AAARRRGGGHHHHH Black Smoke....Now what!!!

Hi - Apologies as I seem to be hitting this forum a lot at present...but I am 3 days away from MOT and when I rev my TD4 through the gears it chucks out a fog of black smoke.......I checked all the intercooler hoses and they are spot on, (though one did pop off on Sunday, but it is now firmly in place) the Turbo is reasonabley new, there is no power loss, just the smoke, which increases in density as the revs build higher. The smoke output appears to lessen the longer the engine is running, as an example, when I set off from home on the cold engine, there is loads, like a fog. By the time I have done 10 miles or so there is significantly less. When I rev it once I get to work there is no smoke, just a smell (possibly unburnt fuel?). I have had the injector cleaner in it since Saturday and the car has never used a drop of engine oil. MPG is also reasonably good......any help much appreciated......Also...I have changed the old crankcase breather set up for the BMW centrefugal one (a while ago)..

:search:

Black smoke

Plenty of info there to help

injector cleaner

Check your vacuum filter int blocked [it drives the egr and the turbo flap fing] so looking at engine td4 only on lhs at rear of air filter cowell [behind it] is a small open ended filter on a small tube , change it if it aint bin done in a while [often forgoten about] hope this helps Earthling

Ming - Thanks for that. I looked at the filter and although it isn't blocked it does look well overdue a change so I will get one (This is the clear one that looks a bit like an old style fuel filter and it is on a tube that goes to the turbo area)??.
I have another question though - at the back of the engine, on the left as you look from the front of the car facing it, there is a steel pipe that is bent over at the top to point down. What is this and should it be connected to anything?

03freelander said:

Ming - Thanks for that. I looked at the filter and although it isn't blocked it does look well overdue a change so I will get one (This is the clear one that looks a bit like an old style fuel filter and it is on a tube that goes to the turbo area)??.
I have another question though - at the back of the engine, on the left as you look from the front of the car facing it, there is a steel pipe that is bent over at the top to point down. What is this and should it be connected to anything?

Click to expand...

yes thats the one , dont know what the pipe is ,i will have look and try and see, normally the black pipe is something to do with those three turbo rubbers , any small nick will create it , also maf being out of spec or being dissconected [as it over fuels] failing that your going towards injectors. . . . . .

The bent-over pipe is the IRD breather tube up here to keep it dry when wading. Dont connect any other pipe to it as has been reported here recently.

Ahh....mystery solved! Many thanks, Vic.