 bosch one and an afternoon of cleaning the air intake pipes out!

Hopefully now it will clear up, it's still smokey on start up.

Do you think that the smoke is from the stuff clearing crap out in the fuel system or that it's caused by actually burning the redex?

Apparantly its non combustible so just smokes instead of burning, found this out by Google etc

 

[DarrenJ]

Did you find yours went smokey after the de-cat?

I'm worried that mine needs turbo seals but im going to keep driving her until the redex is wel burnt and then I'll see if she clears up. It should though as it only has 63k miles done and the emissions were very low on last car test.

 

[Dabbalz]

Mate had this when a Lambda sensor was playing up. Just a thought but unsure.

 

[DarrenJ]

Mate had this when a Lambda sensor was playing up. Just a thought but unsure.

No lambda sensor on the TDI's though. It would cause the mixture of fuel injected into the combustion chamber to go too rich in a petrol alrite

 

[markyboy76]

Mine's fine now the redex is gone the decat does cause the odd waft of smoke but nothing major, I never get any black smoke now because soot just gets blown out as its produced instead of collecting in the CAT.

 

[DarrenJ]

Mine's fine now the redex is gone the decat does cause the odd waft of smoke but nothing major, I never get any black smoke now because soot just gets blown out as its produced instead of collecting in the CAT.

Yeah me too, I can't see anything left behind me anymore, even tho I do when it starts and for about 15 secs, but that could be the redex and kerosene I put in a while back. It should newarly be gone though so I will be watching her.

I rang the top turbo specialist in Éire here and asked him how I'd know if the turbo seals are gone (the garages are telling me that it sounds like they are). I don't think they're gone, couldn't possibly have went from one extreme (running clear, great mpg etc.) to running like a cold tractor!

But I would imagine the de-cat has improved things, as long as I don't go gunning it too much.

 

[markyboy76]

Yeah me too, I can't see anything left behind me anymore, even tho I do when it starts and for about 15 secs, but that could be the redex and kerosene I put in a while back. It should newarly be gone though so I will be watching her.

I rang the top turbo specialist in Éire here and asked him how I'd know if the turbo seals are gone (the garages are telling me that it sounds like they are). I don't think they're gone, couldn't possibly have went from one extreme (running clear, great mpg etc.) to running like a cold tractor!

But I would imagine the de-cat has improved things, as long as I don't go gunning it too much.

The decat lowers the turbo temp so is actually good for the turbo. It should not affect the turbo seals either, it might have on a petrol because of potential pressure differences between the hot and cold side seals? If the seals had gone you would use oil rapid and have lots of smoke also there would be oil residue round the turbo etc, so I have read anyway. That redex smoke made me a bit paranoid so I did a lot of looking into smoking issues.

Does yours make an echo sound when you lift off the throttle now? Mine is quite loud my lady say's it sounds like a spaceship, ha ha

 

[DarrenJ]

The decat lowers the turbo temp so is actually good for the turbo. It should not affect the turbo seals either, it might have on a petrol because of potential pressure differences between the hot and cold side seals? If the seals had gone you would use oil rapid and have lots of smoke also there would be oil residue round the turbo etc, so I have read anyway. That redex smoke made me a bit paranoid so I did a lot of looking into smoking issues.

Does yours make an echo sound when you lift off the throttle now? Mine is quite loud my lady say's it sounds like a spaceship, ha ha

Yeah I was thinking it would have more of an effect on a petrol alright, especially considering the running temperature would generally be hotter in a petrol and you have to rev harder to get the power, whereas in diesel, and with de-cat, you lower the point where the turbo kicks in so you have lowered the temp both sides of the seals - both hot and cold.

I eas not only paranoid but embarrased at the smoky tractor starting up blowing blue smoke in people's windows around the estate!

I put in far too much by the way too!

You find yours is:

1. better on juice?

2. more go in it?

3.sounds better?

 

[markyboy76]

Yeah I was thinking it would have more of an effect on a petrol alright, especially considering the running temperature would generally be hotter in a petrol and you have to rev harder to get the power, whereas in diesel, and with de-cat, you lower the point where the turbo kicks in so you have lowered the temp both sides of the seals - both hot and cold.

I eas not only paranoid but embarrased at the smoky tractor starting up blowing blue smoke in people's windows around the estate!

I put in far too much by the way too!

You find yours is:

1. better on juice?

2. more go in it?

3.sounds better?

It sounds louder as in terms of turbo whistle and boost pressure releasing down the pipe, in short it amplifies the sounds the turbo makes, it sounds, well, different. Its no better on juice but no worse either. It picks up better but to benefit you would need a custom map and then your not talking much difference. To really benefit you would want a hybrid and sone bigger nozzles to go witrh it.

 

[DarrenJ]

With the way it is at the moment, 6 weeks after de-cat and it's throwing out continuous blue smoke on tick over and whilst accelerating.

I think the decrease in back pressure is allowing oil to pass through the turbo seals.

I love how it responds but if it's going to be doing this and maybe even get worse I would prefer to put the cat back on!

Pity, I love how it's performing and sounding.

 

[jasengine]

If your oil level is correct, then is is almost a safe bet that the turbo seals are a bit on the worn side. One way to find out would be to put the cat back on; if the smoke clears up you know it the turbo seals.

 

[DarrenJ]

If your oil level is correct, then is is almost a safe bet that the turbo seals are a bit on the worn side. One way to find out would be to put the cat back on; if the smoke clears up you know it the turbo seals.

If the smoke clears up I'll leave things be for a while. If the smoke is still there I'll get the turbo done. But then the question looms - OEM turbo reconditioned or hybrid!!

 

[jasengine]

I would go for recon with a larger compressor wheel installed, you won't look back...well maybe in the mirror, as you pass a Porsche!! I would recomend CR Turbos, they have a website. They do a 1st class job, I had two jobs done by them: 1st time round the hybrid treatment on a standard new VNT1749VB and then a recon a few years later on it, they did a full stripdown, refurb and upgrade of bearing etc...

 

[DarrenJ]

I would go for recon with a larger compressor wheel installed, you won't look back...well maybe in the mirror, as you pass a Porsche!! I would recomend CR Turbos, they have a website. They do an 1st class job, I had two jobs do by them: 1st time round the hybrid treatment on a standard new VNT1749VB and then a recon a few years later on it, they did a full stripdown, refurb and upgrade of bearing etc...

Hmmm! It sounds good alright! So they can put a larger compressor wheel on the OEM turbo that's already in her. Would you know what model/number turbo she is (PD 150)?

I want to fit a better intercooler and pipes too so it would make sense to do the whole lot up.
If I was just to get the turbo done (w/ larger compress wheel), I would need a re-map to suit I suppose? Couldn't leave it standard running bigger turbo?

 

[jasengine]

The Garrett VNT1749VB is off the PD150 engine. The compressor wheel installed was a 56mm, so the turbo ineffect became a VNT1756. They machined the turbo housing to allow the larger compressor wheel to fit as well. I ran the turbo without a remap for a while and noticed very little difference, infact I did a track day with it like that! When it was remapped...holy s*** ripped up the tarmac!!