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

[Transporter]

Blue smoke from exhaust on VW TDi is almost always caused by engine oil sucked via PCV hose (located @ the rocker cover and going onto air duct).
Disconnect one end and check with your finger inside the hose. There is a lot of information about the problem available on the Internet.

I've installed MAN PROVENT 200 on my R5 engine in T5 and smoke slowely went away. There will be a lot of oil acumulated inside the intercooler. I've also disconnected PCV hose and check our GolfV and just after 1000 km there was already a lot of oil. At 6,000km I didn't have to top up a single drop of oil yet. From a new we drive that car as it was fully run in, from 1500km I drive it like I'd stalled it, but the engine has to be at least very close to
80 deg.C.

Diesel engines designed for hard work and I don't remember that anybody would drive their truck 20,000km - 50,000km empty, just because the engine is running in. In the best case they don't connect the trailer at first 1,500km. After first 500km diesel engine is ready for work.

[GermanwithaVdub]

any recent progress? hows the BP diesel going?

[Spoddy]

any recent progress? hows the BP diesel going?

Well so far so good; generally way less less smoke but I am yet to do the photo thing again under the conditions it was having the problem which I think is required as it is the only way to compare and to see from outside the car. Looking promising though.

I will post the new pics I just have to take them....

busy busy.

[Spoddy]

Smoke

Blue smoke from exhaust on VW TDi is almost always caused by engine oil sucked via PCV hose (located @ the rocker cover and going onto air duct).
...

The engine used heaps of oil in the 1st 4,000km so much so the warning light came on and the dealer topped it up (they said it took a lot); since then the car has now done 11,000km and the oil has not moved on the dipstick. The smoke problem was still hapening at the 9,000km mark and we have consumed 2 full tanks and now just starting the 3rd of BP and generally the economy has improved and there is less smoke generally. The smoke has always been more white than blue particularly since the 4,000km mark.

As for checking the oil in the pcv hose - I am yet to figure out how to just take of the engine cover let alone look for the hose

[Transporter]

The engine used heaps of oil in the 1st 4,000km so much so the warning light came on and the dealer topped it up (they said it took a lot); since then the car has now done 11,000km and the oil has not moved on the dipstick. The smoke problem was still hapening at the 9,000km mark and we have consumed 2 full tanks and now just starting the 3rd of BP and generally the economy has improved and there is less smoke generally. The smoke has always been more white than blue particularly since the 4,000km mark.

As for checking the oil in the pcv hose - I am yet to figure out how to just take of the engine cover let alone look for the hose

Hi Spoddy,
You just need 10mm socket, extension and ratchet, to undo the PCV hose you need a pair of pliers.
But even if you go to VW dealer that you found an oil going in the intercooler you most likely are to get answer that "it is normal and characteristic to diesel engines today". Believe me I'm qualified mechanic with 30 years of experience
and there were the days when engine which was using 0.7L/1000km was considered as worn out and needed rebuild. Except running in period.
A new engine needs run in time but with technology which is superior to that of some 20 years ago we should see less time needed to run in the engine and less oil consumed during that time. However lower viscosity engine oils are easy to get sucked back onto the inlet but that should be not an issue, since many Japanese manufacturers don't have that problem.
I solved it on my cars by installing Man Provent200. Every 5000km I drain approx. 0.5L of oil out of it. Oil which would and up burnt in the cylinder and could possibly glaze the cylinder walls.
That explains to me why some engines always use a lot of oil between oil changes but thanks to the excellent new technology, advanced materials and much closer tolerances between moving parts than in the engines made some 20 years ago such engines can be used for long,long time.

[deek]

Hey Spoddy,
Spoke to a bloke a couple of weeks ago at the BP at Valley Heights and he was having the same problem as you, his car has done 17,000k and he used about 2 litres of oil. I told about your predicament and he said he might do the same as you and take it back to the dealer.
Cheers
deek

[GermanwithaVdub]

Hey Spoddy,
Spoke to a bloke a couple of weeks ago at the BP at Valley Heights and he was having the same problem as you, his car has done 17,000k and he used about 2 litres of oil. I told about your predicament and he said he might do the same as you and take it back to the dealer.
Cheers
deek

they will tell you 2L of oil is normal. they told me that 2L was normal after 11 or 12 thousand kms.

[Spoddy]

they will tell you 2L of oil is normal. they told me that 2L was normal after 11 or 12 thousand kms.

Thats right - they told me that 4l / service interval up to 30,000km was "normal" when I had used 2l in 4000km. But my problem is not oil related as the smoke (white) was/is not engine oil related (at least that what the consensus is) and I haven't used any oil since.

BP is having a good impact on the engine though - great economy and less smoke generally.

I haven't been able to get my son to do some testing so I can take photos (he keeps going to the beach on the weekend) but from watching the mirrors there has not been any smoke in the last tank at all (3 tanks now).

[GermanwithaVdub]

Thats right - they told me that 4l / service interval up to 30,000km was "normal" when I had used 2l in 4000km. But my problem is not oil related as the smoke (white) was/is not engine oil related (at least that what the consensus is) and I haven't used any oil since.

BP is having a good impact on the engine though - great economy and less smoke generally.

I haven't been able to get my son to do some testing so I can take photos (he keeps going to the beach on the weekend) but from watching the mirrors there has not been any smoke in the last tank at all (3 tanks now).

eyyyyyy thats good news. you coming on the summer cruise? http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newf...ead.php?t=9375
thered be lots of people to talk to about your car there i'm sure. plus it'd be nice to have a few newbies along like myself. you could ask some ppl to check out if your car is smoking or not

[Spoddy]

eyyyyyy thats good news. you coming on the summer cruise? http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newf...ead.php?t=9375
thered be lots of people to talk to about your car there i'm sure. plus it'd be nice to have a few newbies along like myself. you could ask some ppl to check out if your car is smoking or not

Well I don't have any photos of the smoke because there is nothing to take a photo of... well very little and what there is is probably considered normal for a diesel.

So it would appear that 3 or 4 tanks now of BP has improved things.

Thankyou to everyone for all the help and advice. I am still waiting on explanation from VW Aust/Denlo at Parramatta so as soon as I get some news I will post it.

[Spoddy]

Well I am glad the smoke has gone, but I am really disappointed that I have not been able to get the VW Dealer to reply to my questions on why....

Amazingly, my wife decided that since we only had to pass a few tanks through it would be OK to go back to the local caltex... guess what! Smoke came back.

Am I correct in thinking from Jan08 this should not be a problem as all diesel will have to be the same spec as the BP is already

I hope so as BP out our way is so expensive (142+).

Anyone have a rattle where the external mirror attaches to the drivers door? The dealer "fixed" mine but it is back again and the indicator light (at the bottom edge of the mirror) has stopped working (though I think it stopped when they tried to stop the rattle). I thought the MFD was meant to tell you when a light bullb had blown?

Also (damn it ) my son lost one of the keys! how much is that going to cost and will it casue a problem getting a new one to match the existing etc etc?

[GermanwithaVdub]

burning the **** fuel will just make your engine and internals dirty and will not have as good economy, wiping out any comparable savings when you buy it. its really not worth buying crap to put through such a nice engine. if someone paid you 5$ to tip a whole lot of sulfur into the tank every time you fill up, knowing that it'd cost you 10$ worth of damage to your car, would you do it? thats what it seems like to me anyway.

it will cost you well over 200$ for a new key plus whatever they charge to encode it. you're best off buying a key from ebay or the net for less than 100 and taking it to them to code (only vw can code it, they have to dload the unique code from the vw computer system overseas)

try 146c average price here for decent diesel... makes me angry since its cheaper for them to buy.

[Spoddy]

try 146c average price here for decent diesel... makes me angry since its cheaper for them to buy.

This morning the price is 148.9..... I sent an e-mail to the NRMA asking why they are only advocating for petrol when those of us doing the right thing are now being penalised so V8 guzzlers get a better deal....

[Spoddy]

it will cost you well over 200$ for a new key plus whatever they charge to encode it. you're best off buying a key from ebay or the net for less than 100 and taking it to them to code (only vw can code it, they have to dload the unique code from the vw computer system overseas).

Hi GermanwithaVdub,

Thanks again for your help.

I have also asked the question in the Mk5 forum

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=10459

[neil]

Hey Spoddy.
Have you been keeping the fuel consumption figures for the BP fuel and the
cheaper fuel your back to using.