300tdi strange smoke!

Hi all 1998 300tdi auto, 130,000 fsh dealer, egr removed, intercooler cleaned and decat about to be done, hope that info helps,

When towing i get black smoke when asking for more power without changing down a gear however if i add the power a small amount at a time it doesnot smoke, if i kick down it stops instantly, i also get a plume of smoke if i put my put down from standstill rather than gradually adding the power, any help would be much appreciated..

unburnt fuel?

Yes this is what i am thinking but why?? should the top hose feeding the inlet manifold be pressurised all the time or should it swell as the revs increase?? i noticed the more revs the more pressure in the top hose!!

Either (a) over fuelling or (b) AIR RESTRICTION.

Check all the air hoses both before and after the turbo in case any have collapsed.

Has anyone (usually an expert) "adjusted" the injection pump in any way?

CharlesY

the top hose you have mentioned should swell as the turbo kicks in, about 1 bar pressure goes through if i remember right ( but dont quote me on that lol).

On the diesel pump CharlesY mentioned there is a smoke adjuster screw which is under a blanking cap about the size of a pound coin, if someone as altered this, it could be your problem, have you had your landy long? also check tha air filter,

I have exactly the same on my 200tdi!

when I start the engine there's a puff of smoke that just goes away and stops, but if I'm towing someone out of the mud, its smokes when asking for more power..and the other day towing my mate disco, when I asked for power there was smoke coming out... I couldnt see the smoke, but my mate behind said there was some coming out...

so, very interested on this thread.
going to check the recommended by CharlesY and Pyper later today..

Thanks for the replies, i have only had her for three months, i will have a look at the smoke ajuster!!

Quick update, i have fitted a new air cleaner, cleaned the intercooler, and have to say smoke aint as bad as it was, cant seem to find the smokw ajuster scew and it has always had dealer servicing until i purchased so nobody should have messed with the pump

there would be no visible signs of the pump being messed with unless the cap had been butchered so you would probably not know anyway! you could have worn or clogged injectors and so by slowly putting your foot down would allow the engine to speed up enough to burn the excess fuel and so not producing more smoke.

Thanks is it worth putting some cleaner through, or can anyone recomend a mechanic around dudley/birmingham area

Paul-T said:

Quick update, i have fitted a new air cleaner, cleaned the intercooler, and have to say smoke aint as bad as it was, cant seem to find the smokw ajuster scew and it has always had dealer servicing until i purchased so nobody should have messed with the pump

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The comments about smoke screws only relate to non-EDC cars. As yours is a '98 auto it will have EDC (Electronic Diesel Control), so has a completely different injection pump.

Unfortunately most garages don't change air filters (or indeed any filters) as often as they should !!

As you can buy a filter kit from Paddocks for £6.28+vat for all three filters (air, oil & fuel) why wouldn't you change them regularly.

Filter Kit - Disco 300TDI

On my Discos I change all filters every time I do an oil change - 5 to 6000mls.

When I had my '98auto (lovely car) I did about 16,000mls in her, she took me to Morocco and over all that she averaged 33mpg !!!

My advice, especially when you first get them, change all the fluids, inc coolant and brake fluid, all the filters and clean out the fuel sedimenter. Then you have a REAL baseline from which you can maintain your Disco in peak condition.

Best of luck

Dave

Ok ive done the filters and the fuel, took the van back to storage, must say it seems smoother on tickover and the revs have dropped but i still have the same problem when towing, any more thoughts???

Paul-T said:

Ok ive done the filters and the fuel, took the van back to storage, must say it seems smoother on tickover and the revs have dropped but i still have the same problem when towing, any more thoughts???

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Have you checked the insides of the rubber hoses between the turbo and the intercooler, particularly the rubber elbow.

They are known to delaminate inside and restrict airflow so the air/fuel taio go its up just as you ask for more power !!! If there is any doubt get a new elbow or better still if you've got the brass, get a set of silicone hoses.

A kit of three hoses costs £49.50+vat from Paddocks - not cheap but then it's done for life

has it still got it's egr valve fitted? Might be worth removing it?

300 tdi's also have particulate filter type catalytic converters. It could be full/blocked. De-cat pipes are cheap. A defender de-cat pipe should fit if you want to save a few quid.

Is there a loud knocking/tapping noise coming from the engine? (Like a loud injector knock) If so the engine may have been overheated in the past and as a result number 4 piston may be slapping.

Thanks for replies the exaust arrives today so i will fit it and let you know the outcome..

Obviously, I don't know how bad it is BUT; a bit of black smoke is perfectly normal with any diesel engine when it's under load. It's blue or white smoke you need to worry about - blue being oil being burnt and white being fuel that's not getting burnt properly.

As for the black smoke, watch ANY diesel vehicle accelerate and you'll see black smoke. Think about it; tractors, lorrys, cars pulling a caravan / trailer or just accelerating hard, they all kick out black smoke.

You've probably got it running at it's best now, try the injector cleaner and check your intake pipes (should expand slightly when you rev the engine), give it a hard run up a duel carrage way changing gear really late (near the red, do it with the injector cleaner but don't blow it up!!) and forget about it, it's normal unless you're leaving a smoke screen behind for a long way.

OK ive spoken to the local landy garage today he thinks the turbos on way out cost £475.00 plus the vat is that price good or can i get cheaper??

Paul-T said:

OK ive spoken to the local landy garage today he thinks the turbos on way out cost £475.00 plus the vat is that price good or can i get cheaper??

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That sounds like a poor diagnosis to me from someone unfamiliar with LR products.

On what basis does the garage say the turbo is "on it's way out" - what does that even mean???

If the car is delivering what you believe to be adequate power, the turbo is working. If when you take the hose off there is only a little play in the turbo bearing, the turbo is fine.

If the main problem you are concerned about is smoke, there are lots of other, cheaper avenues to examine long before considoring a turbo swap. To be honest that sounds laughably simplistic. Also, if the smoke is predominently a problem when towing, then using the autobox differently will help. I found when towing our 2 ton van, that I used 3rd a lot more than normal.

Cheers
Dave