Exhaust smoke

Morning all,
Whilst driving home last night (on motorway) I noticed that when I accelerated from about 50mph there was a constant flow of smoke comming from the exhaust (in headlights of car behind) when I eased off all was ok. I dont know the colour of the smoke but seemed to disperse quickly. Not loosing water, doesn't seem to be using any oil. I fitted new short block recently using existing head (pressure tested and ok) new injectors and heater plugs fitted along with new filters. Could this be turbo oil seals or turbo boost pipe to injector pump, pump releasing fuel to early as pressure switch giving way? Vehicle is '87 2.5 TD
Thanks in advance,
Vic

Personally I think you're being paranoid, ok so you've fitted a new short block and if you're anything like me you tend to be on the look out for any adverse effects or symptons.

The same thing happened to me recently, I drive a 110 defender, driving home one night I needed to accelerate from about 60ish upto about 70ish. I then maintained this speed for a short time before pulling off the motorway with another car right up close behind me.
i checked my wing mirror before indicating and noticed what seemed to be an awful lot of smoke coming from the exhaust picked up inthe cars headlights behind me.
Without the car I don't think I would have noticed.
I tried a similar thing the following day in broad daylight and didn't notice anything untoward. Try it yourself it might be nothing, but then I've been wrong before.

Yeah, I know what you mean about being paranoid, but I do the same journey at the same time day in and day out, I would have thought I would have noticed before it it had been doing this for a while. Thanks badadj

tis pretty normal for a diesel ta lay down a bit o smoke at higher speeds. the car lights behind kinda accentuate the smoke, but in broad daylight if u following a diesel and the accelerate u will see a bit o black smoke...only start ta worry if its white or greyish

Thanks Bushtoy, Its just strange that I've not noticed before, as having spent loads on new lump etc I've constantly been checking temp, oil level, water level and whats being chucked out the rear pipe. Its done about 1k so I'm still checking (you do don't you?) Cheers, Vic

I can always see smoke in cars headlights behind me when I'm driving my 2.5 N/A at night. Only when I'm accelerating though, and at speeds over 50 mph

Cheers Pos, so I am paranoid after all, it just seems like one thing after another just recently and am expecting something to be wrong.

Big Vic said:

Cheers Pos, so I am paranoid after all, it just seems like one thing after another just recently and am expecting something to be wrong.

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I would say so, but I think that it's perfectly normal to be paranoid.
We are talking about a landy here

pos said:

I can always see smoke in cars headlights behind me when I'm driving my 2.5 N/A at night. Only when I'm accelerating though, and at speeds over 50 mph

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Gosh ..... a 2.5 NA that can accelerate AND clear 50!

What's the secret?

CharlesY

A drop of redex, a good run on the motorway to clean the injectors, a bit of veg oil, an air induction kit close to the manifold instead of the standard air filter box, a well timed injection pump and a bit of patience. It's done 78 down a hill on the A1!

78 up a hill then your talking!

The key - rocket fuel!

I thinh Bushtoy is correct, my 2.5 n/a is the same, at night under heavy acceleration I can see what appears to be smoke but in the daylight there is nothing ! it worried me a bit at first but now I just accept it as a Landy thing !!!!

Yup it's normal, mine's the same. Mine smokes a bit more running on veg oil but I think it goes a bit better so I don't care

Ok, this is the norm then, but out of curiousity what is causing the smoke - no oil loss, no water loss, cannot over fuel (as Charles Y stated in an earlier post) no crap in exhaust (new) It must come from somewhere ??????????

Incomplete combustion of the fuel...

Hi Disco, if thats the case then, there must be too much fuel in the chamber, is that not overfuelling? - this is my first Landie and I am struggling to understand how (and why) they sometimes work.
PS Sorry Charles Y, I am not intentionally trying to annoy you
Vic

It is just the nature of the engine in a way. There's four fairly big cylinders compressing and burning fuel, and we all know that fire makes smoke so that's the most down to earth explanation! Of course, it can also be down to the fact that all of the fuel isn't combusting properly. A new air filter or a good clean of the filter, the filter housing and the air intake pipes should be of great advantage to you. You can always try removing the air inlet pipe and take your car for a little run and you should notice, hear, and feel a difference. Of course, removing the filter means that anything can be sucked into the engine so be careful what roads you drive on if you want to give it a try!

Cheers Pos, I will give that a try - just for the hell of it, if that makes it better, then maybe a decent filter system should be on my Santa list

Could it be because the 2.5 n/a is low on power that we tend to floor the throttle thus sending more fuel to an engine which if going uphill cannot accelerate anymore, thus dumping unburnt fuel out through the exhaust, or have I got it all wrong.

The "smoke" you think you can see is probably not smoke at all.
We all see it only at night, and in the light of the car behind.
My Disco TD5 does it, but passed the MoT smoke test last week with the lowest readings the man has ever seen (Thanks, Bio!)

I think what we "see" as smoke is really only swirling heated air from the exhaust and the car's slipstream, showing up in the bright light from behind.

If it ain't smokin' in daylight, it ain't smokin' in the dark!

CharlesY