My 84 300TDT is leaving soot stains on the pavement at start up... any suggestions or ideas on where to begin on this?

it was doing it a bit last winter, and I changed the glow plugs about that time... I also took to running some fuel conditioner/cleaner in farily high concentrations.. so could it be an injector that is sticking, or something like that? Of course that would show up in a oil analysis, right? well the oil analysis was normal, as of 4000 miles ago...

which brings me back to the glow plugs... round and round I go. any one have any experience on this in their past?

Jason

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver

Mine was doing that too. I found if I don't step on the "gas" when starting it it will not do it.

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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

embrace the soot spot.. I have one and it washes away with the Florida rain

but my oil spots. have ruined it.. I totally need to resurface it..

Ok, so it may not be a sign that an injector is going bad? or any other impending issue that I am overlooking.. Thanks for the reassrance.
Jason

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver

Nothing to worry about......condensation that occurs overnight in the exhaust system just carries out the carbon soot that accumulates in there.
On start up you get a blast of wet soot expelled until the exhaust dries out.

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FRED

Daily Driver: 98 E300TD 199K
Hobby Car: 69 Austin Mini
Past Diesels: 84 300SD, 312K
87 300SDL, 251K
94 Chev. K-1500 6.5Ltr.TD, 373K

I found out what was causing the soot spot.. which I belive was a byproduct of glow plugs that were carboned up.. or may be it is better to say: The glow plugs burned out last winter, and I replaced them.. did not know anything about a glow plug reamer.. the car started, and ran OK for the rest of the winter, but as the summer ran on, and it became harder to start. also it would usually leave a big black spot on the driveway, which was "new" or now what it used to do..

put new GP's in, and used a GP reamer.. wow, it started today at a 10*F as if it was the middle of may.. (synthetic oil as well, but it fired before the oil pump had a chance to slow the starter motor down)... I have a 240 sitting in the barn which does the same thing, and it is gonna get the GP reamer procedure next summer.. this might become a part of fall time preperations for winter...

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver

I have all good glowplugs and a fine running engine and new injector nozzles, and my car still blasts a nice big wet soot spot on the ground every morning I fire it up. I park next to our garage on snow, and the snow behind the car is almost completely black now. My straight pipe just blasts it right out behind the car. Like others mentioned, its just condensation mixed with soot....perfectly normal. Look at all the water/condensation that flows out of a gasser when they're first run....tons!

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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)

My '67 Camaro makes the absolute biggest carbon stain on the concrete when you start it and let it idle for awhile. I used to keep a piece of cardboard to put under the exhaust pipe for that very reason.
Note to self: Go to sainted mother's house and start Camaro soon........

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I get soot on the pavement when I start in the morning, and this is with
my new engine with 3700 miles.
I don`t know if it is condensation, but as the pipe cools down it could
bring in cool air and the moisture condenses.

sure up sets my mom on her white concrete.

maybe a flapper on the end of the exhaust like the large trucks would
do the trick?

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Well.. I got no clues as to why there is less soot comming out of this exhaust pipe now.. But it seems to be running like it used to.. and producing less condensation..

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver

Yes, it is a badge of honor.

Its amazing what a pressure washer can do.

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http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

My leaky (oil leaks on the drive way) 300d used to make soot spots when I first got it and it was running on diesel. Now that it's been running on wvo and starting/shutting down on diesel it doesn't seem to leave any traces of it.

It also doesn't blow out a big cloud of smoke on start ups like my sdl. Oh and last night I got to drive behind it and man can you smell that grease!

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1987 Mercedes 300sdl, 280k mi (daily driver)
1982 Mercedes 300sd, 205k (occupying driveway)
1985 Mercedes 300d, CA, 148+ mi.
1986 Chevrolet suburban, 50k? or 150k? mi, diesel
1998 BMW 740il, 120k mi (for sale)
1999 Honda CBR900RR, 42k
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sport, 103k miles (sold)