Blue smoke issues

[Nowellyboy]

Good evening all.

This is my first 1.9td able engine t4 iv owned and iv got an issue with it blowing blue smoke on acceleration.
I purchased the van from a family friend in which it was laying up for around 18mths at a garage who had been messing her around so I purchased it as a project.
as I noticed the blue smoke coming out the back I have replaced the fuel filter and also the turbo as the garage had told her it needed replacing.
Since doing this work it's still the same with no difference, idle is fine and no blue smoke when cold.
has anybody come across this before and is there anything I can look at what to do next.

Thanks, lee

[Activ8]

Is it burning a noticeable amount of oil from the dipstick levels?
Has it got an intercooler fitted as it might just need the pipework and the IC cleaning out?
Try an Italian tune-up once its warmed up?

[Jim24]

Speedo mileage?

[Nowellyboy]

Tbh activ8 I haven't long owned the van and with it being a project van I haven't taken it for an mot yet so unsure of the burning from dipstick level.
it don't have an intercooler fitted and was wondering what an Italian tune up is.

Jim24 it's showing 197k miles on the speedo.

thanks guys

[Activ8]

OK.
Italian Tune-Up = thrash its nuts off in 3rd on a private road when its up to temp. This will burn off any cobwebs built up while its been sitting / idling around.

Is it blue smoke you're seeing?
Could be just unburnt diesel?

Get it timed correctly. Plenty of info on here about that.
Service the van with clean fresh oil and filters.
Consider fitting a fresh and clean set of injectors in it.
Before you go daft spending money on shiney things, get it MOT'd and action any advisories, welding and bodywork - start your project with a roadworthy , solid and mechanically sound van.
I'd be doing some research on a TDI or PD upgrade conversion too instead of sleeping!

Theres tons of help and expertise on here, so write-up your plans.

[Jim24]

It strikes me that there are so many plausible causes, that a correct diagnosis will require doses of spannering, laying on of hands, and progressively eliminating possibilities.

Blue smoke would generally point towards engine oil being burnt rather than diesel fuel, so that would probably be a cylinder head-off job, but that's not certain. Personally, I'd be tempted to eliminate possible causes elsewhere first, particularly the fuel system, which presumably you'll want to go through anyway if the van is going to be a keeper, and also the oil feed to the replacement turbo bearing? At 197K the injectors would be overdue for their second rebuild for example. Others would no doubt dive into the Head, first

I'd be tempted to find out more from the previous owner and her garage of the van's service history if you can.

As Activ said, there are far more knowledgeable people on here, but their advice can only be as good as the quality of your write-ups and the photo's of your finds. Good luck.

[Nowellyboy]

OK.
Italian Tune-Up = thrash its nuts off in 3rd on a private road when its up to temp. This will burn off any cobwebs built up while its been sitting / idling around.

Is it blue smoke you're seeing?
Could be just unburnt diesel?

Get it timed correctly. Plenty of info on here about that.
Service the van with clean fresh oil and filters.
Consider fitting a fresh and clean set of injectors in it.
Before you go daft spending money on shiney things, get it MOT'd and action any advisories, welding and bodywork - start your project with a roadworthy , solid and mechanically sound van.
I'd be doing some research on a TDI or PD upgrade conversion too instead of sleeping!

Theres tons of help and expertise on here, so write-up your plans.

Loving the Italian tune up matey haha, tried that this evening and no change.
i also changed the oil and filter tonight too with the fuel filter and forte injector cleaner last weekend.

Im looking at getting the injectors out over the weekend but iv heard they are not nice to do so searching for info on removing them now.

Plan is to get an mot on it but until i can get the smoking sorted she's stuck on the drive as an expensive paper weight lol.

Thanks for all ur help my friend

[Nowellyboy]

It strikes me that there are so many plausible causes, that a correct diagnosis will require doses of spannering, laying on of hands, and progressively eliminating possibilities.

Blue smoke would generally point towards engine oil being burnt rather than diesel fuel, so that would probably be a cylinder head-off job, but that's not certain. Personally, I'd be tempted to eliminate possible causes elsewhere first, particularly the fuel system, which presumably you'll want to go through anyway if the van is going to be a keeper, and also the oil feed to the replacement turbo bearing? At 197K the injectors would be overdue for their second rebuild for example. Others would no doubt dive into the Head, first

I'd be tempted to find out more from the previous owner and her garage of the van's service history if you can.

As Activ said, there are far more knowledgeable people on here, but their advice can only be as good as the quality of your write-ups and the photo's of your finds. Good luck.

Thankyou matey.
that's my last resort diving into the internals of the engine as u said to look for other possible causes first.
iv changed all filters and fluids now with no change so I'm more than likely going to get the injectors out next as I have no service history with it and no disrespect to the previous old lady owner she never really had maintenance done to it.

Thankyou for your help though my friend

[Jim24]

I've never owned a turbo'd vehicle, ( 2.4D five-pot) so my experience is limited to running them on 12 Litre Rolls Royce Eagle and Cummins truck diesels, and doesn't include any related hands-on spannering.

My understanding is that when the turbo' bearings get worn it usually results in the oil feed leaking and getting burnt, and am therefore wondering if your recent replacement turbo was new, or rebuilt with new bearings, or simply swapped for a second hand (pre-loved?) unit. Personally I'd want to eliminate that as a potential cause early-on, somehow or other?

[TommyP]

Is it definitely blue smoke? I think it’s quite hard to tell when looking back at it in the mirror. I usually try and follow a suspected blue smoker to see from the vehicle behind and smell it too.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s been tuned and what you’re seeing is a grey haze of diesel smoke and if that’s the case and the boost is set right then you’re golden.

How well does it shift? Fairly effortless or mediocre and shite on hills losing speed or struggling to maintain it?

If not it’ll be valve stem seals or maybe even piston rings but the latter is very rare on these in my experience.


Sent from my iPhone using Just T4s

[Jim24]

I'm pretty sure white smoke signals a successful election, (that's an 'L' not a 'R' BTW, but for some almost as good?)



Tommy is your main Man, Lee - I've personally learned loads from him

[TommyP]

White smoke signals something to those that are far too easily convinced by the dogma of the church, superstition and the promise of eternal life brought about by the human fear of death. If you were talking about the election of “Vicar of Christ on earth” that is.

Otherwise i don’t know what you’re referring to lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Just T4s

[Jim24]

I was Tommy, and I was wondering whether you or Arf in particular would pick-up on it!

The photo' is a bit dark, but those are some infamous Roman roof pantiles in the background - the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican I'm told.

Anyway back to smoke, and one of my stupid questions - are compression tests at all useful for diagnosing piston ring wear on these diesels? If there's plenty of oil getting up the sides of the piston rings, wont the oil tend to help seal the bores when static, and give a misleadingly high reading? So would a leakdown test therefore be preferable if the equipment can be sourced?

It had not previously occurred to me how important the valve stem oil seals on these engines must be for controlling oil consumption when comparing the design with my old OHV petrol engines. With the valve oil seals located below the hydraulic lifters, and the latter being pressure fed with oil, presumably the seals themselves are going to have to be in excellent condition if they are to cope adequately?

[TommyP]

I was Tommy, and I was wondering whether you or Arf in particular would pick-up on it!

The photo' is a bit dark, but those are some infamous Roman roof pantiles in the background - the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican I'm told.

Anyway back to smoke, and one of my stupid questions - are compression tests at all useful for diagnosing piston ring wear on these diesels? If there's plenty of oil getting up the sides of the piston rings, wont the oil tend to help seal the bores when static, and give a misleadingly high reading? So would a leakdown test therefore be preferable if the equipment can be sourced?

It had not previously occurred to me how important the valve stem oil seals on these engines must be for controlling oil consumption when comparing the design with my old OHV petrol engines. With the valve oil seals located below the hydraulic lifters, and the latter being pressure fed with oil, presumably the seals themselves are going to have to be in excellent condition if they are to cope adequately?

There’s no such thing as a stupid question. Unless you’re a VW owner but in this case it’s not a stupid question.

I’m not sure I completely follow you with your question on leak down. Compression tests are done when cranking which has oil flowing about and yes the oil helps seal the cylinders for blow to some extent. What do you mean why you say leak down test?

Low compression can also be a sign of poor valve seating / blow by too.

Valve stem oil seals are important in any engine. Especially at idle as a turbo engine isn’t making any real boost in the intake and an N/A is making vacuum. Deceleration too. The crankcase is pressurised and during the above conditions that pushes oil past the knackered stem seals and into the intake tract and it then burns it. My Volvo T5 is doing just this at the moment and has extremely high oil consumption. It also fucking stinks.


Sent from my iPhone using Just T4s

[Activ8]

Are the stem seals coloured for intake and exhaust?