200 series blowing blue smoke

Smirke

Smirke

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Hi everyone. Anyone had their cruiser blowing blue smoke? Not sure how long it has been doing it, But did have the scariest drive home with the van the other weekend where car was pulling van ok, but stability just wasnt there. Car and van going all over the road (I did say it was scarey) any time car went over 90km/h. Car booked in on Monday, van booked in for check and service friday and then wheel alignment at a truck place the following monday. (Am trying to cover all bases for the horrendous towing).
Only reason I know it is blowing blue smoke.....a nice gentleman was waving at me like a psycho at the lights on the way home and told me. Car has now been garaged.
 
Drover

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Blue smoke usually means burning oil, check coolant for sludge deposit but also could be oil leak onto hot exhaust though when its that the cab will fill with smoke as well.........smell is a main indicator to problem but if coming from exhaust pipe usually not good, white/grey smoke is over fuelling. If rig wandering, you didn't have hand brake on ????
 
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Smirke

Smirke

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Drover said:
Blue smoke usually means burning oil, check coolant for sludge deposit but also could be oil leak onto hot exhaust though when its that the cab will fill with smoke as well.........smell is a main indicator to problem but if coming from exhaust pipe usually not good, white/grey smoke is over fuelling. If rig wandering, you didn't have hand brake on ????
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Bugger, if I knew how to check for sludge, I'd definitely do it, but unfortunately thats something I dont know how to do. Under the bonnet is clean, well except for the odd bug, leaf and red dirt from 2 years ago. Neighbour (a truckie) looked at it this arvo and there was no smoke or smell and only black residue in the exhaust pipe. Here's hoping it isnt anything major. Couldnt see any smoke as I was driving, and there wasnt any smell. I guess thats good. There has been an intermittent smell from the wheel arch which has been happening for about a year or so. Sort of electrical smell and its only ever from one arch at a time. usually the back passenger one. But it isnt regular and never happens when in for a service.
Handbrake was definitely off on the van and car, but after driving for 2 hours, the van squealed and made that groaning sound when going slow or braking. Not sure if that means bearings or brakes, but told that to the service place so it can get checked.
Have got everything crossed that it isnt something major for both car and van.
 
Smirke

Smirke

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DRW said:
I hope you didn't get a gut full of bad fuel @Smirke that could really spoil you christmas, lets hope its something simple
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If its bad fuel, wouldnt the car drive crappily? I have no idea myself. All I know is that it sounds and drives as it always has. Although, the trip back I got 13L/100km......RECORD!!!!!!! Best ever!!!! Maybe this is a good thing and not a bad one? Especially if it means when towing the van I get those figures.
 
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Drover

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Thats a good possibility @icetechaus , so no smell, engine running well, with the smell at the wheel arch it could be a small brake fluid leak ...................The idea is when this sort of thing happens is you should stop, walk around vehicle to try to locate source of smoke, whether from exhaust or elsewhere, no smell usually means its behind driver, always put a hand on the wheel hubs to check temp on van and tug, they should be at least warm though, can be very hot if you have been braking the important thing is they should all be the same temp then you know your not dragging a brake also a handbrake can drag, makes a lot of smoke and since they only work on the rear wheels/tail shaft you may not smell it, hit a bump or pull up apply handbrake and next run it will be all good.....but the important thing is to stop and observe, feel and smell your way around the vehicle plus under the bonnet you may not know what your looking for or at but it can go a long way when you can describe things to someone who does....It may also allow you to grab the extinguisher and put out the fire before it gets a hold as happened to me the other year.
Check your trailer 12pin a short could have put a bit of brake on.....

While its not pertaining to this, lifting the radiator cap shows if you have a head gasket or auto cooler fail, sludge on inside of cap, bubbles blowing in the coolant or the header tank goes dark instead of green/red/blue means trouble with head gasket leak, engine oil cooler leak or the auto cooler has a hole...White smoke from exhaust may not be smoke but steam means same thing......smell burning in cab possibly means engine is about to catch on fire, stop car, grab extinguisher, open bonnet but leave engine running it will keep the flames down, look for something smouldering, shut engine down then pull the extinguisher trigger, no extinguisher then drop bonnet, empty gear from vehicle,call 000 and check insurance....

I will be interesting to find out what it was...
 
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Drover

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1DayIll said:
Hey Drover, is this the same for petrol and diesel? grey/white smoke? How fo you fix it?
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Petrol overfuel usually is black and stinks, can happen on todays engine if O2 sensor fails, brain needs info from sensor to mix fuel/air, old style petrol grey usually meant running a bit lean while white is often steam with a coolant leak into engine which may not mean an oil leak into coolant, in most cases motor isn't running as good as norma, blue smoke is burning oil...............

Diesel with white/grey smoke with moisture from exhaust with stink of diesel is fuel usually when a cylinder isn't firing so raw fuel is passing thru the system, shouldn't happen on modern engines as the computer would have a spazo and shut down but on the old natural engines it could happen and you could still drive so long as the raw fuel didn't get into the sump and fire up......black smoke on accelleration from oil burners is just too much fuel from sudden right foot, should only be momentarily visible and not really a worry, if it continues then a tune is needed....blue smoke is oil burning.

I think Ive covered it..............
 
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Smirke

Smirke

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rags said:
Smirked, it isn't anything to do with the DPF filter you most likely have on the 200s being a 2016? They have a tendency to blow a bit of smoke when doing a burn off.
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Well, the beast went in and the beast came out. No sign of oil anywhere (phew) so they have put it down to the DPF. I didn’t think it would do a burn while the engine was still cool but apparently it can, and no light comes on to let you know. The smell they said was rubber. Only comes from wheel hub on rhs. Said the suspension combined with lift kit made the wheels ‘bounce’ a little so was also the reason for not having much tread on them. (Still above the markers though). Auxiliary battery registered as failure, which is strange as it was replaced under warranty back in March/April, so getting checked out Tuesday. Alternator is fine though as other 2 batteries are healthy.
Very grateful for everyone’s input. Was worried it was going to be major $$$, will be re reading all the info in the hope I can remember it
 
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Drover

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Great news @Smirke , doing a "Doh" thing here, fancy missing the DPF when @rags mentioned it I just knew he was right, not having them on a small vehicle I just forgot about the annoying bit of gear, they create so much havoc on light trucks and mates Grands, another bit of info to highlight in the grey cells.......Interesting about their diagnosis on the suspension, sounds like there is more to it though, a corrects et up should enhance from the original set up.
 
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Smirke

Smirke

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Drover said:
Great news @Smirke , doing a "Doh" thing here, fancy missing the DPF when @rags mentioned it I just knew he was right, not having them on a small vehicle I just forgot about the annoying bit of gear, they create so much havoc on light trucks and mates Grands, another bit of info to highlight in the grey cells.......Interesting about their diagnosis on the suspension, sounds like there is more to it though, a corrects et up should enhance from the original set up.
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Yes, I didn't quite understand what they were saying. We had the exact same lift and tyres on the patrol with no issues, although different brand of suspension. Explained the smell is intermittent and only started about 14 months ago (car will be 3 yrs in March) but they are saying its the rubber from the tyres. Smells more electrical to me, but who knows. Going in to auto electrician Tuesday so will ask him. As for the DPF, I was told the light would come on when it was doing its thing. Obviously not. At least I know for future.
 
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Bluey

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Good to hear its not Major Problem doing doing his thing again

Im looking at getting a cruiser early next year but will be getting a non DPF model i dont like them at all too many issues and most of time they carnt or dont know whats wrong if they play up just another thing to cause Major Problem to turn up for duty or his side kick Major Issue
 
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Drover

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Have a look at the inside of the tyre to make sure it isn't rubbing also a tyre at too low pressure will stink.

If you crawl underneath have a look at the front of the diff where the shaft enters, if it looks like an oil stain there your diff breather may be blocked and when the diff gets really hot and can't vent out the breather it will vent out a seal, not all the time and doesn't mean it needs pulling down just that the cap on the end of the breather hose will need a clean , no need to buy some fancy bit of gear they are only a rubber hose with a plastic cap on the end which can get clogged with crud, just pull the cap off give it a tubs and shove a bit of brush cutter string down the pipe to make sure its all clear, I have extended my breathers higher and use an old petrol fuel filter to stop crap getting in............anyway that may be the smell but DPFs can smoke especially if some road crud has got over the can as they burn at horrendous temps....hated them when I had to drive the med trucks that were fitted with them at my old work............
Smell might be 12 pin having a melt down...lol,lol.
 
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Smirke

Smirke

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Drover said:
Have a look at the inside of the tyre to make sure it isn't rubbing also a tyre at too low pressure will stink.

If you crawl underneath have a look at the front of the diff where the shaft enters, if it looks like an oil stain there your diff breather may be blocked and when the diff gets really hot and can't vent out the breather it will vent out a seal, not all the time and doesn't mean it needs pulling down just that the cap on the end of the breather hose will need a clean , no need to buy some fancy bit of gear they are only a rubber hose with a plastic cap on the end which can get clogged with crud, just pull the cap off give it a tubs and shove a bit of brush cutter string down the pipe to make sure its all clear, I have extended my breathers higher and use an old petrol fuel filter to stop crap getting in............anyway that may be the smell but DPFs can smoke especially if some road crud has got over the can as they burn at horrendous temps....hated them when I had to drive the med trucks that were fitted with them at my old work............
Smell might be 12 pin having a melt down...lol,lol.
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Will get my brother to look at the breather. He will know what he's looking at/for. Hopefully, it's just that. It better not be a 12 pin!!! Already got the fridge on an anderson, and the smell only happens when driving metro. Maybe the car is getting cranky as it hasn't been on a big trip. Just need that lotto win so I can throw the job away.
 
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Drover

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It can be tedious ticking the boxes when looking for something but finding that thing amiss so you can point out to spanner dude can save a heap.....I often after a trip just lay under van and ute, not searching for anything particular and sometimes there it is, you find it before its ready to let you know by falling off or something.........most often there's nothing thankfully...
 
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Smirke

Smirke

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Thanks for the info @achjimmy . The lease is up on this car in March 2020, so may look at swapping it over on a new one rather than keeping it, even though it just had all tyres replaced. Undecided at this stage. If kept, it will get things done to it before the lease runs out. The smell may have been the brakes, as I haven't had the smell since they were attended to at service. As long as it keeps going, I'm happy.
 
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Drover

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You didn't run over something dead on the road ??? a small bit can make a lot of stink and smoke......................then when you look nothing is there........if hasn't happened again then I would say nought to worry about, if it was a seal gone it would be there all the time, same as a brake cylinder leak, a brake can drag until the next application then be clear.
 
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