Looking for ideas my 300D 2.5 Turbo became a naval smoke generator a few days ago. The engine runs and will start (creating more smoke coming out of the exhaust). So I am wondering if it could be the vacuum pump, injector pump, turbo failure... or maybe simply a check valve of some sort that has failed... All pointers will be appreciated!! Thanks!!

Hal

What happened prior to the smoking? And strange noises or power issues?

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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

Thanks for asking about the symptoms!!

There seemed to be a very minor clicking noise but not a big racket prior to the event... I leaned forward to try to listen more carefully. When I leaned back to the normal driving position that is when I could see all the smoke in the rear view mirror....


Hal -

Is the clicking still present? What color is the smoke? Black, grey, white? Does it smoke at idle?

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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

The smoke was mostly grey / white as I recall... the car did restart (although I was not there when it was restarted)

It's possible an injector bit the dust, and is giving a stream if fuel vs. a good spray pattern. Or a prechamber ball let loose, or something related to the head.

How was the engine temp? Does the exhaust smell sweet?

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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

The engine temp has been over the 80 degree mark but it has been hotter than heck here in Huntsville, Alabama. I did not get a chance to smell the exhaust. So it has been running warmer. What is the Pre-Chamber Ball. I will go see the car today and try a restart and "smell" the exhaust...

You have to remove the injector to see them. The PC Ball is like a metal ball bearing, except it is supposed to fixed in place in the PC. It helps with the atomization of the fuel spray.

How much over on the temp?

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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

What's the status of your EGR? If one gets stuck open you can get miles of smoke behind you (DAMHIK)....

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Tjohn

82 300 SD
77 450 SL (gone)

I went to check in the car a few min's ago... It has almost all its oil in the exhaust system.... The mechanics shop moved it while there (it started right up) but it left a trail of "exhaust" oil coming out of the exhaust pipe. I opened the oil filler cap and there is almost NO oil in the top of the head. Then I checked the oil level and it was not even on the oil level dip stick. I just changed the oil about 2 weeks ago using full synthetic... So could an EGR Valve failure cause this ??? Has anybody seen anything like this before. Sure would be nice if it is the EGR valve...

Could it be the Turbo system in anyway? It has motor oil as a lubricant...

Thanks!!! Hal

dont start it anymore until it has been checked,take the crossover pipe off and see if it is very wet with oil, some is normal alot is not.take the next piece off and look in the turbo outlet if its coming from the turbo it should be obvious.
Don

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Red Green "This is only temporary,Unless it works!"

97 E300D 157000 miles
87 300TD ?141k? miles

sounds like the headgaket blew at the front of the #1 cly into and through the oil passage and to the timming chain passage making a clicking noise and pumping oil out the exhaust. it will get louder if you pull the oil fill cap!

p.s. ask me how i know this

Folks... I am still all ears!

TDP have you had this same or like failure? U said I should ask??

Anyway... Please keep the ideas and suggestions coming!!

I have a MB tech coming to look at it tomorrow (yes on SUNDAY)...

I really hope that it is not the head!

Hal

What you described is exactly what happend to my 92 300d 2.5. I hope to get time this weekend to put it back together.
Is yours running rough? Missing on cyl #1?
Do the symptoms match?

p.s. I removed the head, cleaned, tig welded and remachined the gasket surface and oil channel and rebuilt the head. It had cut a slot about a 1/8 inch deep and wide in the head where the gasket failed. This is a known; problem mercedes redesigned the oil channel in the newer heads.

pm me with your phone # if you want to talk about it.

Yep, sounds like the standard #1 gasket failure, would say the clicking noise is coming from oil starvation to the head/hydraulic tappets. Don't drive with this condition.
Another (but from your description not so likely) cause for the smoke would be a blocked oil return line of the turbo.