Just curious about the dramatic amount of soot my car spit out into the snow when I started it today. It sat for a week because there was a lot of ice behind the wheels (snow-plow special) and I didn't want to get it mucked up in the salt anyway. Today I chipped out some of the ice, but it had a white sheet of snow/ice under the tailpipe area. When I started it up it started just fine, but I noticed a lot of flecks of soot in the white snow from the tailpipe. When I went to back the car out (after warming up for a few minutes), the wheels spun on the ice and it went nowhere, engine revved to about 1,200 rpms and I backed off the throttle quickly. Went behind car to chip up more ice. Well, the white area behind it was PAINTED black from soot. Is that at all worrisome or normal? The car really doesn't smoke that I can see, and when it does it's light gray stuff on cold starts, nothing black. Was the soot just because the car sat a week and was not at full operating temperature? Or is this an unburnt fuel issue that needs to be addressed?

If nothing else, it will gross out all the people who walk by the black patch in the parking lot. Or impress them? Diesel graffiti ...

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Ive been painting my grease sucker tank black w/ soot from starting up the benz when I'm backed into the garage. IMO its normal, mostly from condensation in the exhuast pipe collecting soot, i beleive.

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1984 123.193 372,xxx miles, room for Seven.

1999 Dodge Durango Cummins 4BTAA 47RE 5k lb 4x4 getting 25+mpgs, room for Seven.

Its fine. I have a nice black spot on my concrete driveway from where I rev after I do work or when it idles funny.

Sounds like a normal, older diesel trait to me. Especially at start-up, and otherwise really.
It's when you can see it plain as day in your mirror as you drive under throttle....now THAT may be a bit too much...

Certainly not that anyone here has ever turned their pump up to do such a thing...

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1991 GMC Sonoma Ext Cab w/Isuzu diesel (converted March Mar 2003) - sold
1994 S10 Ext Cab w/Isuzu diesel (converted Mar 2008)
1998 Toyota Sienna XLE
B6100HST Kubota CUT DIESEL

1994 S10 with Isuzu diesel and 5spd
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...S15/SigPic.jpg

Mine does that.

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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

Cool. Maybe I'll design some stencils to lay down behind the pipe ... at least make the soot stains into nifty shapes, or cryptic symbols. Perhaps I could invent a special soot insignia.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Get a MB star and lay it behind the exhaust!

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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

I was just thinking about this last week! The ground behind my car is turning black, also several dark spots that coincedentlly line up with the exhaust on the driveway! Glad to know it ain't just me. I guess old Mercedes are like old Harleys and mark their spots.

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If it ain't broke take it apart and find out why.

1983 300SD, 4 speed
1994 C280
1987 300TD wagon
1996 HD Road King

Ride in Peace Eric Peterson, Harley of Macon

Make a cardboard MB star stencil and attach it to the driveway for a while. Remove after it has deposited enough soot to mark your territory

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Dale

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...MG_2277sig.jpg

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo -155k
2000 E430 - 103k
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel 4x4 - 11k
2014 VW Passat TDI SE - 7k Bro's Diesel
2006 E320 CDI - 128k Pop's Benz

Pre-glow - A moment of silence in honor of Rudolph Diesel

I left my snowboard behind my tailpipe while I started my car the other week up at Big Bear, my board was covered in black, wet soot in less than a minute!

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"spreading a trail of obnoxious where ever we go"
1981 300sd w/ 341,500 miles

http://www.wecrash.com/pics/ddda_banner.gif

great.... a rorshaat test for diesles (ink blot....i probably spelled it wrong).

give the ink blot test and find out what your benz is thinking......


...." i really like that cute little vw over there in the pink... i would like to park next to her"

you know.

sounds normal to me. all that running with no motion concentrates the soot all in one spot.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Mine made a black line in the snow when I went up the street a while ago.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Don't eat yellow snow either.

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K