Smoke after startup: Causes and solutions.

hi all..

'For about a month now, I've noticed increased smoke coming from the exhaust immediately after starting the engine when it's cold. It's a grayish smoke.'
'It's coming from the exhaust... at least when you start the car. It lasts for a while.'
It runs for about 2-3 minutes and then it stops.

Now I'm not sure if the smoke has always been there and if it's normal, but it's better to ask a silly question than to look foolish later.
Something's wrong...

Okay, even if the question seems stupid now, it's probably not a big deal.
It's bad... It would be great if someone could send a quick message to help me feel better so I can sleep peacefully.

Sure, here's the translation:

'thx'

chris

Is this question too silly, or does nobody want to answer? Sorry, I just don't know why it's like this... otherwise, I wouldn't be asking.

Okay, please let me know if anyone can quickly provide some input on this.

'Thank you.'

chris

Hello,

Which vehicle, what mileage, and what is the oil consumption per 1000 km?

Mtw13ve wrote:

then comes gray smoke. from the exhaust pipe... at least when starting.

What now? Does it start smoking immediately, or only when you start driving?

Mtw13ve wrote:

now I don't know if the smoke has always been there and if it's normal

.
Where am I supposed to know that? It's your car. Can you see anything in the rearview mirror when you're starting to drive, or can you only see something if you're standing behind the car?

Best regards, Rainer.

Hi Chris,

Okay, this is a bit speculative, but at least it's an answer. It seems like you're probably injecting too much diesel or not enough air during the initial minutes of operation, which is causing the smoke.
I can't tell you where it's coming from either. But it would help if we knew more about your car (engine code, mileage, modifications...). What measures have you taken so far (read the error codes, visual inspection...)?
If your car has over 150,000 km (approximately 93,000 miles) on it, you should have the fuel injectors tested. I've had faulty injectors on three 1Z engines, all with mileage exceeding 150,000 km!

Sorry, I've been around the forum for a while now and should actually know that this is part of it... I'm embarrassed.

Okay, so...

Engine: 110 hp TDI AFN, 243,000 km mileage. Original engine, original clutch, original turbo...lalala...

'Only when I start driving do I see a huge, gray cloud in the rearview mirror... a light gray color!'

Normally, this only happens when I drill out a large amount of material, and then the resulting cloud is black, not white or gray.

Could those be deposits from the exhaust system that are being expelled when it gets hot?

You're welcome.

White/gray smoke can usually only be water. This means that the head gasket is likely slowly deteriorating. It's not yet a significant amount that would be noticeable during normal operation. However, after the engine is turned off (when there is still pressure in the cooling system), a small amount of water is forced into the cylinders, which then evaporates when the engine is started.

My suggestion: Replace the head gasket.

Macht bei der Laufleistung schon alleine aus prophylaktischen Gründen Sinn. Bei der Gelegenheit kann man nämlich den Rest auch checken. Ich würde gleich auch noch die Ventilschaftabdichtungen und den Nockenwellensimmering mitwechseln, sonst hast du bald blauen Rauch jeden Morgen (so wie ich --> AFN 120 Tkm). IsIt's a real mess.

A faulty head gasket can quickly lead to a crack in the engine block. This is expensive and time-consuming to repair.

Or, even worse, you're driving on the highway, and suddenly, all the coolant bursts through the head gasket at once, to the point where the engine seizes with a loud noise. It only takes about 300 meters for the entire cooling system to be empty.

If you're lucky, the engine wasn't hot enough to cause any damage while it was running without water. If you're unlucky, it might have melted your cylinder head. And if things were really bad, it could have warped the connecting rods or the crankshaft itself.

Based on my experience, I would rather replace a head gasket sooner than later.

Would I lose water there? I haven't had to top up the water level since I bought the car, and it hasn't decreased at all.


Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'cu' is a Spanish abbreviation for 'con usted,' which means 'with you.' It is often used in online communication to indicate that the sender is available to chat or talk.

Here is an example of how 'cu' might be used in a conversation:

Person A: 'Hey, I'm bored. Want to chat?'
Person B: 'Cu!'

This means that Person B is available to chat with Person A.

'Cu' can also be used to indicate that the sender is thinking about the recipient. For example, if Person A is thinking about Person B, they might send a message that says, 'Cu.'

In general, 'cu' is a friendly and informal way to communicate with someone online.

'No, I think that's condensation that gets blown out until the exhaust gets hot. As long as it's cold, it's just being expelled, but once the exhaust gets hot, the liquid evaporates.'

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'cu' is a Spanish abbreviation for 'con usted,' which means 'with you.' It is often used in online communication to indicate that the sender is available to chat or talk.

Here is an example of how 'cu' might be used in a conversation:

Person A: 'Hey, I'm bored. Want to chat?'
Person B: 'Cu!'

This means that Person B is available to chat with Person A.

'Cu' can also be used to indicate that the sender is thinking about the recipient. For example, if Person A is thinking about Person B, they might send a message that says, 'Cu.'

In general, 'cu' is a friendly and informal way to communicate with someone online.

If there's so much of it that you noticeably lose water, then the waste is already steaming.

It starts with a small amount of water.

I haven't had to top up the coolant since I bought the car, and the level hasn't gone down. Also, every mechanic I've taken it to has assured me that there's nothing wrong with it, because if there was, I would either have water in the oil or oil in the water.

Furthermore, why should the water only flow in when the car is stationary? Wouldn't the water pressure be much higher when the car is moving?


Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'cu' is a Spanish abbreviation for 'con usted,' which means 'with you.' It is often used in online communication to indicate that the sender is available to chat or talk.

Here is an example of how 'cu' might be used in a conversation:

Person A: 'Hey, I'm bored. Want to chat?'
Person B: 'Cu!'

This means that Person B is available to chat with Person A.

'Cu' can also be used to indicate that the sender is thinking about the recipient. For example, if Person A is thinking about Person B, they might send a message that says, 'Cu.'

In general, 'cu' is a friendly and informal way to communicate with someone online.

You'll only have oil in the water or water in the oil if the head gasket has also ruptured between those two channels. If there's only a crack towards the combustion chamber, you'll either only have oil, only water, or both.

While the engine is running, small amounts of water would simply evaporate. You wouldn't notice it at temperatures of 700°C. However, if the engine is not running, a small amount of water might accumulate in the combustion chamber, being forced out of the cooling system due to pressure.

Okay, so if this thing really doesn't use any water, I'm suspecting a leaky or dripping injector nozzle. Or maybe it's clogged or worn out and no longer produces a clean spray pattern.

White smoke is a common sight, especially in the winter when the glow plug system is faulty (and you're trying to start a large engine with 15 liters of displacement...). It's caused by incomplete combustion of diesel fuel at low temperatures (cold start).

Regarding the mileage, that's not unusual.

CU Gremlin.

It only happens when I start the car for the first time in the morning. If I've already driven it during the day and the engine has cooled down, so that the temperature gauge shows 'cold,' then I don't have this smoke issue.

I'm sorry, I don't understand. Can you please rephrase your request?

"Yeah, that's exactly how it started for me. Then it started blowing water out on the highway, and well, now that I've replaced the head gasket, there are no more problems! And that was at just under 90,000 km! It's a G3 engine with the code AFN."

Yes, but I've never had to top up the water since I've owned the car, and none seems to be missing! Is it possible that it just leaked out? LOL.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'cu' is a Spanish abbreviation for 'con usted,' which means 'with you.' It is often used in online communication to indicate that the sender is available to chat or talk.

Here is an example of how 'cu' might be used in a conversation:

Person A: 'Hey, I'm bored. Want to chat?'
Person B: 'Cu!'

This means that Person B is available to chat with Person A.

'Cu' can also be used to indicate that the sender is thinking about the recipient. For example, if Person A is thinking about Person B, they might send a message that says, 'Cu.'

In general, 'cu' is a friendly and informal way to communicate with someone online.