Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 00 1.8 - diesel smoke

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Tue 25 Nov 2008 20:26
00 1.8 - diesel smoke - fredblogs
My Focus 1.8 tdi emits a puff a dark grey/ black smoke on start up first thing in the morning. It only does this when it has been sitting over night. It then emits a smallish amount of dark grey smoke for maybe 30 seconds afterwards while it's ticking over and then this disappears. It is not difficult to start - it takes maybe another 2 or 3 turns of the starter on a frosty morning than it does when it is a hot day. It also runs smoothly more or less immediately after it has started.

More noticeable is the dark greyish smoke that it emits under load e.g overtaking. This is constant, not just a single puff when you first press the accelerator. Normally this is not noticeable - I've actually started to notice it now it is dark in the mornings and evenings. I can see it in the lights of the car behind me.

I just wonder if anyone could tell me what could be causing this and if it is any cause for concern?

Thanks

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 25/11/2008 at 20:52

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Fri 28 Nov 2008 17:19
00 1.8 - diesel smoke - gandaulf
you could have an injector leaking diesel into a clynder overnight.
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Sat 29 Nov 2008 02:37
00 1.8 - diesel smoke - DP
These TDDi engines are quite smoky. Puffs on acceleration and visible in following headlamps are quite normal for any pre Euro 4 diesel, including this one. Have you had it MOT'd lately? Do you know what the smoke test results were?

Excessive smoke on start up could be nothing more sinister than a dead glowplug.

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