Hi all hope you can
help, my other half has a Leon 2.0 tdi fr on a 63 plate, it’s started smoking when warm with what appears to be white smoke and also has like a burnt smell to it, coolant level all ok and doesn’t bubble in the expansion tank, any
help would be great,
Thanks in advance everyone
White smoke with a burnt smell could indicate a few potential issues, so it’s great that the coolant level is stable and there’s no bubbling in the expansion tank—that rules out a head gasket
problem in most cases. Here are a few things to check:
Turbo Issues: A failing turbo can sometimes cause white smoke if oil is leaking into the exhaust. Check for oil residue around the turbo or excessive oil consumption.
EGR Valve: A stuck or failing Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve might lead to incomplete combustion and white smoke. If the valve is clogged, it could be recycling too much gas back into the intake.
Injectors: Faulty or dirty injectors can also lead to improper fuel combustion, resulting in smoke and a burnt smell. An injector cleaning or testing might be worthwhile.
Glow Plugs or Pre-Heaters: On a diesel engine, if a glow plug is failing or the pre-heating system has an issue, it can cause smoking when warm, although this is more common during cold starts.
If you haven’t already, try scanning for error codes to see if the ECU is flagging anything unusual. It might also
help to check if there’s any oil or residue in the intake pipe leading to the turbo.
For parts, if you need to replace anything like the EGR or turbo, consider checking used auto parts suppliers for quality components at a better price—I’ve had a good experience sourcing parts this way.
Hope you get to the bottom of it soon! Let us know what you find.
