Vauxhall Combo - White exhaust smoke from diesel engine after short journey

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Sat 1 Dec 2018 10:34
Vauxhall Combo - White exhaust smoke from diesel engine after short journey - Simon Hirst

Hi all,

I have a Vauxhall Combo 1.7 diesel van from 2010 with low miles appox 55K.

I (sometimes) get white smoke from the exhaust when idling after I've started it from cold and travelled for about 5 mins and then park up. If it's had chance to warm up say after 10-15 mins or it's properly hot then I 'm (pretty sure) I don't get this smoke.

I understand that white smoke when idling can mean injector issues but also I've been told that if this was the problem then I'd get the smoke whatever the temperature.

Is this just par for course on short journeys when it's cold at this time of year? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Simon.

Edited by Simon Hirst on 01/12/2018 at 10:35

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Sat 1 Dec 2018 10:41
Vauxhall Combo - White exhaust smoke from diesel engine after short journey - Peter.N.

If its only during cold weather it could well be steam, the fact that it dissapears when hot would indicate that.

If it unburnt fuel you will be able to smell it.

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Sat 15 Dec 2018 19:14
Vauxhall Combo - White exhaust smoke from diesel engine after short journey - Simon Hirst

Thanks

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Sat 15 Dec 2018 19:45
Vauxhall Combo - White exhaust smoke from diesel engine after short journey - bathtub tom

If its only during cold weather it could well be steam,

To be pedantic, I think he means water vapour. You can't see steam.

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Sun 16 Dec 2018 10:09
Vauxhall Combo - White exhaust smoke from diesel engine after short journey - Peter.N.

Can you define steam for me then if its not water vapour?

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Sun 16 Dec 2018 11:38
Vauxhall Combo - White exhaust smoke from diesel engine after short journey - gordonbennet

White smoke from especially a cold Diesel could be unburnt fuel, we assume it's not using quantities of coolant, though all engines put out some form of water vapour (steam :-) at these sorts of temperatures when cold, if you remember Volvo 240's they could steam from the exhaust all day long in traffic queues.

Does the engine show any signs of missing when you start up initially and then the other cylinder gradually join in, which might point to a glow plug has died, or it could be low on compression on one or more cyls.

First off i'd chuck a whole bottle of Forte injector cleaner (other fuel system treatments or snake oil, whichever you prefer, are available) into the tank and see if things change at all.

Edited by gordonbennet on 16/12/2018 at 11:41

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Sun 16 Dec 2018 15:04
Vauxhall Combo - White exhaust smoke from diesel engine after short journey - Andrew-T

Can you define steam for me then if its not water vapour?

Although at face value 'water vapour' is the same as 'steam', in fact it is tiny droplets like fog or mist, which is the same thing. Cloud, in other words. 'Steam' is only molecules of gas, which have not condensed enough to become visible.

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