Tdi fr 170 white smoke on tickover

[i4nsmith]

Just wondering if anyone can help shed some light on some problems I'm having with my car, basically it's a standard 07 tdi 170 fr with 64000 on the clock. The main problem is if it's ticking over for any length of time it starts chucking a load of white smoke out of the exhaust and there is a really strong smell could be unburnt fuel(?), the car runs fine apart from this there's never been any warning lights on apart from the esp light which I got fixed last year, starts up straight away, hot or cold, doesn't use any oil or water and does reasonably well on fuel, averaging about 45mpg. It's this smoke and smell which can happen when the cars hot or cold and as soon as I pull away it all clears up.
I did buy a vagcom cable(cheap) which worked for a while and found a fault code relating to no1 injector, so after calling seat all 4 injectors have been changes along with the wiring loom, for some reason I can't get laptop to recognise the vagcom cable, I think it's a usb driver issue but that's for another thread. Anyway I've since bought an obd2 bluetooth adaptor and using the torque android app I've checked for any more fault codes but there's aren't any showing up.
I've been thinking along the lines of dpf issues, so I tried some jml dpf cleaner, I've done the 20 mins at 3000 revs but it still chucks all this white smoke out.
Like I say the car runs fine and is used everyday doesn't seem as if it's under powered in any way because I thought it might have been something to with the turbo.
Hope someone can help as I am a mechanic of sorts but this has got my head battered?

 

[GrahamFR]

Damaged head gasket my first guess, it definitely white not blue and smells of burntness not sweetness?

 

[i4nsmith]

Yes it's white but not steam its kind of, more dense, thicker smoke and it has never used a drop of water in over a year same goes for oil, I topped it up yesterday for the first time since its last service which was last year, it only took about half a litre. It is due a service and I'll be doing it in the next couple of weeks. Also the temperature gauge never goes over 90°, gets upto temperature then stays there all day.

 

[GrahamFR]

Hmm so no drop in coolant or oil. Well that's the end of my font of knowledge, its definitely not your glow plug module if its white either. Not to worry though mate, those who actually do work at work will be along later this evening that should be able to help, but you can also post a thread in volksmaster on this site that might be able to advise you further (under the site sponsors section).

 

[greyfloppyhat]

white smoke usually points to a turbo issue. But it has me stumped what that issue could be based on your symptoms

 

[i4nsmith]

I appreciate all the replies because sometimes all it takes is someone with a fresh perspective to point out the obvious thing that I'm missing.
Like I said I am a mechanic(bus mechanic but an engines an engine) so I understand engines to a certain degree and can diagnose a lot of faults but this is making me and quite a few of my mates scratching our heads. Under normal driving conditions there's no smoke at all, can't even see any on a night with a car behind with headlights on but leave it idling for 5-10 minutes the white smoke slowly starts to build up and then you get the really strong diesely smell. Even just going though mcd's you can see and smell it starting to build up. Pull away and drive normally again and it clears up within a minute or 2.
Funnily enough volksmaster was were I got me esp pump changed so I would go back there but I live 2 hours away.

 

[WeeG]

No drop in power? Does it sit at 1000 rpm while chucking the smoke? I'd it only a 90 degree operating temp?

 

[i4nsmith]

No drop in power that I've noticed. When I start car on a morning it idles about 850-900 them as it warms up drops down to 750.it does tend to smoke more when its up to running temp but you can still smell it when cold.

 

[greyfloppyhat]

did you have the injectors changed yet as part of the recall?

 

[i4nsmith]

Yes with the loom about a month ago. When I checked it with vagcom and got the injector fault I thought that's what must have been causing it, an injector not closing properly and fuel dribbling into cylinder then getting pushed into exhaust and as it's heating up in exhaust causing the smoke and smell but it's no different since having them and changed. I wondered if they actually changed them but as it has no fault codes now I can only assume they have been done?

 

[greyfloppyhat]

so it had the issue even before the injectors were replaced? Could be a worn injector pump. I'm thinking along the the lines of a timing issue at the minute

 

[GrahamFR]

Get it back to Seat and blag that it didn't happen before, least they will probably identify the problem even if they says its not related

 

[i4nsmith]

I did toy with that but was worried if once they realised it wasn't related they dropped a couple of hundred pound bill on me!

 

[GrahamFR]

They won't do that without your permission and at least you will know what is wrong with it

 

[WeeG]

I reckon a turbo seal mate. But, the funny smell points out a slight coolant leak..... Pressure test?

 

[greyfloppyhat]

Usually would hear a bit if whistling once the seals go, as it throws it slightly out of balance, but could well be. White smoke is nearly always a sign of turbo.
Easy enough to check, check the boost inlet pipe to the ic if there's an excessive amounts of oil, there's your problem. They'll be a bit of oil in there, there always is but common sense should tell if its excessive

Other wise your looking at a timing issue, injector pump going, compression issue in one or more cylinders, which might link in with the coolant being burnt. Or an issue in injector patterns. Grahams advice is the to follow,take it seat a say it's been ever since they changed the injectors

 

[AndrewJB]

my old one used to give a puff of white smoke on startup but that was because i removed the EGR and didnt remove the EGR Cooler

 

[i4nsmith]

I think my plan of attack is get it serviced then pop into the dealer that changed the injectors and wiring loom and tell them that it's only started doing it since the injectors have been changed, hopefully they'll offer to have a look at it or they'll know that it's got nothing to do with the injectors.
If anyone looks at this and knows how the dpf regeneration process works I'd like to know myself because I've read quite a lot about it on forums like here. From what I've read if the car detects that the dpf is starting to block and can't do a passive regeneration(3000rpm for 10-20mins) it does a forced regeneration which involves, this is the bit I'm unsure of, getting diesel squirted into the exhaust to lower the burn temperature of the soot in the dpf. I was thinking that this process could be the cause of my problem. What I want to know is, is there an extra injector in the exhaust system that squirts the fuel into the exhaust before the dpf or is the fuel pump told to inject a certain amount of fuel into the cylinder during the exhaust cycle. If it does have the extra injector that could be faulty and fuel could be going into exhaust which I wouldn't notice when I'm driving normally as it would just burn off, but when idling it would build up and start smoking/smelling.
Sorry if I'm going on a bit but I'm kind of thinking aloud! B-)

 

[stevie502]

To me this sounds like mention above turbo seals but u say its not using oil all the other symptoms say it though idle for about 10 mins when at running temp and starts smoking then stops when driving away thick white smoke. As for dpf regenerations i thought u drove it in 4th or 5th gear at 1.5k-2.5k revs for afew miles where did u get 3k revs for 20 mins from

 

[greyfloppyhat]

I think my plan of attack is get it serviced then pop into the dealer that changed the injectors and wiring loom and tell them that it's only started doing it since the injectors have been changed, hopefully they'll offer to have a look at it or they'll know that it's got nothing to do with the injectors.
If anyone looks at this and knows how the dpf regeneration process works I'd like to know myself because I've read quite a lot about it on forums like here. From what I've read if the car detects that the dpf is starting to block and can't do a passive regeneration(3000rpm for 10-20mins) it does a forced regeneration which involves, this is the bit I'm unsure of, getting diesel squirted into the exhaust to lower the burn temperature of the soot in the dpf. I was thinking that this process could be the cause of my problem. What I want to know is, is there an extra injector in the exhaust system that squirts the fuel into the exhaust before the dpf or is the fuel pump told to inject a certain amount of fuel into the cylinder during the exhaust cycle. If it does have the extra injector that could be faulty and fuel could be going into exhaust which I wouldn't notice when I'm driving normally as it would just burn off, but when idling it would build up and start smoking/smelling.
Sorry if I'm going on a bit but I'm kind of thinking aloud! B-)

If you were having a dpf issue you'd have got warning lights by now. There's no extra injector, personally I've never heard of this but it would most likely work by injecting fuel in the exhaust cycle or just injecting a rich mix.

Your best just going to the dealer and saying it has started since they changed the injectors and getting them to diagnose it. Then once they find the issue, depending on what it is either get them to carry out the work, go independent or come on here and seek advice for the next course of action.

IMO it'll be something common like the oil seals