Disco 300tdi - clouds of smoke out the back : (

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julianf

julianf

Well-Known Member
Posts
2,139
Location
Devon, UK
Just got home from a 5hr trip.

As i came to a halt at the roundabout at the top of the slip road, i noticed the clouds of smoke that had come out the back (and then mostly cleared)

20mins from home, and the engine seemed to be running fine, i thought id limp it back, staying well below turbo range (on a normal day id investigate, but with my partner and two hounds in the back, i wanted to get home)

So, we drove home with my partner clutching a bottle of water and some cloth, with instructions to pop the bonnet on command! (a friends delica recently ran away with turbo seal issues)

Smoke seemed intermittent but with no real pattern.


Its dark out now, but i had a bit of a look with the torch. Looks like i have a fair oil leak (from the drips on the road), but plenty still on the dipstick.


Could that much smoke really be just from an external leak? (looks like it may be the rocker cover breather, but possibly the break vacuum pump - theyre probably both leaking, but which one is the main one, i dont yet know)
 
julianf said:
Just got home from a 5hr trip.

As i came to a halt at the roundabout at the top of the slip road, i noticed the clouds of smoke that had come out the back (and then mostly cleared)

20mins from home, and the engine seemed to be running fine, i thought id limp it back, staying well below turbo range (on a normal day id investigate, but with my partner and two hounds in the back, i wanted to get home)

So, we drove home with my partner clutching a bottle of water and some cloth, with instructions to pop the bonnet on command! (a friends delica recently ran away with turbo seal issues)

Smoke seemed intermittent but with no real pattern.


Its dark out now, but i had a bit of a look with the torch. Looks like i have a fair oil leak (from the drips on the road), but plenty still on the dipstick.


Could that much smoke really be just from an external leak? (looks like it may be the rocker cover breather, but possibly the break vacuum pump - theyre probably both leaking, but which one is the main one, i dont yet know)
Click to expand...

Any water left in it ?
 
Did not check the headder when we stopped but when driving, the gauge was fine, and i turned on the heating, and it blew out warm air.

Ill have a look tomorrow, but id like to think the gauge and heater working to be a good sign.
 
...plus, when we did stop, and i had a quick check under the bonnet, it wasnt like i was walking into a fire.

I took the filer cap off and looked into the rocker cover and saw nothing unusual (and did not burn myself trying)

Obviously something was causing the cloud though, so something is up.


I guess the plan is to start it up in the morning, and see if the smoke comes from the exhaust, or the body.

Its a rubbish test, but when it was stopped, i sniffed the end of the tail pipe, expecting to smell burnt oil, but there was nothing - so im hoping its just spill burning off, but i cant really see how that would be? The hot stuff is all on the other side of the engine?
 
Just trying to upload video...

Coolant is maybe very slightly low, but only as i think it was a touch overfull (ie its currently spot on)

Smoke is white. The video i took was with a cool engine. Its nowhere close to as bad now as it was last night, and does not really look so terrible, but, last night, it looked like like somthing was on fire!

My suspicion is that it would get worse quickly under load / temperature.


Cleaning the intercooler is simpler then replacing cracked cylinder heads.... im hoping someone may look at the videos (when theyve finished uploading) and know more than me!
 
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no water loss, no oil loss?

hard to tell on the vid but it could be partially burnt fuel and black unburnt.

you checked your turbo pipes haven't popped off/leaked?
 
Took off hose on the inlet side of the turbo - no significant oil.
Took off intercooler to manifold hose - it has a coiled re-enforcement spring in it, and that was still nice and silver (ie oil free)

Manifold itself is pretty oily, but that may be old (ie the hoses may have been changed more recently)

Ran the engine without the intercooler - manifold hose, and the smoke was just the same.
 
julianf said:
Took off hose on the inlet side of the turbo - no significant oil.
Took off intercooler to manifold hose - it has a coiled re-enforcement spring in it, and that was still nice and silver (ie oil free)

Manifold itself is pretty oily, but that may be old (ie the hoses may have been changed more recently)

Ran the engine without the intercooler - manifold hose, and the smoke was just the same.
Click to expand...

yes it would be. they add more fuel on boost.

stick the pipes back on and check for leaks around the pipes/ pipe joins and manifold gasket
 
trax said:
no water loss, no oil loss?

hard to tell on the vid but it could be partially burnt fuel and black unburnt.

you checked your turbo pipes haven't popped off/leaked?
Click to expand...

Have just re-checked the oil, and it is on the low side.
 
julianf said:
Have just re-checked the oil, and it is on the low side.
Click to expand...

ack. fill it back up to normal.

you using 10/40 or so oil?

leave the intercooler pipe off to the manifold and see how much oil it spits out on a drive.

co2 , stalling it via clutch in high gear work for runaway.

when you take the oil filler cap off, is it heavy breathing?
 
Ill go and look at the 25ltr oil can in the shed, but im sure its 10/40 ish.

I just called a few local garages and noone has a diesel comression test kit - bit odd, i thought.

Am i right in thinking that, if the oil is not comming in on the air stream, there's only the rings/bore and valve stem seals left?

I need to take it driving, but its never nice - we live away from anywhere, and the disco is our only on-the-road car at the moment.


Heavy breathing - i wont know, as ive never paid attention before (so have no bench mark)
 
julianf said:
Ill go and look at the 25ltr oil can in the shed, but im sure its 10/40 ish.

I just called a few local garages and noone has a diesel comression test kit - bit odd, i thought.

Am i right in thinking that, if the oil is not comming in on the air stream, there's only the rings/bore and valve stem seals left?

I need to take it driving, but its never nice - we live away from anywhere, and the disco is our only on-the-road car at the moment.


Heavy breathing - i wont know, as ive never paid attention before (so have no bench mark)
Click to expand...

it should NOT chug like a train.

thinking sounds right to me. maybe hgf as well and crank pressure forcing it into the breather and into the airstream
 
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if it was via the breather, i thought that fed back in pre-turbo (between air filter and turbo)?


someone mentioned that the oil seal in the turbo could also leak oil into the exhaust - which, i guess, might tie up with less smoke this morning than last night?

(cooler, thicker oil - less leak, and less heat once it has leaked)

valve stem seals dont look too scary with the right compressor. i know nothing about turbo seals yet.

engine is old, but clocks say 139k, so lower mileage than many of them.
 
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