Turbo diesel - very smokey

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Dollywobbler
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Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by Dollywobbler »

The TZD seems to be getting worse when it comes to smoke. I gave it a bootful up an incline today and it smoked the whole time, leaving an embarrassing cloud behind me. It's absolutely ridiculous. I think the turbo is losing air when it spools up - I suspect a loose intake pipe - but would that cause it overfuel and therefore smoke? I would have thought that the boost compensator would respond to the loss in pressure but perhaps not?

I must concede to not checking the air filter yet. I haven't put a fuel treatment through it either. Good job the LEZ doesn't apply to cars...
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Way2go
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by Way2go »

It sounds like the turbo itself is knackered. I had this on the Saab, and I seem to remember from that the problem is that the bearings go and oil is therefore able to pass directly into the hot exhaust. :(
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by citronut »

first thing to try is new air filter then a Mexican tune up,

floor it in second for a few seconds two to three times,

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KevR
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by KevR »

If the turbo seals are going, wouldn't that affect performance? I ask as I've got the same problem with the white one - loads of black smoke on acceleration. But it goes like an absolute rocket, so I'd always assumed someone had over-adjusted the BCV.
The grey one, on the other hand, hardly smokes at all, but can be overtaken by small boys on tricycles.... I suspect the BCV is doing nothing at al!

Also, if the turbo's going, wouldn't it be oil smoke (blue) rather than diesel smoke (black)...?
1990 BX TZD Estate ('the grey one', 1991 BX TZD Estate ('the white one'), 1982 2CV6 Charleston (in bits), 1972 AZU Serie B (2CV van), 1974 HY72 Camper, 1990 Land Rover 110 diesel LWB, 1957 Mobylette AV76, 1992 Ducati 400SS, 1966 VW Beetle, 1990 Mazda MX-5, 1996 Peugeot 106D, 1974 JCB 2D MkII, 1997 BMW R1100RS, 1987 Suzuki GSX-R1100, 1978 Honda CX500A, 1965 Motobecane Cady, 1988 Honda Bros/Africa Twin, 1963 Massey Ferguson 825, and a lot of bicycles!
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mat_fenwick
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by mat_fenwick »

You'd hear a whoosh if significant quantities of boost was being lost, and performance would be flat. I don't recall seeing much smoke though, when that's happened to me...
Never seen the results of failed turbo seals, but I'd also expect the smoke to be blue.
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by KevR »

I bought a TZD estate with a failed Turbo once - drove it back from Wales to Loughborough. Crikey that was slow... can't remember if it smoked badly though. Seem to recall that it didn't.
1990 BX TZD Estate ('the grey one', 1991 BX TZD Estate ('the white one'), 1982 2CV6 Charleston (in bits), 1972 AZU Serie B (2CV van), 1974 HY72 Camper, 1990 Land Rover 110 diesel LWB, 1957 Mobylette AV76, 1992 Ducati 400SS, 1966 VW Beetle, 1990 Mazda MX-5, 1996 Peugeot 106D, 1974 JCB 2D MkII, 1997 BMW R1100RS, 1987 Suzuki GSX-R1100, 1978 Honda CX500A, 1965 Motobecane Cady, 1988 Honda Bros/Africa Twin, 1963 Massey Ferguson 825, and a lot of bicycles!
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by rutter123 »

run some diesel purge thru it (not the tank additive type) the direct type, seemed to clean up 50 shades, oil and filters change helps too, ive got quite attached to the plume of soot/haze that the tzd turbo chucks out, i suspect my turbo seals are not long for this life, but only a small top up between oil changes so im not too worried just yet, tho the n/a tgd dont smoke at all even when driven hard. a bit of black/grey soot/smoke is ok but if its blue i would guess your burning oil, valve stem seals or turbo seals. even a suspect fuel pump if its a cav/lucas type.
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by Way2go »

KevR wrote:I bought a TZD estate with a failed Turbo once - drove it back from Wales to Loughborough. Crikey that was slow... can't remember if it smoked badly though. Seem to recall that it didn't.
Sounds like your turbo was seized and therefore smoke less likely. I the case of failed bearing seals, the turbo will spin but the high oil pressure feed leaks through the rotating bearings to either of the turbine chambers.
The Saab was a petrol and I remember the smoke was high volume and dense. Replacement s/h turbo & all was fine.
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by KevR »

Way2go wrote: Sounds like your turbo was seized and therefore smoke less likely.
Yep, that makes sense.
1990 BX TZD Estate ('the grey one', 1991 BX TZD Estate ('the white one'), 1982 2CV6 Charleston (in bits), 1972 AZU Serie B (2CV van), 1974 HY72 Camper, 1990 Land Rover 110 diesel LWB, 1957 Mobylette AV76, 1992 Ducati 400SS, 1966 VW Beetle, 1990 Mazda MX-5, 1996 Peugeot 106D, 1974 JCB 2D MkII, 1997 BMW R1100RS, 1987 Suzuki GSX-R1100, 1978 Honda CX500A, 1965 Motobecane Cady, 1988 Honda Bros/Africa Twin, 1963 Massey Ferguson 825, and a lot of bicycles!
Dollywobbler
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by Dollywobbler »

Hmmm. The turbo does make a sort of whooshing noise, and performance is definitely flat compared to the TXD. And there's that oil leak in the turbo area too. My mechanic reckons the crustiness of the oil suggests it's coming from the turbo rather than a feed pipe. It is quite carbony. Sod. Given that fifth gear is noisy, it's starting to look like a major engine-out job is going to be on the cards. Might as well yank it all out, fix everything that needs fixing (including any other seals, cambelt, water pump, clutch etc) and chuck it all back in.
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by rutter123 »

turbo,gearbox,clutch,pump,belts, sounds expensive
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Dollywobbler
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Re: Turbo diesel - very smokey

Post by Dollywobbler »

Aye. I think this is the worst BX I've ever bought. Oh well! Happily it has many good points, or it'd be bin fodder. If I can bring the mechanicals up to the standard of the bodywork then I'll have a superb motor. At the moment, I've got one with a knackered engine, iffy gearbox and leaky hydraulics.
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