Hello and thanks for reading!

I drive about 60 miles a day to work and back and coming back up the motorway about 3 weeks ago I noticed that white smoke was coming out both exhausts constantly. Getting off the motorway and accelerating uphill, a huge plume of smoke would virtually hide the cars behind. Oddly it doesn't always do it. I never see it in the morning when I drive to work, it's always coming back. It doesn't do it when idling either. Oil and water are both fine and the car has done 73k. Any suggestions?

The only time I've had smoke like that from an engine was when a valve stem seal failed. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Thanks for the help. Never thought of that because it doesn't happen all the time. I think maybe I should just book it in for Stratstone to have a look.

Hi

Could possibly be unburnt fuel, you could try stopping when its doing it and see if there is any sort of diesel smell to the smoke may give you clue. Might have to have a diag. check done on engine to see if that shows anything up.

Cheers
Col

White smoke is water/condensation. Black smoke is diesel, blue is oil as a rule of thumb 2x TDV6. SE and HSE. Both returned to sender with issues👀
TDV8 Sport HSE...... Gone. Loved it but it didn't love me!!
Now rolling in MY10 Fullfat TDV8 Vogue. Slammed it to go round corners🙈
Cruising daily #56 mph in a Volvo V8. 😱
Lots of other toys in the cupboard...😜

Over fueling is one of the main causes of black smoke in diesel engines along with various other things such as restricted air flow due to possibly a dirty air filter for example. White smoke can be caused by un-burnt fuel in addition to water/condensation etc. due to various things as well. Such as low compression and the fuel is not igniting correctly, so you have unburnt vaporised diesel coming from the exhaust and as it is vaporised it gives the appearance of being white smoke. Hence why I suggested he check to see if there was a fuel smell to it at all.

Cheers
Col

Never seen a diesel over fueling producing white smoke! Having worked on commercials for 30 odd years for a living plus building rally engines for a hobby, I would stand by my first statement. White smoke is induction of water in some form! Regardless, my recommendation would be to get it checked out. My sport used to create quite a lot of vapor old cold mornings but never once warm. Was always black smoke after hard acceleration. 2x TDV6. SE and HSE. Both returned to sender with issues👀
TDV8 Sport HSE...... Gone. Loved it but it didn't love me!!
Now rolling in MY10 Fullfat TDV8 Vogue. Slammed it to go round corners🙈
Cruising daily #56 mph in a Volvo V8. 😱
Lots of other toys in the cupboard...😜

I said over fueling can cause black smoke, un-burnt fuel can cause white smoke. As you say it is unlikely for a warm engine to produce condensation and as the o.p. said the water and oil was ok. I felt it could be a possibility.

Cheers
Col

Thanks everyone. It's an odd one as it comes out as a constant on the motorway in the evening. I only see it because I can see it in the headlights of the car behind. It's a real fog. When I accelerate hard at lights for example I get the whole black and probably white plume come out that hides the car behind.

Maybe it happens during the day also, but you see it more in the evening due to the headlights behind you? I had a Defender just so, some years ago which had been chipped causing a lot of extra unburnt fuel smoke on acceleration.

It isn't a Cairns Blue example with twin rear pipes? 2x TDV6. SE and HSE. Both returned to sender with issues👀
TDV8 Sport HSE...... Gone. Loved it but it didn't love me!!
Now rolling in MY10 Fullfat TDV8 Vogue. Slammed it to go round corners🙈
Cruising daily #56 mph in a Volvo V8. 😱
Lots of other toys in the cupboard...😜

Raybold7 wrote:

Thanks everyone. It's an odd one as it comes out as a constant on the motorway in the evening. I only see it because I can see it in the headlights of the car behind. It's a real fog. When I accelerate hard at lights for example I get the whole black and probably white plume come out that hides the car behind.

Old post I know, but did you get a resolution to your white smoke issue?
 2015 RRS AB SDV6, Fuji White, Ivory
2012 RRS HSE SDV6, Sumatra Black and Ivory
Audi A5, 3.0 TDI, Gone
Audi TT, 3.2 V6, Gone
BMW 5 series tourer, Gone