WHITE SMOKE PROBLEM - On starting from cold, cloud of white smoke and engine idles erratically ... if I watch exhaust, the white smoke corresponds with hunting (erratic idle) - every time it misfires there's a puff of white smoke (less as engine warms). Even when engine warm there's some whitish smoke in the exhaust (didn't used to be). Car runs fine. It's 1987 and it's done 133,000 miles. New glow plugs maybe 12-15 k miles ago. Do you guys reckon this is an injector problem? If so, what's the remedy (and cost). Reconditioned injector pump about 40k ago. Best car I've ever had. Cheers.
White smoke on startup is generally ok especially during the winter, when warm it usually means the engine is burning water. How much coolant does the engine use?
No, they are non-turbo. I suspect it's your head gasket, check your coolant level like what's been said.
Thanks for your suggestions. Problem pretty well disappears when engine warm and ticks over fine then. Doesn't use much water (slight rad leak) so hopefully not head gasket. Beginning to suspect a faulty glow plug and maybe I should get the injectors checked out.
Is it every time you start the engine from cold? I'm just wondering if rainwater could be getting into the intake somehow?
Unlikely what with the design of the airbox etc on that engine. If it's more greyish smoke and it stinks of diesel you could have a clogged air filter...
The smoke's definitely white (ish) and could well smell of diesel but haven't got that close to find out. I've a feeling this is going to be a pretty simple thing to put right, especially as I rang the local Peugeot people (for a laugh) enquiring about the cost of a new heater plug relay box - £97.29 plus VAT, hohoho. The guy said, 'If I was you mate I'd check out your glow plugs before you do anything else', which is what I'll do later this week. I'll keep you guys informed. Thanks for suggestions so far.
Sure its not just from the cold weather and its not actually smoke? Perhaps expelling condensation / water vapour from the exhaust system? From my limited knowledge I would have thought dodgy glowplugs would only slow the ignition process (i.e. take a few turns to start) and wouldn't cause smoke, especially not white smoke.
Mad-Axl - ever tried starting a diesel without glow plugs? It can take ages to start or if you've got bad compression won't even start at all. And when it does you get a cloud of smoke and it misfires like crazy for a few seconds.
In very cold places they have to light fires under diesel engines to get them to start (even with good glow plugs) - but I live in Essex so haven't had to resort to that yet.
that bad plugs could very well cause smoke after startup, that would go away once the engine is warmed up properly.
hehe that's half the fun of driving a diesel ... Start it normally, and as it idles half bad , push the throttle a bit ... as it misfires a couple of times you give your mates a reason to use their way to expensive foglights for once ... It disappears as the engine warms up. my car is 243000 km ( 152000 miles ) old ...diesels seem to do that in cold weather, wouldn't be paniced by that ... Even my fathers fairly new TDI does it ...
