1.9 TDI 130 - some smoke when cold and idle

[benuk]

I have a 1.9 TDI 130 Ibiza (for 2 months now), I have noticed when left from cold to idle for a a few minutes (or when cold and idling and you rev a bit) there is visible grey exhaust smoke. Its fine when actually driving (or idling) and the engine is warmed up .

I am used to a KA (Mrs car) so not sure if this is more normal for a diesel.

thanks in advance!

 

[Ultra_Joel88]

Get the same on my Fabia VRS.

Started it one morning in -2 degrees and plumes of white smoke were coming out at idle for about 5 minutes.

 

[Nath.]

Get the same on my Fabia VRS.

Started it one morning in -2 degrees and plumes of white smoke were coming out at idle for about 5 minutes.

White smoke or steam? was your breath making plumes of white smoke too?

 

[markthommo_84]

White smoke or steam? was your breath making plumes of white smoke too?

lol.


and that pic doesnt look very smokey at all to be honest. i've seen smokier petrols. when driving i can see smoke in my rear view mirror

 

[Nath.]

If that pic is when the engine is ticking over when the engine is warmed up I would say you have a problem, maybe valve guide oil seals or turbo oil seals.

If it's just after a cold start then it's probably fine.

It is a little blue but don't forget that diesel is an oil (your v5 will probably say "fuel=heavy oil") and for the first min or 2 the engine does not burn the diesel oil cleanly, hence the slight blue smoke.

I take it you do use the glow plugs when it's cold/damp in the mornings? Glow plugs help the engine to burn clean on cold starts.

 

[Altech]

That looks pretty normal to me. I get a cloud of steam when starting my car in the cold.

Maybe diesel soot gets caught up in the condensation making it appear greyish?

 

[benuk]

If that pic is when the engine is ticking over when the engine is warmed up I would say you have a problem, maybe valve guide oil seals or turbo oil seals.

If it's just after a cold start then it's probably fine.

It is a little blue but don't forget that diesel is an oil (your v5 will probably say "fuel=heavy oil") and for the first min or 2 the engine does not burn the diesel oil cleanly, hence the slight blue smoke.

I take it you do use the glow plugs when it's cold/damp in the mornings? Glow plugs help the engine to burn clean on cold starts.

Thanks for the replys!

The picture is from a cold start (+ 2/3 mins). Outside temp was about 6c. I reved it a bit (1300 rpm or so) for a couple of seconds as well to create a little load on the engine.

Idling when car is warmed up produces no / very little visible exhaust fumes.

I always wait for the glowplug light to go out before starting regardless of temp. In this case it was only on for a second or so.

I don't really see much smoke when the engine is first turned on. (i.e. if I turn on engine in morning and get out and look there is very little)

I have only really noticed this in the following situations -

a) In the morning when car is taken out of drive and parked in the street for a few minutes (idling)
b) In the morning when I turn the car on to idle and turn on heaters to help with a defrost of the front and rear windscreens if its very cold. I presume there must be more load on the engine when I idle and do this. The rev counter sometimes sits at 1000 rpm as opposed to the normal 900 in this situation.

In both situations the smoke gets better if its left for another few minutes (and after turning off heating to reduce load).

Does anyone else notice similar things?

 

[beezanick]

I get exactley the same, nothing to worry about

 

[dErZ]

I get the same mate, I've run vag-com on it and no faults. So dont worry about it.

 

[benuk]

cheers guys

 

[cpotter15]

hey mate, i have a tdi 130 (07 plate), mine does exactly the same as well. Smoke loads on very cold morinng when started!! covers the whole street in white!! oh well!! used to have a diesel punto... (ashamed to say!!!) that also smoke alot. Must just be a diesel thing!!

 

[Nath.]

hey mate, i have a tdi 130 (07 plate), mine does exactly the same as well. Smoke loads on very cold morinng when started!! Covers the whole street in white!! Oh well!! Used to have a diesel punto... (ashamed to say!!!) that also smoke alot. Must just be a diesel thing!!:d

white smoke or steam? Was your breath making plumes of white smoke too?