Steam dissipates quickly, smoke lingers.

White smoke on startup is usually unburned fuel, as others have said if it continues once the engine is running smoothly it might be a problem (timing, IP/nozzle balance).

My cars smoke white when started cold on a cold day, typical, if it sits and idles rough it will continue to smoke for a couple of minutes, if I put it in gear and drive away the smoke quits immediately (engine under load) and doesn't come back.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Well, though i am an idiot, i'm not a complete idiot. Like JimmyL said, if it was steam, i woulda said steam. This is definitely white smoke, and it happens whether the outside temp is cold or relatively warm. No coolant or oil diminishment. Even leaves a slick, gassy residue on the rear of the car after driving for awhile.

All the injectors were replaced by the previous owner right before i bought it, in an attempt to solve the problem....i can see they're new (though they say "reman" on them), so i'm guessing they're not the problem?

I've got a pretty rough idle, and that LOUD clack clack clack, but accelerates pretty quickly, smoking the entire street when engine's cold, but then not visible after warm-up (though still present, i believe, due to said residue on rear of car).

What next? try a can of diesel purge? compression test? valves? timing? what say y'all?

__________________
-lee
'83 300CDT (286k)

former proud owner of:
'85 mercedes euro 300TD
'80 mercedes 300TD
'77 mercedes 280e
'80 mercedes euro 250
'82 mercedes euro 250

...Yes.

__________________
1989 300E 144K

Sounds like unburned fuel to me. Do the normal stuff like adjust valves, check glowplugs, If it checks out check compression. When the engine is warm it goes away so it's probably not a huge deal.
It's probably a good idea just to pull that damn glow plugs and power them up indidvdually to see it they actually glow red. If you have an ammeter that will tell you whats going on without removing.

just replaced all the glow plugs last week. will do the valves in the next day or two, and hope for the best! i'll post results, and future consult if symptoms continue.

__________________
-lee
'83 300CDT (286k)

former proud owner of:
'85 mercedes euro 300TD
'80 mercedes 300TD
'77 mercedes 280e
'80 mercedes euro 250
'82 mercedes euro 250

Once upon a time when I was driving my Mother's relatively new, just out of warranty 1971 220D in Vermont with some buddies for a weekend of whatever away from school, I stopped on I-91 to pick up a pair of hitchhikers and, poof! They disappeared as I pulled up in a thick cloud of white smoke. Like the stuff a movie set might make to mimic thick fog. I shut the engine off and checked the oil level, which was ok, but lower than I would have expected. I fired it back up and the smoke screen reappeared. I got genuinely concerned, and decided to drive a few miles to the next exit and stop at a truck stop and buy some engine oil. A case.

I checked oil consumption every ten miles for a while and I noticed once I was under load the smoke became less offensive. If I was idling it was really nasty. At highway speeds it was hardly noticeable. I called the nearest MB dealer, in Woodstock, Vermont at the time, and made arrangements to drop the car off on my way back to college.

I was expecting a horrible report, and it turned out to be massive engine oil consumption passing through the vacuum pump diaphragm. In that vehicle at idle there is something in the throttle system on the intake side to regulate air flow, and it lowered the manifold pressure enough to just suck oil out the vacuum pump discharge line which exits to the intake manifold. Cost at the time was about $65 to fix it. Took about an hour or so.

So, the point is unburned engine oil looks like thick white smoke too. And there may be a few paths for the oil to get into the intake manifold. Like a blown seal on the turbo. Good luck and I hope this helps. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

An 85TD has the newer style vacuum pump that doesn't have the hose going to the air filter, so I don't think it could be sucking oil via a broken vacuum pump diaphragm.
Checking to see if oil could be getting into the intake via another route might be useful. For instance, doesn't the oil separator return tube have a one way valve where it enters the pan? A failure in that valve may allow oil to get sucked up into the intake? I think that possibility has been discussed before on the forum.
Yes, unburned engine oil puts out big clouds of white smoke. I had the PCV system on a 67 Sprite fail, allowing engine oil to be sucked directly into the manifold. The amount of smoke it put out was a sight to see.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

So, does the clack, clack, clack go away after warmup? Can you tell where it's coming from? If the smooke and sound are not related I would suggest valve stem seals, but it also doesn't sound like it's oil smoke. But I think the two are related, and I think it sounds like fuel smoke because of the description of the "gassy residue". I would consider having injectors pop tested. And while you have fuel lines off I would do a rough test of IP timing by doing the spit or well up method. Search here for IP timing and you'll find a bunch of stuff. I would then consider removing and inspecting the chain tensioner and rails. Also, are you sure you have good fuel and fuel delivery? Maybe do the bottle fuel cell under the hood to rule out those two things. I saw a video (maybe on Dieselgiant's website, can't remember) of a SD that got bad fuel and it blew white smoke like a MONSTER! Good luck!

__________________

1998 E300D, 287k, barely broken in.

Hey, did you ever get the problem solved? I have been seeing more white smoke and rough idle and would love to know what to do. i am not loosing significant oil or coolant.

so far:
fuel filters
reman. injectors

next:
glowplugs?

Crack each of your injectors lines one at a time when the car is running and see if the idle changes with each injector. If it does not change with one you have a miss on that cyl.

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Hi all!

The Clacking sounds like a valve train problem which could certainly cause the unburned fuel/white smoke problem. I would check the valves pronto. While you are in there, pay attention to the cam lobes. Are they all there? Are they all the same height? A flat lobe on an intake valve would cause the clacking, and prevent the affected cylinder from ingesting enough air to make enough compression to ignite the fuel.

Black smoke comes from fuel that ignited, but did not have enough air to burn completly. White smoke comes from fuel that did not ignite at all, or water of course!

The power balance test suggested by BGKast will reveal the dead cylinder, but only pulling the cam cover and a compression test will tell you the rest.

Good Luck! I hope she's OK.
Cheers Chris

well, original poster / thread starter here.
checkin' back in.
i have NOT gotten the problem resolved. i haven't really been driving the car for fear of doing damage, as it still SMOKES THE WHOLE STREET at startup and acceleration when cold, and smokes gently when warm.

what i've done recently is:
*adjusted the valves (they were all way too tight (not enough clearance)) *confirmed by cracking each of the injector lines that cracking each DID dramatically affect idle/running.
*ran a can of diesel purge through

I can also confirm that the problem's not this particular tank of fuel, as she did it throughout a road trip with many different fuel sources. And, i can verify that (as the guy i bought her from recently said), all the injectors have been very recently replaced (with bosch remans) in a failed effort to correct the problem.

SO.

...i'm still desperate for advice. would Griesl's recommended IP timing check or chris's cam lobe theory account for how much the smoke dissapates when she's warm?

__________________
-lee
'83 300CDT (286k)

former proud owner of:
'85 mercedes euro 300TD
'80 mercedes 300TD
'77 mercedes 280e
'80 mercedes euro 250
'82 mercedes euro 250

hey guys---
i'm just really trying to resurrect this thread, as it's an ongoing problem and i could sure use some input. would be great if you'd comment on the thread update i posted directly above this one!

__________________
-lee
'83 300CDT (286k)

former proud owner of:
'85 mercedes euro 300TD
'80 mercedes 300TD
'77 mercedes 280e
'80 mercedes euro 250
'82 mercedes euro 250

blankenship,

I have learned a lot from this thread.

I have a somewhat similar problem, but not nearly as severe. I just have a little bit of white smoke at idle that seems like unburnt fuel, but I'm not sure. Certainly not 'military spec' smoke screen like you have.

Anyways, from what Ive learned heres what Id do:

1.) Pull the injectors and have them pop tested. The fact that they are recent bosch reman is not a guarantee they are within pop/spray specs. ($0)
2.) Test the injection timing using a drip tube. ($0 is you make the drip tube)
2b. Check your chain stretch by lining up the cam marks for an estimate. ($0)
3.) Test your compression using the Harbor Freight compression test kit ($20) while you are mucking around with the injectors.

Doing these things will give the experienced folks here a lot more information to take your investigation to 'the next level' so to speak. The hard data of the compression test will be very helpful. And none of it costs much, which is key in this stage of the game.

My own questions for you:
1.) Do you have any significant blow-by? Is the same oily mist in that too?
2.) Hows your air filter look? Full of oil?
3.) Whats your emissions control system status? Try disabling it if you havent already. That can cause smoke too.


Best of luck,
dd

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Hello Lee,

I am stumped. The only question I have is: does the white smoke smell like burnt oil? Usually burning oil makes a bluish white cloud. Maybe the EGR valve is stuck open but that would not cause the cloud. A compression check and leak down test would help to narrow things down a bit. I will say that typically, if it is oil consumption, it would not be so bad when the engine is cold and would get worse as the oil got hot and thinned out. It could be valve guides and seals and the oil is leaking into the combustion chambers when the car is sitting, so when you crank up cold, there is a lot of oil that has to get burned out of the combustion chamber. That would cause a blue/white cloud at startup that could diminish after the majority of the oil burns off.

__________________
Doug

1987 300TD x 3
2005 E320CDI