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White Smoke From Exhaust - 1.6Tdci (110) Feb 2008


Howard1471
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I've owned my 1.6TDCi for 2 years. 18 months ago the DPF was removed, and Engine reconfigured, after if failed and the garage ( and the AA man ) was unable to reset it. The car had approx 65K on the clock at that time. Over the last 12 months I've noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust. This does not happen all the time.

When I travel at motorway/Dual Carraigeway speeds the car runs fine but as soon as I ease up for the slip road white smoke comes from the exhaust. I can drive to-and-from work ( round the ring road ) and all will seem ok. Then, as I turn into the offce, I notice it again. The only constant condition is that it occurs when I ease off, if I open the throttle even slightly the smoke disappears.

Has anyone any [sensible] suggestions?

Things I could check myself. I'm not adverse to getting the bonnet up.

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White smoke norrmally means that the fuel injected into the cylinder is not burning correctly. The smoke will burn your eyes.

Engine/pump timing out

Fuel starvation to the pump causing the pumps timing not to operate correctly

Low engine compression

Water/petrol in the fuel

It could well be the cam position sensor.

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OK, that would fit with something the garage said when they serviced the car a few weeks ago, some sealant on/around one of the injectors. Could a leak in that area cause this problem ?

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  • 1 month later...

Howard, did you manage to get this sorted?

I have exactly the same problem and the car has just failed the MOT emission test. It's done 97K miles.

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RAF258

Yes It's sorted, cost a few "bob" but it's sorted. :) Read on.

I removed the engine cover to inspect the "sealant" I had been advised about. The rightmost injector was puffing out exhaust like an old Mamod Steam engine. Obviously got a leaky injector seal. Consequently the black "sealant" turned out to be Carbon deposits from that leak. Reduced compression, poor ecomony etc etc. So much for the garage that did the service, how could they miss this lot? I spent a couple of days patiently removing the Carbon, there was a lot.

I wanted to replace the seal but couldn't budge the injector. Got on to Yell.com and found a local mobile mechanic, he came and looked at it with his diagnostics computer and advised me that the injectors were all buggered and would need replacing before they failed completely ( Cheaper to service swap than replace ). It took him about 30 mins to remove the leaky injector, fit a new seal and put it back together. Re-primed and started. He advised me that the Manifold would be full of S##t as would the EGR valve. This I'd read about. Not good for Turbo life. When he came back with the replacement injectors he cleaned out the aforementioned, fitted the new bits and it's now back on the road with no white smoke.

The lesson to be learned here is that despite how simple these things look in the Haynes Manual, it's far easier to get this sort of thing done by someone with the kit and the experience. Well worth paying for.

If the Injectors are down, replace them whilst you can swap for recon units. If they go altogether the cost is doubled.

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what was the total cost in the end?

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1. The original call out, remove injector, clean, fit new seal, reinstall, fuel prime, clear diagnostics codes and start, £50.00

2. Purchase reconditioned Injectors ( Unit Swap ) , 4 off @ £150.00 = £600.00

3. Replace all injectors, remove and clean exhaust manifold and EGR valve, reset ECU codes to Factory defaults ( someone in the past had tinkered ), reprime, start and test drive. £150.00

Total paid £800.00.

I've found a local Mechanic with a lot of diesel experience, with cars and commercial vehicles ( Vans etc ). The costs are kep down by paying cash and not looking too closely at the figures on the invoices. ;) Suits me.

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The problem, as I understand it, with this engine, is that it churns out a lot of muck. The EGR valve recirculates exhaust gases, complete with all the soot left over from the combustion. This builds up a residue in the manifold and EGR valve itself and gets in the oil. The sooty-oil clogs up the Turbo oil feed and pickup pipe which in turn starves the turbo of lubricant and when that fails, as a result, the whole thing gets well expensive. This is all compounded when the EGR valve, itself, gets stuck because its cloogged up and stuck open.

I'm advised that low soot/ash oils are a must and a regular oil change is very beneficial. My advice to anyone is get the Manifold and EGR valve cleaned out if it's never been done. Do an oil change every 3 months ( depending on use ) and check for injector leaks ( Hold your hand over each injector to see if there's exhaust puffing out ).

And most importantly, get someone who knows what they're doing, to do it all. :)

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The problem, as I understand it, with this engine, is that it churns out a lot of muck. The EGR valve recirculates exhaust gases, complete with all the soot left over from the combustion. This builds up a residue in the manifold and EGR valve itself and gets in the oil. The sooty-oil clogs up the Turbo oil feed and pickup pipe which in turn starves the turbo of lubricant and when that fails, as a result, the whole thing gets well expensive. This is all compounded when the EGR valve, itself, gets stuck because its cloogged up and stuck open.

I'm advised that low soot/ash oils are a must and a regular oil change is very beneficial. My advice to anyone is get the Manifold and EGR valve cleaned out if it's never been done. Do an oil change every 3 months ( depending on use ) and check for injector leaks ( Hold your hand over each injector to see if there's exhaust puffing out ).

And most importantly, get someone who knows what they're doing, to do it all. :)

^^Or the problem could be circumvented by fitting a solid EGR blanking plate, thus stopping the carbon/ muck getting into the inlet (manifold) in the 1st place, you wouls have to clean the EGR/ manifold every day ant it would still not be as effective (as a solid EGR blanking plate) + once the plate is fitted, the inlet manifold/ EGR housing only ever has to be cleaned once

You have inadvertently made a compelling argument for fitting a solid EGR blanking plate

I agree that frequent oil changes are benificial, but every 3 months is a bit >>too<< frequent, even if you are doing 12k a year thats every 3k miles and 4 oil changes in a year, quality oil is expensive (Castrol Magnatec can cost £30 for 4 litres, one can isnt enough- so you buy 2 = 60, not counting the cost of the oli filters, or paying someone to do it, 4 times a year?)

Some people work long or unsociable hours, or live in remote areas, and may find changing oil every 3 months/ 4 times a year inconvenient

On the Mondeo diesel, the original oil change interval was 5k, then it was 6 ("semi synthetic" oil) then it was 10k, then finally 12k ("fully synthetic" oil) i think some of these intervals are a bit long, in my opinion, and changing the oil more frequently will help to clean out the contaminents (with the oil change) as you have suggested, but 5k/ every 6 months is probably frequently enough for an oil change, in my opinion, especially with a solid EGR blanking plate fitted.

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  • 1 year later...

Hopefully i have the same problem....i've just got my 56 plate 1.6 tdci focus and i get white smoke when i start the car and the engine is cold...and also i get the strong smell inside the car as well...my mechanic told me to wash the engine and i did...and i can see some diesel arround the injectors :( i will change the seals on tuesday and see how things go....i also bought some diesel aditives to clean the turbo and the dpf...hope that helps a bit :)

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At least you have a friendly mechanic to advise you, always useful.

I thought(hoped) that a dpf would filter out the white smoke. Mine does not have the guts in the dpf, just the can, having had it removed a couple of years ago. I'm looking to fit a new one before it's MOT next year. Does anyone know if this is the case?

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Are you still getting the white smoke even after the injector change then?

If it is unburnt diesel (white smoke) that'll clog up the DPF pretty quick but worse damage the cat (this is why the engine does all it can to stop you stalling it and allowing fuel down the exhaust). DPF is only meant to catch partly burnt diesel (black soot) which is easily burnt off and doesn't damage anything. Well except your lungs lol.

White 'smoke' can also be steam though, particularly in the colder weather. The DPF won't filter that.

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ive not noticed any smoke other then water vapour on an early start, any one know the best way to test it, do you just crank it up to a high rpm and see what comes out~?

I wonder how many dpf fitted cars have under lying problems that are obscured by these filters.

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Put your face in it...if its just steam you'll be fine, if it's diesel it'll burn your eyes and taste horrible. :lol:

A lot of cars fitted with DPF's will have issues unknown to their owners tbh, broken EGRs especially, which in turn blocks the DPF lol. But then a lot of drivers don't seem to notice issues anyway...my sister drove on a knocking driveshaft for months until I drove the car and noticed it!

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  • 5 years later...

Hi Ken,   it's usually one or more injectors overfuelling (unburnt diesel) but it could also be low compression in one or more cylinders. Of course, it could be head gasket, but that's most unusual on a TDCi engine, and anyway, you'd have noticed a loss of coolant. 

 

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  • 10 months later...

Sorry to re-hash an old status .. I have had a Focus 2.0 TDCI for a little over two months and the ***** thing is driving me crazy with white smoke. Unfortunately sold as seen on a cash basis otherwise I would be wringing the blokes neck.

I have had two different mechanics look at it, and its been back in the garage three times now and they cant find anything wrong with it. Yet every time I get it back from the garage its fine for a couple of days then starts up again. Like others on here, its ok at speed, but then when I start to slow down, and sit in stop/start traffic, or even put it in reverse, it starts smoking again. Its like someone is blowing vape fumes out of my exhaust. And the smoke burns every orifice!

It has had a full service (all fluids and filters), a second oil change and engine flush, a fuel flush, its had more diagnostics that have not shown anything up at all.

I have even started to question if its something I am doing wrong - its the first time I have ever owned a diesel, is it the way I'm driving it? And no, I havent put petrol in it (I may be blonde but not stupid) 😝

The one thing I have noticed, and I dont know whether I am clutching at straws and imagining it, is it only "seems" to happen after I fill up .. And it seems to settle down once I have got to under half a tank ... I dont know if thats the case but its now getting really embarrassing with people driving behind me flashing their lights like I cant see whats happening? I am at my wits end and I'm sure the garage are getting ticked off with me .. I am close to taking it for a long drive off a short pier 😪

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