Smokey Exhaust on start up

[asthpsw]

I've a 110 TDI & have noted recently that on start up it produces tons of White smoke with a particular smell.

Could this be due to the colder weather ?...........or could it be due to the fact that the Diesel is now Winter grade ?

I've had the car for a number of years & not seen this before (not even in previous winters) ............the only thing is that in the last 6 months the car has been used less on long journeys & not getting up to operating temperature or its left ticking over a lot ?

Could it be moisture build up due to the enginer not getting to operating temperature on all its journeys ?

Any advice would be welcome because this is a SUDDEN change ?

Paul

 

[EdButler]

Are you sue its not just condensing air/water vapour due to the fact that these recent days have been very cold or does it do it even when the engine is warm and under load?

Ive head about the 110 being quite prone to head-gasket failure. Check your coolant level and temps are correct as that would produce white smoke/steam. Check to see if your exhaust fumes are similar smell to your coolant (G11/G12 Antifreeze)

 

[thebeno]

Are you sue its not just condensing air/water vapour due to the fact that these recent days have been very cold or does it do it even when the engine is warm and under load?

Ive head about the 110 being quite prone to head-gasket failure. Check your coolant level and temps are correct as that would produce white smoke/steam. Check to see if your exhaust fumes are similar smell to your coolant (G11/G12 Antifreeze)

Hehe, can see the headlines, "Seat driver found dead after sniffing exhaust fumes to check if it smelt like his coolant"

 

[EdButler]

Oh yeah forgot to add - try this at your own risk

 

[Nath.]

cold weather makes diesels struggle to run clean after a cold start

does your tolly have a glow plug light that lights up on ignition pos 1 ?

maybe you need some new glowplugs

I'm is southampton too, (netley) where are you

 

[Muttley]

Is it only on startup, does it stop and stay stopped once the engine is warm? If so it could just be condensation settling in the exhaust system, which isn't getting warm enough on short journeys to drive it out. Doesn't seem too likely though.

White smoke is definitely water, so I'd check the coolant levels and see if there's any oil in the water, and check the oil filler cap for brown foamy sludge, a sure sigh that water is getting into the oil.

 

[asthpsw]

Im in Chandlers Ford.

Re glow plugs I have reported on this site in the past that occasionally (even when ambient temperature is not low) that the glow plug light comes on & stays on for mabye a minute...............which I think is excessive........however when I then turn the starter it then revs high on its own & the tickover settles at about 1100-1200 RPM for a few moments then settles down to normal 900rpm.................if the glow plug light goes on for what I'd consider OK for tghe ambient temperature it doesn't automatically rev high & goes to its normal 900rpm....................maybe on odd occasions the Temp sensor is miss reading a much much lower temp.

After what was said yesterday I did go & check Water level & needed slight top up, the engine oil showed no signs of water so I don't think its a headgasket.

While I was out there (in the naffing cold rain) I did a couple of other things :

i) Put Dielectric grease on the MAF connection (as per sticky post in this forum).......I have been doing it off & on for about a year but I do find it often needs re doing....also as at the same time I unplug, re plug unplug etc etc to try & clean the contacts through friction.................anyway I did this operation last night & re greased.

ii) I used to have a problem with "overboost" when accelerating hard & then lifting of throttle for next gear change & it would trip an Overboost & go into safe mode..................anyway I under advice from a few guys in the forum regularly WD40 the Turbo linkage...........which I did again last night as a good soaking..............

Anyway, this morning it started (no smoke) & run like a dream............I used it under hard acceleration up the M3 ..............it was great.

But as with all things I like to try it for a few days....plus of course it wasn't so cold this morning.....

Paul