A new diesel MkV 2.0l TDi and smoke...

[gldgti]

sounds like a stange problem to me...

to clarify one issue - overfuelling causes the engine to rev up in a diesel - a diesel engine does not have "mixture" because it is unthrottled. so, if there was too much fuel being injected, engine revs would increase (unless there was load on the engine)..

diesels typically produce white smoke when the injection occurs too late (retarded timing). since the new engines are electronically controlled, i would guess that some sensor that helps the engine management with timing information is reading wrongly or something like that at low revs and zero to small percentages of pedal.

when the problem occurs, do you notice the "diesel knock" is reduced? this is another symptom of retarded timing.

from the sounds of the problem, it seems unlikely that it would be detrimental to the engine, so its nothing to be overly worried about. however, if it is not a running in quirk, then maybe you should suggest about timing to the dealer - surely they can run get injection timing information from the diagnostics program???

hope that helps.

aydan

[Spoddy]

Another update

The dealer contacted me with the instruction to run 2 full tanks of BP diesel through and then make contact with them....

What is so special about BP diesel? Are they going to then ask to use another brand and report back as well?

BP is about 5c/l more expensive out my way....

when the problem occurs, do you notice the "diesel knock" is reduced? this is another symptom of retarded timing.

I don't get to drive the golf very often but I took the opportunity to get out and fill it with BP as it was near to the reserve. In terms of the diesel knock I assume you mean the rattle sound, if so yes it goes silky smooth/quite when it smokes but I assumed it was because of the very gentle accelerator application (otherwise I would run up the back of the car in front...)

Thanks for the info - I am learning a lot from this forum.
I wish I could fill up and not get that diesel on me all the time - is there a secret to filling and keeping the hands dry???

[GermanwithaVdub]

BP diesel is just the cleanest (i presume that means it has very low sulfur?) so i guess vw wants to rule out any issues with bad fuel which is actually fair enough, considering the amount of horrible diesel sold around town. (i still suspect this might be the problem, but my opinion is much less educated than others in this thread ) i say this because i lent my car to my mum and she filled it up (at the cheapest possible petrol station knowing her) and the car smoked like buggery that whole tank (much more smoke than in your pictures)

with regards to filling up, when your done filling, just drop the handle of the bowser down so that no more fuel can fall out the nozzle

[Seano]

I wish I could fill up and not get that diesel on me all the time - is there a secret to filling and keeping the hands dry???

Just do what some of us may do......and most truckies do do. Wear gloves whilst refuelling. I use a single right handed leather riggers glove that I keep under the seat (one day I will get a undertray rope box!!).

Even an old tea towel or some of the servo paper towelling is just as good.

Plus leaving the diesel soaked paper towel on the counter after you pay is a fairly forward way of suggesting that the station should take more care re. the cleanliness of their pumps.....

[BeigeJet]

.
I wish I could fill up and not get that diesel on me all the time - is there a secret to filling and keeping the hands dry???

Do what I do. I bought some disposable gloves from the supermarket (about $2.50 for 24) and wear one on while refueling. Then you can dispose of at the servo when finished. A box lasts a fair too if you only fill up once a fortnight like I do! And you don't get the smell on hands or in the car!

[neil]

Plus leaving the diesel soaked paper towel on the counter after you pay is a fairly forward way of suggesting that the station should take more care re. the cleanliness of their pumps.....

Must remember that...great one seano...

Been using BP as recommended by a few members on this forum and my
mileage has increased by around an extra 50 km. I think a combination of
BP and higher tyre pressure also recommended by this forum.

Been purchasing it on Pennets hill rd the first one you come to after the
freeway. Has been stuck on $1.29 for months.which has been cheaper
than most others. Not sure of current price with the big increase of late.

[Mister_duck]

Bp diesel is all I ever use in my Tdi, Though each service station is not going to be the same with the quality of fuel I would guess

[Spoddy]

OK, so if the two tanks of BP prove that it is fuel, then fine I can live with that. But if I continue to use other fuels, will that do damage to the engine/injectors/etc? We don't have a BP local to us.

If the smoke is still there after using and staying on BP, should the next step be to pull the injectors? and if VW Aus don't would re-mapping the ECU do the trick or are the injectors independant of that?

There are a couple of 2 TDi golfs in the area and non of them smoke...

[Spoddy]

Part way into the 1st tank of BP

Took the car to work today; 194km into this tank. Certainly the economy is great, about 50km up on the estimated distance to empty (830+194=1024). MFD indicates 5.3l/100 from local driving and 4.4 for the trip to work (5.1 for the trip home up the hill to Glenbrook via Hawkesbury lookout - trying to empty the tank faster...)

Anyway, the smoke if anything is worse, now happening when you maintain any speed and then accelerate. Before it was traffic jam speeds 15km/h, now it is at 60, 70, 80 though it may look worse at night but there is a big cloud as soon as you accelerate but then clears. There is a clear lag in acceleration but I am not sure how long the turbo lag should be. Note I am not booting the accelerator just accelerating.

[GermanwithaVdub]

for some reason the whateveritis coming out of the exhaust shows up so much more at night, ive noticed that as well. thats some very low fuel consumption!

[OvaltoJetta]

BP Diesel

There's been a few comments in this thread about using BP diesel. The info has been very useful, so here's my bit. It is my understanding that in WA which has the lowest sulpher content in the country, all fuel (apart from maybe Woolies / Caltex - hence I dont use it) comes from our local BP Kwinana refinery. That said, I might try a tank from a BP outlet and see if I get further. On the smoke issue, I have been taking notice since this thread started and have found that if I just tonk around I will get a bit of smoke when I next put pedal to metal, but only initially. It then seems OK if I per chance tramp it a second time. It also seems to me that a good run down the freeway once a week, occasionally giving it a bit of freedom, does it the world of good. ........All comments are useful.

[Spoddy]

Update

Well its amazing how long it takes to run two tanks of BP through... Still on the first tank and 380km still to go.

I'm now going on holidays for two weeks to outback NSW but not in the Golf - in the new Kluger which I wish was a diesel!

So its going to be an eternity...

[Spoddy]

All comments are useful.

I agree and at the end of the day it may just come down to driving style and the type of fuel. If so its a quirk I will have to get used to now that I am hooked on the diesel.

[Spoddy]

In fact the only good thing I can say about my dealer is that they gave me a set of tyre valve caps for free when I reported that someone had nicked mine when I parked it in downtown Cairns last week).

What sort of caps were they? Mine are just the standard black plastic.

[mikinoz]

I suggest that you ask if the dealers demo car is the same, and if it is less smokey ask to take that home instead.

Ask if they would use your car as a demo if it smoked that much, and if the answer is no, then that it is only fair they resolve it adequately and promptly.

Also remind them of the new lemon laws that are being passed...