Could Smoke Signals Be a Sign of Diesel Engine Drama?

In the old days, diesel engines were often associated with a lot of exhaust smoke and the situation was generally taken for granted. However, people are much more concerned about environmental pollution these days, and the vehicle manufacturers were told in no uncertain terms that they had to clean up their game. These days, therefore, diesel engines are considered to be some of the most efficient in the marketplace and, due to advanced technology, quite friendly to the environment. So, if you have noticed exhaust smoke from your particular vehicle, what should you do?

Normal Performance

In an ideal world, you should see no smoke at all from the rear of your diesel car or truck, even if it is an older model, as all vehicles are required to have particulate filters and other treatment systems in place. You may in certain circumstances see a tiny bit of white smoke when you first start the vehicle from cold, but this should disappear almost immediately and especially when you reach the typical operating temperature.

Fuel Pump Timing

Today, though, you are rather worried because you can see some grey or even black smoke in the rearview mirror and this situation is not normal. Somehow, partially burned fuel is finding its way past the engine and is not being treated by the filter. In this case, you may have a fuel pump timing system that is incorrectly adjusted, but you will certainly notice issues with the vehicle's performance as well.

Blue Smoke

You should be even more worried if the smoke appears to have a blue tint to it because usually, this means that oil is finding its way into the combustion process. This could be due to damaged rings or faulty seals, but it will definitely affect the compression and, consequently, the strength of the engine. Before too long the engine may fail altogether if you don't take action to fix this issue.

Fit for Purpose

As you may know, your vehicle is required to be fit for use on the public road at all times and is not supposed to contribute much to environmental pollution. As such, any trace of smoke when the engine is under load or is otherwise warm is a cause for concern. Even though you may not be sure what is causing the issue, you will need to make sure that you get it repaired as soon as possible, if you want to avoid any unwanted attention.

For more information on diesel engines, visit a shop that offers on-site diesel repairs in your area.


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