Black smoke
#11
09-17-2014, 01:11 PM
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Livingston, Scotland
Posts: 307
Darkcild, you haven't said what engine you have in your GV., is it petrol or diesel, and if diesel which engine. I understand some of the very old diesels can be indirect with passive injectors, (425 OHV) in which case the whole fuel supply is different from commonrail which has active injectors.
Leedsman.
Leedsman.
#12
09-17-2014, 01:49 PM
Then it should be the DOHC diesel with early commonrail system.
If the engine has been used sparingly for the sake of fuel comsumption, the injectors could be "coked up". The simplest thing to try is a good high speed trip on a motorway/highway to burn it off. Cleaners will not remove coking. If this action makes a big difference, the injectors may need reconditioning (in which they replace the pintle and mechanically clean the injector).
It's possible that the micro for some reason is not properly controlling the "on" time of the injector vs. the air in the cylinder. Too much on-time will result in black smoke. As many diesels nowadays are lightly throttled for emission-control purposes, you should check for any air leaks/cracks in the entire air-inlet system.
There is also a possibility of EGR problems, sticking valves etc., although this one is outside my experience. (But not outside someone's experience on this website...)
Leedsman.
If the engine has been used sparingly for the sake of fuel comsumption, the injectors could be "coked up". The simplest thing to try is a good high speed trip on a motorway/highway to burn it off. Cleaners will not remove coking. If this action makes a big difference, the injectors may need reconditioning (in which they replace the pintle and mechanically clean the injector).
It's possible that the micro for some reason is not properly controlling the "on" time of the injector vs. the air in the cylinder. Too much on-time will result in black smoke. As many diesels nowadays are lightly throttled for emission-control purposes, you should check for any air leaks/cracks in the entire air-inlet system.
There is also a possibility of EGR problems, sticking valves etc., although this one is outside my experience. (But not outside someone's experience on this website...)
Leedsman.
#13
09-17-2014, 05:08 PM
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Livingston, Scotland
Posts: 307
Then it should be the DOHC diesel with early commonrail system.
If the engine has been used sparingly for the sake of fuel comsumption, the injectors could be "coked up". The simplest thing to try is a good high speed trip on a motorway/highway to burn it off. Cleaners will not remove coking. If this action makes a big difference, the injectors may need reconditioning (in which they replace the pintle and mechanically clean the injector).
It's possible that the micro for some reason is not properly controlling the "on" time of the injector vs. the air in the cylinder. Too much on-time will result in black smoke. As many diesels nowadays are lightly throttled for emission-control purposes, you should check for any air leaks/cracks in the entire air-inlet system.
There is also a possibility of EGR problems, sticking valves etc., although this one is outside my experience. (But not outside someone's experience on this website...)
Leedsman.
If the engine has been used sparingly for the sake of fuel comsumption, the injectors could be "coked up". The simplest thing to try is a good high speed trip on a motorway/highway to burn it off. Cleaners will not remove coking. If this action makes a big difference, the injectors may need reconditioning (in which they replace the pintle and mechanically clean the injector).
It's possible that the micro for some reason is not properly controlling the "on" time of the injector vs. the air in the cylinder. Too much on-time will result in black smoke. As many diesels nowadays are lightly throttled for emission-control purposes, you should check for any air leaks/cracks in the entire air-inlet system.
There is also a possibility of EGR problems, sticking valves etc., although this one is outside my experience. (But not outside someone's experience on this website...)
Leedsman.
#14
09-18-2014, 02:09 AM
Blanking off the EGR may bring up the engine fault light, but I will always blank off EGR's if I can get away with it.
Given how little use your car gets, you really need to give a good, hard, fast long drive first and see what it's like afterwards
Regards
Richard
Given how little use your car gets, you really need to give a good, hard, fast long drive first and see what it's like afterwards
Regards
Richard
#15
09-18-2014, 06:46 AM
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Livingston, Scotland
Posts: 307
#17
09-18-2014, 04:35 PM
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Livingston, Scotland
Posts: 307
Where does one put/install this thing. In the bonnet or inside the car?
#18
09-18-2014, 05:34 PM
POS or NEG cable from the battery. Anywhere you like the most obvious being under the bonnet right next to the battery. You could mount it through the radiator grill or the bottom scoops or wherever but would need to extend Starter / or / Earth cable It has the added benefit of being small and light as a feather - pop it in a pocket and walk away - no one will ever manage to knick the car.
#19
09-19-2014, 04:13 AM
Addendum re. black smoke --
Look in the exhaust system for any "lambda sensors". If used in a diesel or petrol, they look for free oxygen in the exhaust gasses. When operating properly as sensors in conjunction with a control micro, they adjust for a little free oxygen. This means that --
1) In a petrol engine, the ideal "stoichometric" mixture ratio of 14.7:1 is achieved making for best economy and least pollutants by the lambda control system. The system looks for a little excess air (lambda sensor) by controlling the injector's 'on' time vs. the air going into the engine (via the mass airflow sensor and/or the manifold depression). It's fundamental fact about ALL combustion that you can burn all the air (oxygen) or you can burn all the fuel. THE TWO ARE NOT AT THE SAME RATIO OF FUEL/AIR. If burning all the air there will be excess unburned fuel (wasted money) but a little more power.
2) The diesel situation is slightly different. Up until strict control of diesel pollutants, the diesel ALWAYS worked with excess air, and a lot of that most of the time. No throttling. Now many diesels have the lambda control system since the inlet air is lightly throttled for pollution control. Since most diesels in cars are turbocharged, there will be another sensor in the inlet manifold looking for more than the atmoshperic pressure of 15lbs. so that the "on" time of the injection period can be increased appropriately.
So... black smoke from a micro-controlled commonrail diesel will mean you are well advised to see that all the sensors are working as they should be, and there are no air leaks in the induction system as there shouldn't be. Of course, in the old passive injector system with indirect injection into a swirl-chamber, black smoke usually meant someone had been fiddling with the injector pump to get more power. In the 1960s diesel was about half the price of petrol in the UK., and no-one worried too much about smoke.
Re. discharged battery problems --
After some weeks, it appears that my IOD fuse mod. is working as expected. The only prob. is that one has to follow a different start procedure. The latest procedure is to -- open the door with the key with IOD "off", -- switch on ignition, -- allow 10 secs or so for micros to initialize, -- then start engine. Go to the secret switch (I have external to the car) and switch "on" the IOD system. The turn-indicators will flash with a hesitation after TWO flashes, then go out. There will be NO siren. All will then be as normal. No lifting of bonnet/hood. With this current-saving system, the vehicle starts ok after a week of parking. You should of course ensure your battery has not become badly sulphated due to previous long-term discharge. If it is sulphated, it will not accept a charge as normal. Also you should ensure the battery is not being discharged some other way. Example: the ignition key is being pulled out after switch-off in the "accessories" position instead of the "off" position due to wear of the lock barrel. You can forget any current draw during "engine-running" as the alternator supplies ALL this current up to 50amps or more. It holds the battery to 13.8volt in normal running for GVs charging program.
Leedsman.
Addendum:--
There is also a possibility of mis-timed injection, although not likely. If the diesel is running too far advanced, there will be a rattly knock-ping from the engine and eventual damage to cyl. head or head gasket. If timing is too retarded there will be black smoke and a considerable loss of power. The control micro looks at the crank position via the crank sensor to time the injection pulse. This injection timing has to be quite accurate, +/- half degree or so.
Look in the exhaust system for any "lambda sensors". If used in a diesel or petrol, they look for free oxygen in the exhaust gasses. When operating properly as sensors in conjunction with a control micro, they adjust for a little free oxygen. This means that --
1) In a petrol engine, the ideal "stoichometric" mixture ratio of 14.7:1 is achieved making for best economy and least pollutants by the lambda control system. The system looks for a little excess air (lambda sensor) by controlling the injector's 'on' time vs. the air going into the engine (via the mass airflow sensor and/or the manifold depression). It's fundamental fact about ALL combustion that you can burn all the air (oxygen) or you can burn all the fuel. THE TWO ARE NOT AT THE SAME RATIO OF FUEL/AIR. If burning all the air there will be excess unburned fuel (wasted money) but a little more power.
2) The diesel situation is slightly different. Up until strict control of diesel pollutants, the diesel ALWAYS worked with excess air, and a lot of that most of the time. No throttling. Now many diesels have the lambda control system since the inlet air is lightly throttled for pollution control. Since most diesels in cars are turbocharged, there will be another sensor in the inlet manifold looking for more than the atmoshperic pressure of 15lbs. so that the "on" time of the injection period can be increased appropriately.
So... black smoke from a micro-controlled commonrail diesel will mean you are well advised to see that all the sensors are working as they should be, and there are no air leaks in the induction system as there shouldn't be. Of course, in the old passive injector system with indirect injection into a swirl-chamber, black smoke usually meant someone had been fiddling with the injector pump to get more power. In the 1960s diesel was about half the price of petrol in the UK., and no-one worried too much about smoke.
Re. discharged battery problems --
After some weeks, it appears that my IOD fuse mod. is working as expected. The only prob. is that one has to follow a different start procedure. The latest procedure is to -- open the door with the key with IOD "off", -- switch on ignition, -- allow 10 secs or so for micros to initialize, -- then start engine. Go to the secret switch (I have external to the car) and switch "on" the IOD system. The turn-indicators will flash with a hesitation after TWO flashes, then go out. There will be NO siren. All will then be as normal. No lifting of bonnet/hood. With this current-saving system, the vehicle starts ok after a week of parking. You should of course ensure your battery has not become badly sulphated due to previous long-term discharge. If it is sulphated, it will not accept a charge as normal. Also you should ensure the battery is not being discharged some other way. Example: the ignition key is being pulled out after switch-off in the "accessories" position instead of the "off" position due to wear of the lock barrel. You can forget any current draw during "engine-running" as the alternator supplies ALL this current up to 50amps or more. It holds the battery to 13.8volt in normal running for GVs charging program.
Leedsman.
Addendum:--
There is also a possibility of mis-timed injection, although not likely. If the diesel is running too far advanced, there will be a rattly knock-ping from the engine and eventual damage to cyl. head or head gasket. If timing is too retarded there will be black smoke and a considerable loss of power. The control micro looks at the crank position via the crank sensor to time the injection pulse. This injection timing has to be quite accurate, +/- half degree or so.
Last edited by Leedsman; 09-19-2014 at 09:18 AM. Reason: Addendum.
