They also refer to the blue smoke as oil smoke. However, my experience with these three tends to conclude that oil will offer the same white smoke as coolant.

With the '87, I've got proof of four gallons of oil going through the engine within 400 miles........all white smoke.

Smell the smoke also. The smell may be a clue.

Yep........get a rope and suspend a willing candidate over the back of the trunk so that his face is hanging off the back bumper........get a good whiff of that exhaust at 50 mph.........

Rube Goldberg would be proud.

well I was driving this weekend, and since having the transmission serviced last weekend, I noticed the white smoke while decelerating between 65 and 70 mph, and again once I accelerated to 80 and then decerlated with my foot off of the acerelator. About 2-3 years ago, I had major (6k) worth of work done to my frontend due to an accident. I had my radiator replaced, and a new head gasket put on. I highly doubt that that headgasket is going bad already. I did notice however that my oil level has dropped somewhat (not sure, opened up the cap after about 15-20 minutes after I got home, didn't see a whole lot, does it settle somewhere else?) I'm beginning to think that I'm losing oil from my turbo through the intake and its getting into the exhaust through there. Still not sure, though...any ideas gents?

How is it that you are checking you oil level? Just use the dipstick and keep an eye on it after every trip you make over the course of a week or two. Make sure you let the oil settle back down (give it about 5 minutes - but be consistent on how long you wait) before checking.

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'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
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"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

In a gas car, smoke when decelerating is usually valve seals, ... the additional vacuum of a closed throttle and little burn makes it show up.

On a diesel, could be the same I guess. If you're not using any coolant, I'd side with the oil seals.

Can also be other oil sources. With your foot off of the gas, the combustion chambers cool, things don't burn much. The turbo oil seal can also show up this way, should be able to see some oil in the intake runners if it's coming from the compressor side.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Ok you say white puff of smoke on excelleration. from my experience of years of working on Diesels , white smoke always meant to me a head gasket leak little puffs mean small very small leak, lots of constant white smoke means blown head gasket and almost always means it runs hotter then useal, Now i am going to say this I never say any of this without a presure test on the cooling system which always shows a major problem if you have a blown head gasket by means of system leaking down during test , and leaking antifreez into the cylinders in other words on top of the pistons. now very small amounts can show white puffs, let me say this too, Diesel fuel has 1% water in the fuel it is made up of 1% water so if you do not have a blown head gasket the 1% water in the fuel is made create white puffs.
saying all this if you have your system presure checked , any leak down will show you have and internal leak( blown head gasket ) cracked head) cracked block, latter two very rare, no leak down on system no internal leaks , now that doesn't mean your radaitor won't leak all over the place, if it does you fix that and do another presure test. but beleive me it is common to get acasional white puffs of smoke out of a diesel expecialy in colder weather . let us know what you find Jerry

well an update to the problem I discovered last winter.


Since then I have changed my oil with synthetic, and am not due for one till I hit 229,000 miles... sittin around 226 200 ish at the moment. I have still noticed the white smoke, though not as much during the spring, and summer as during the winter time. I notice it a lot as I'm going up and down mountains, as I was yesterday, in VA. As long as I'm on flat, ground, I have no issues with smoke whatsoever. Accelerating from a stop, seems much more sluggish even for a diesel. I suspect it to a bad fuel filter, and plan on changing both of mine, here in the coming days. I am a little nervous that as the temperatures start dropping, my white smoke phantom will rear his ugly head. Just recently moved up to MD. and there is a total lack of a shop in Southerm MD. for me to take my car to/get it looked at (by shop I mean a mercedes/foreign mechanic, Annapolis, is the closest Mercedes dealer, but I know they'er gonna charge an arm and a leg for any and everything). Hints/suggestions gents? Thanks and I greatly appreciate it.

So, another winter, and still no conclusive evidence to assist me in finding the root of this issue. I'm going to drive it until it completely breaks, then attempt to find the cause of issue. I recently rediscovered my manuals on an external hard drive. Hopefully this will assist me in pointing myself in the right direction. You fine knowledgeable gentlemen here have helped immensely, and i thank you. Still only getting white smoke around 70-75 mph of highway type driving. Which means the longer I stay under those speeds, the longer I forget that I have the white smoke issue, its not consistent at those speeds either, but finicky, and hit or miss. I'm going to drive it until it completely breaks as far as that issue goes. As far as the immediate future of my car goes, need to replace the front struts, as I'm beginning to hear audible squealing coming from the front right end of my car. However this morning, I listened for it on my way to work and heard nothing, though the fact that my AC was off may, or may not have something to do with it. Also, any diesel mercedes fans in the southern maryland area, we should meet up and have a few... heh... good day gents...