continual white/grey smoke from 1982 240 DL

[alifeleader]

Hi, First time using this forum. I have had my 82 volvo sitting for about 2-3 years but have been firing it up every month or so. The diesel gas is about 3 years old in the tank. NO water appears at the bottom of the gas cannister under the hood. Why does it always seem to smoke?
- is it the old gas even though no water in gas cannister?
- is it because the diesel injectors are needing tune-up?
- is it the injector pump?
-
I would like to have this car have the minimum of smoke so I can advertise it for sale but do not wish to spend a fortune on it. Any ideas of what to try first?

thanks so much.
Kerry

[billofdurham]

Welcome to Matthew's Volvo Site.

White smoke normally means that the fuel injected into the cylinder is not burning correctly. The smoke will burn your eyes.

Possible causes are:
Engine/pump timing out
Fuel starvation to the pump causing the pumps timing not to operate correctly
Low engine compression
Water/petrol in the fuel

I would start with the last one in your case. Diesel fuel absorbs moisture over a period of time and as you are only running the engine occasionally you aren't using enough fuel to get rid of it. The canister (diesel filter) will take some of the moisture but the majority will be pumped into the combustion chambers.

Also worth noting: the engine relies on the glow plugs to generate heat to help with the combustion cycle. Some engines only use the glow plugs when cold but others will allow the glow plugs to work when the ECU needs them to be on to help with combustion. Problems in this area will cause diesel engine starting problems, uneven running and white smoke when the engine is cold.

Give the car a good, long run and put some new fuel in after you have used a decent amount. I would also recommend using a diesel additive as it has been estimated that about 85% of injectors fail due to fuel related issues, including water contamination, and the balance due to design problems.


Bill.

[alifeleader]

Thanks Bill.

If one of the injectors spray pattern was not good, how could I tell ? The color of the smoke?... I assume you are not suspecting the injectors themselves at this time? .. and how exactly would I adjust the timing ? is that done by a professional?

thanks again for your help.

My car has the green engine 112 HP at max. But when I bought it about 8 years ago , I do not remember so much smoke. However it is getting colder outside.

[billofdurham]

The only way to test the spray pattern is on the bench with a proper test unit. You can see how the professionals do it here.

On reading your post I immediately thought of contaminated fuel. The injectors can cause white smoke if they are not performing properly but I always start with the easiest things. As I said, your vehicle has been standing, with only short engine runs, and diesel fuel, like petrol, can 'go off'. It does attract moisture.

I own a motorhome with a 2.5T Peugeot engine. Two years ago the vehicle stood for four months during the winter with only short runs to keep it sweet. One day I noticed white smoke, a strong smell similar to domestic gas and my eyes watered when the smoke hit them. I trundled it into a diesel expert who, without coming out to it, told me I had old, waterlogged diesel fuel in the tank. His solution was to run it until nearly empty, fill it to the full mark and keep it that way if it was to stand for any length of time.

Adjusting the timing on a diesel engine is tricky and is best left to an expert who has the right equipment. More so the pump.

But when I bought it about 8 years ago , I do not remember so much smoke. However it is getting colder outside.

When you bought it had it stood for any length of time? The outside temperature does play a part in creating white smoke due to condensation but this should diminish when the engine and exhaust warm up.

Bill.