Smoking

[kennygee]

I have a 06 Mondeo TDCI. When accelerating hard there is a cloud of black smoke following me. It has just passed it's MOT but was wondering what I can do to cut down on the smoke.

 

[RogerL]

That cloud of black smoke is unburnt fuel that you've recently paid for - you may well find you can accelerate just as quickly with less throttle and save a bit of money.

 

[JonnyG]

I have a 06 Mondeo TDCI. When accelerating hard there is a cloud of black smoke following me. It has just passed it's MOT but was wondering what I can do to cut down on the smoke.

Hi need more info, i assume you can actually see the smoke in your mirror? when was it last serviced ie filters changed does the
car tick over ok from cold? i mean do the revs stay low or do they jump? them old tdci engines are usually pretty clean i know as i have the 2.2 lump also an 06 and if the black smoke has turned up lately then somethings not 100%...

 

[NigelHutson]

EGR valves are a common issue on the Mondeo, either sticking, stuck or just clogged up, and would cause smoking without necessarily affecting performnce.

 

[kennygee]

Hi JonnyG. I have had my car for just over a year and as yet it hasn't had a proper srvice. No filters changed etc. The tick=over seems to be OK - pretty constant. Is there any additive I could use to help with my problem? Strangely enough it passed the emissions test on it's MOT.

 

[otherclive]

Yes the best additive is called "have it serviced" and checked for EGR and intercooler hose leaks. It could be a faulty injector. Just because it passes its MoT does not mean problems can arise afterwards.

 

[JonnyG]

Hi JonnyG. I have had my car for just over a year and as yet it hasn't had a proper srvice. No filters changed etc. The tick=over seems to be OK - pretty constant. Is there any additive I could use to help with my problem? Strangely enough it passed the emissions test on it's MOT.

hi. forte make a one shot fuel system cleaner but to be fair air filter and diesel filter should be changed first to see if that helps.
having re read you post as you say its under heavy throttle it could just be a build up of soot in the erg valve and exhaust and a good run out with plent of heavy right foot might well get rid of a lot of soot and make it smoke less,as you clear out years of build up or
indeed stuff loosened by its emission test, although it cannot be too bad if it past. is the smoke jet black or greyish and does it clear
after a few seconds or stay visable until you release your foot?

 

[kennygee]

I would say the smoke is darkish grey and it does stay until I stop accelerating. I will try new filters to see if that helps.

 

[Surfer]

When we buy a second hand vehicle, one of the first things we do is to get it serviced regardless of whether the dealer has had it serviced recently.

 

[JonnyG]

I would say the smoke is darkish grey and it does stay until I stop accelerating. I will try new filters to see if that helps.

yes i would start with nice new air and diesel filters, its nothing serious given it past the emission test but annoying because
it smokes.like i said it could be merely a build up of soot thats come loose to a sensor not performing at 100% even the intercooler pipe
which is the big fat pipe going from the turbo to the intercooler with age looses its strength and sucks in under load stoping the right amount of air gettting through or even tearing which does the same thing, but best to start with the easy stuff and see what happens.

good luck

 

[NickinFrance]

Clean & check the operation of the EGR.
If you look at the various Mondeo forums for EGR blanking, you can check to see if it's worth your while fitting a blanking plate to stop it reoccurring.

 

[JonnyG]

Clean & check the operation of the EGR.
If you look at the various Mondeo forums for EGR blanking, you can check to see if it's worth your while fitting a blanking plate to stop it reoccurring.

being as its an 06 plate making it the euro 4 version blanking plates are not a good idea as the EGR valve is electronic and can put on the EM light on although it should not go into limp home mode, also although unlikely as its the 06 model it could have a dpf fitted too as some did come with them again not a good idea to go blanking off the EGR valve if it has a DPF....as you would be putting more soot and NOX through the DPF than it really would want on an older car with no dount plenty of miles under its belt and DPFs dont work forever and cost a fortune to replace.....

 

[NickinFrance]

being as its an 06 plate making it the euro 4 version blanking plates are not a good idea as the EGR valve is electronic and can put on the EM light on although it should not go into limp home mode, also although unlikely as its the 06 model it could have a dpf fitted too as some did come with them

That's why I said check the Mondeo forums.
My comment was based upon my 2.0D Jaguar which has the same basic engine as the Mondeo, only the 2.2D Jaguar has a (optional) DPF.
The EGR on the Euro 4, 06 my Jaguar is Vacuum & a 6-8 mm hole in a Blanking Plate will stop the EM light coming on.
I still stand by my comment that the most likely cause of black smoke on acceleration is a clogged EGR valve or manifold.

 

[JonnyG]

being as its an 06 plate making it the euro 4 version blanking plates are not a good idea as the EGR valve is electronic and can put on the EM light on although it should not go into limp home mode, also although unlikely as its the 06 model it could have a dpf fitted too as some did come with them

That's why I said check the Mondeo forums.
My comment was based upon my 2.0D Jaguar which has the same basic engine as the Mondeo, only the 2.2D Jaguar has a (optional) DPF.
The EGR on the Euro 4, 06 my Jaguar is Vacuum & a 6-8 mm hole in a Blanking Plate will stop the EM light coming on.
I still stand by my comment that the most likely cause of black smoke on acceleration is a clogged EGR valve or manifold.

I dont think anyone doubts clogged inlet manifolds and clogged egr valve will cause black or greyish smoke,as will a clogged exhaust system, cat or intercoller pipe thats gone soft or oil build up in the inlet system being sucked through or, well a fare few oher things.and frankly if it is a clogged up inlet manifold or anyother thing bar a faulty EGR valve the vehicle will still smoke. but it is nice to know that ford in their wisdom build the euro 4 mondeo with better techno stuff, than the jag.
The euro 4 ford has an electrical egr valve and not a vacuum type one that you say the jag has in both the 2.0l and 2.2 tdci and again both of these mondeo's can come with DPFs fitted unlike apparently the jag that it only comes on the 2.2l jag.
my car has had TWO egr valves changed its a 2.2 tdci euro 4, the first one 8 months prior to my purchase, at 88k the second one 2 months into ownership 101k grudgingly the second one under the 1 year warranty of the first, but also they changed the wiring of the second time around, apparently a known fault on the electrically controlled EGR valve fitted to all euro 4 diesel mondeo's....

 

[JonnyG]

being as its an 06 plate making it the euro 4 version blanking plates are not a good idea as the EGR valve is electronic and can put on the EM light on although it should not go into limp home mode, also although unlikely as its the 06 model it could have a dpf fitted too as some did come with them

That's why I said check the Mondeo forums.
My comment was based upon my 2.0D Jaguar which has the same basic engine as the Mondeo, only the 2.2D Jaguar has a (optional) DPF.
The EGR on the Euro 4, 06 my Jaguar is Vacuum & a 6-8 mm hole in a Blanking Plate will stop the EM light coming on.
I still stand by my comment that the most likely cause of black smoke on acceleration is a clogged EGR valve or manifold.

Sorry tried to edit my last post,instead it double posted! wanted to add that blanking off the EGR valve actually heats up the inlet temp of the in going charge at the times when an open EGR valve would actually have been helping to cool the ingoing charge.

 

[kennygee]

When my car started smoking quite bad, I did about 80 miles accelerating slowly and never going above 50mph. It managed 65.6mpg. Just shows you if you keep your speed down just how many mpg you can get. Incidently my car has only done 66,000 miles.

 

[NickinFrance]

clogged inlet manifolds and clogged egr valve will cause black or greyish smoke,as will a clogged exhaust system, cat or intercoller pipe thats gone soft or oil build up in the inlet system being sucked through or, well a fare few oher things

Of course, many things could cause smoke but the most common problem according to people on the Jag & Mondeo forums is a clogged EGR valve & as it's not particularly difficult to remove, it is an easy issue to check.
Again, in my experience & that of other forum members, the Intercooler hose splits rather than goes soft, while not easy to find the split by feel, you can hear a whooshing noise under acceleration if it has gone.

but it is nice to know that ford in their wisdom build the euro 4 mondeo with better techno stuff, than the jag.

Thankfully, considering only 20% of the Jag is made of Ford parts, everything that has gone wrong on mine has been a Ford part.

 

[JonnyG]

clogged inlet manifolds and clogged egr valve will cause black or greyish smoke,as will a clogged exhaust system, cat or intercoller pipe thats gone soft or oil build up in the inlet system being sucked through or, well a fare few oher things

Of course, many things could cause smoke but the most common problem according to people on the Jag & Mondeo forums is a clogged EGR valve & as it's not particularly difficult to remove, it is an easy issue to check.
Again, in my experience & that of other forum members, the Intercooler hose splits rather than goes soft, while not easy to find the split by feel, you can hear a whooshing noise under acceleration if it has gone.

but it is nice to know that ford in their wisdom build the euro 4 mondeo with better techno stuff, than the jag.

Thankfully, considering only 20% of the Jag is made of Ford parts, everything that has gone wrong on mine has been a Ford part.

heh heh heh, so the engine and floorpan makes only 20% of the car.may those jags must weigh a lot..er as regards the splitting intercooler pipe,yep agree they do split but that only happens after they have gone soft and suck in repeatly and like folding a peice of cardboard repeatly it tears........have indeed used the mondeo forums in the past and you are only telling me what i would have been saying almost a decade back with regards egr valve [vacuum type] electrical one do also go wrong but not in the same numbers as the old vacuum ones did. the ecu's have betterfuel maps, just as after 03 MAF sensors dont go out of spec like the pre 03 ones, but never the less thats another thing that gets rolled out as being troublesome in great number with total disregard to how they have been improved, just like DMFs have been improved,so last much longer than a decade ago. In the case of the modeo injector pumps were improved after 03 so they dont dissintagrate and damage the injectors like thay did,although it doesnt stop so many on those forums replaceing injectors not once but twice and blaming the new injectors or suppliers of reconditioned ones of poor injectors when the fault lies else where and merely also damages the injectors as a by product...like most vehicles in the manufacuring life they are improved on.06 plated mondeos are amongst the last of the mk3 generation which have numerous improvements over earlier ones and that means alot of what is stated as being problematic with mondeos doesnt apply to them in the same vien as earlier ones.
even assuming it is the egr valve thats the problem, blanking it off wont stop it from smoking as the soot build up would still be in the inlet track and trapped in the cat,both would need cleanig out a real dirty job the cat can be hit with a rubber mallet to loosen the soot and emptied, even better remove the cat as it acts as a trap for soot anyway and fit a straight through pipe,being as a diesel does not need a cat to pass the ancient smoke test,of course if it has a DPF you need to re programme the ecu first to knock out not only the egr valve but the dpf too.... oh my 06 plate mondeo as mentioned egr valve replaced twice die at least once to faulty electrical connector, in my view that was the proplem to start with, add a broken front suspension spring thats in its 120k plus life time but if
i had listened to advice from mondeo forums my injectors where gone! amazing how low ash tow stroke oil can repair faulty injectors! but no doubt having said all of this the car will now breakdown with something serious.must remember to swap cars with the better half.....

 

[Dustydog]

Jonny
Has said it all.

I had this problem o. The Sorie two years ago.

An EGR valve working at 50% and turbo pipes heavily contaminated. Changed them and no more smoke .

 

[kennygee]

Yippee. Thanks everybody for all your imputs. I have found out today that my EGR pipe is definately split. So Tomorrow it's off to the Car parts shop for a new one. So thanks once again folks