Billowing Smoke

VancouverVan · Post by **VancouverVan** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 12:40 am

My 1.6 smokes heavily when started cold. I've tried running the glow plugs through four cycles before cranking, and the cold-start knob, cable, and lever all seem to be functioning. It blows white smoke, mostly; if I push the foot-feed deep, it gets a hint of black.

I'm fairly certain it's temperature related. In early spring, when I first got the engine installed, it was nearly as bad, but over the summer, it was pretty much okay. Now it's fall, and it smokes.

Any ideas? A block heater comes to mind, but seems overkill, in this climate - there must be another solution. Right?

VancouverVan · Post by **VancouverVan** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:53 pm

This isn't really a reply - it's my attempt to pop this old question up to the top of the list and see if anyone has suggestions.

In a nutshell, the 1.6 n/a just starts hard, and blows huge volumes of white smoke when it first fires. It literally has driven innocent folks out of the adjoining campsite.

This being my first diesel ever, I'm not sure how to adjust things to make it start easier. When it's driving along, it doesn't seem to smoke more than it should and it actually runs pretty good, and when the engine is warm it starts easily and with only a puff of smoke. It's when it's cold that it becomes terribly embarrassing. And by cold I mean Vancouver Washington cold: 45-60 degrees. It's pretty warm, by 'cold-weather starting tips' standards. Still, it
s a smelly and embarrassing headache.

Any ideas what causes this?

Post by **Fatmobile** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 12:44 am

It sounds like the timing is retarded.
Maybe one bad glow plug.

username · Post by **username** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:04 pm

My suggestion is to take it over to NW Fuel Injection, in Port Kells (Surrey). They will make it right. Just about the only diesel mechanics in the Lower Mainland who are worth a damn. Maybe it's no surprise that they aren't really VW mechanics per se ... but they know the Bosch VE pump system inside and out, from the fuel tank to the swirl chamber. They did wonders on my van after a series of 3 local "VW specialists" did nothing except present me with fat invoices.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:06 pm

Oops, maybe you're in the wrong Vancouver. I meant Vancouver, BC.

VancouverVan · Post by **VancouverVan** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 8:50 pm

Hi -

yep, I'm a Yank all right, here in Washington. But thanks for the tip - I work a lot in the Ferndale and Blaine areas, but haven't yet had time to visit the 'other' Vancouver. I hear it's great, particularly the waterfront.

69 doublecab · Post by **69 doublecab** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 1:40 am

Does it smoke AT ALL when driving? My 82 has smoked quite a bit since putting in a Rabbit diesel pump. I found out it's pretty easy to turn down the fuel delivery amount and I made the smoke go away and the fuel mileage jump up from 23 to 28 or so.
Al
69 doublecab

VancouverVan · Post by **VancouverVan** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 11:17 am

Actually, it only smokes when you want to accelerate. Any attempt to speed up, in any gear, causes a cloud of smoke, mostly white/gray. Fuel, of course. this is true on a hill, too - loading the engine just blows smoke. I've been told it's normal, but I don't really know.

How do you reduce the fuel delivery? The color of the smoke means it's excess fuel, but I thought it a matter of learning to drive gently. If I could back off the volume of fuel dumped in, maybe I could drive more normally.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 12:40 pm

It's a screw on the front of the diesel pump. It's got a lock nut and a collar and maybe a dollop of sel paint. You need to back the screw out. Just trial and error. I backed mine out only about 3/8 of a turn, made a big difference.
If you go too far, it will lose power (lower top speed.)
Al
69 doublecab, 82 diesel Vanagon

VancouverVan · Post by **VancouverVan** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 4:07 pm

Okay, I've seen that locknut and screw but haven't messed with it - yet. Nerves and all.

Here's an interesting trait that may be related: the van, once warm, idles very nicely for about 30-40 seconds. I don't know the RPMs, but it sounds right and I'd never consider messing with it - except after idling along for a while, it hiccups and chokes and dies rather spasmodicallly.

Are these connected symptoms? The smoke under acceleration, the smoke on cold starting, the dramatic idling deaths?

Related info - everything's new within six months and perhaps 1200 miles or so - the fuel filter, glow plugs, etcetera. The injectors aren't new - but me being me, I tore them apart and cleaned them and reassembled them. I had a Bentley at the time, and while I didn't test spray patterns or such, they looked fine and ended even cleaner than they started.....

Am growing accustomed to the (lack of) speed, but would like to fix the smoke.

hoyt · Post by **hoyt** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 11:24 pm

Do you know how many miles are on the injectors?? When I got
mine Diesel Vanagon I had to take it to a DEQ shop to get
past emissions. And the tech. there told me the injector last about
100K miles.

Does the smoke from the vanagon smell "oily" or does it smell like
a diesel? If it is oily smelling then you are burning oil, which can
be caused by bad injectors. If the injector are not atomizing the fuel,
then the diesel will wash the oil from the rings, which can cause
oil burning. Atleast that is what I have been told.

If you PM me I can give you the name of a local parts supplier
that has good prices on injectors.

69 doublecab · Post by **69 doublecab** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:23 am

You could also contact a diesel specialist place and take in your injectors and get them tested. darn near every big town should have some place like that. No idea what it costs, but the tester is just a hand pump thing. They just put the injector in the holder, hook up the line, and push down the handle. then they observe the pattern to see if it atomising or a coarser spray. My brother has one, but he's in Omaha.
I'd think it should take only 10 minutes per injector
Al
69 doublecab

Post by **Fatmobile** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 2:07 am

69 doublecab, You live less than an hour and a half down the road from me and I have to agree with you.
Finding out what is right, helps you figure out what is wrong. Testing the injectors for spray pattern and breaking pressure is the only way to tell if they are good.
You can't tell by looking at them, cleaning them doesn't mean they are working right.
It is cheap to get them tested. There is a diesel shop here in town that does them for me for free ... most of the time. (vegy burning car bonus).
What altitude are you at? That screw they were talking about is supposed to be turned 3/4 turn counterclockwise, above 5000 feet, to reduce smoke

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 2:43 am

Fatmobile:
I'm at 750 feet above sea level.
I'd guess you are about 5 feet higher. Still less than 1/5 of 5000.
I might be able to go a bit further counter clockwise.
I think the real problem with mine however was that my pump was off a Rabbit, which is adjusted up a bit to allow for a better breathing exhaust manifold. they also have 52 horsepower instead of the 48 (?) of the Vanagon
Al
69 doublecab

VancouverVan · Post by **VancouverVan** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 10:21 am

My last reply didn't post....

Hoyt, there in Battle Ground - is there a shop locally tests injectors? Sounds more important than I'd guessed. I'm thinking Zinda's. And what does "pm me" mean?

We're pretty low here - probably less than a hundred feet.

Former VWDieselParts.com Forum

Billowing Smoke

Billowing Smoke

Cold Smoky Start

retarded timing

Smoking

test the injectors