smoky deisel resulting in soot on the caravan

[zippy]

Hi All

I have had a problem with soot from the exhaust dirtying the front of the caravan when towing.

I found the quote below on another internet forum from a well respected person (who has now sadly passed away). I hope that it helps if any of you are having this problem. Also if you have anything to add then feel free.

Regards
Lee

I believe the Terrano 2.7TD engine is Euro 2 - so low tech is an apt description.

The engine pre-dates the really accurate diesel fuel injection in Euro 3 and 4 - so it will tend to over-fuel under load and smoke quite badly.

The engine is a common rail diesel, but working at a much lower pressure than Euro 3 or 4, and it also misses out on the much better (finer) fuel spray pattern from the newer Euro engines - low-pressure and big droplets means a smoky burn at the best of times.

What can you do to fix it?

1. You could have the engine tuned by a true diesel specialist - so that it doesn't over-fuel under load - and that would certainly help to minimise any smoke.

2. You could have the fuel injectors cleaned (professionally or by using a fuel like V-Power or with an after market additive). One of the reasons for diesel smoke is the poor spray pattern from the early generation injectors - but if they are dirty, then they'll cause really massive amounts of smoke. Clean injectors mean the best possible smoke performance.

3. You could fit an exhaust deflector - but unless that deflector routes the exhaust into a totally different part of the under-body airflow, it won't do anything.

4. You could use a fuel that doesn't smoke as much as conventional pump diesel. When normal diesel fuel burns, the straight chain hydrocarbons burn first followed by the branched and ring compounds - these other compounds only partly burn during the combustion process and that's the smoke you see. The performance diesel fuels, like Shell V-Power and others, are mainly straight chain hydrocarbons and completely burn during the combustion process - on an engine such as yours, you should see 50% less smoke or better.

But Shell V-Power, BP Ultimate, Total Excellium, etc., are more expensive than normal pump diesel - and you won't see the improved fuel consumption benefit (5% or so) that the driver of a Euro 4 engined car would also experience - just the smoke removal.

5. You could think about using a fuel with a higher percentage of bio-diesel. This has good lubrication properties (and will help keep the high pressure pump and injectors in tip-top condition) but more importantly, bio-diesel is a fuel composed of straight chains, so it burns really well - and adding 10% bio-diesel will reduce smoke by almost 10%

You need to research and consider the impact of this - and get professional advice on whether it's OK for use in the Terrano - but running on 50% bio-diesel should reduce the smoke by at least 40%

And if the engine and other parts of the fuel system are compatible with 100% bio-diesel, and if you have a supply local to you (Green co-operative or similar) then burning 100% bio-diesel in the spring to autumn (and 50% in the winter) should make you smoke free

6. Using a Cetane improver like Millers really won't help that much with smoke. True it will boost the Cetane rating of the fuel (which the Terrano can't benefit from) but it doesn't significantly affect the burn process for the smoke forming compounds in normal diesel - so I'd leave this one to last.

Robert

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

some good points, though i found it varied from trip to trip with my t2, maybe even
the brand of fuel used. many owners opted for curved or deflecting exhaust tips to
direct the soot/smoke more downwards or towardsthe kerb. failing that cover that
part of caravan with cling film, and remove on arrival at site for a cleaner van!!!

[BigBlack]

Ive got this problem!!! - and its a right pain in the ar*e to clean of afterwards!!! Strangley enough more with the LWB then the SWB... maybe I'll try clean the injectors as mentioned above.
Anyone got a deflector fitted to the exhaust, looked at a nice chrome one at Halfords the other day... but if they don't make any differance I'll save my pennies!

[JonathanM]

Having washed the 'van at the weekend then anything that reduces the soot I'll go for!


My 'van has been towed by T2 and X-trail since its last wash, so both sides were soot covered!

I see Halfrauds have some chrome exhaust pipe "finishers" with a downward angle, and I've seen this tip on a couple of internet forums so will probably go down that line.


BTW the clingfilm tip, I've read somewhere that this isn't a good idea, certainly on windows as it may cause the acrylic to "craze" over.

[Jocky]

I found that 2 hiclones in my T2 got rid of the soot better combustion

Who said they don't work

Where's the snake oil brigade

[lacroupade]

As an aside, its soot contamination that makes the oil on these trucks go black so quickly - and soot, believe it or not, can cause significant engine wear, which is another good reason for regular oil changes....

[Jocky]

Another reason to block the EGR if you've got one

Who's clever idea was it to put soot laden exhaust gases back into the cylinders fools

[lacroupade]

Originally Posted by Jocky

Another reason to block the EGR if you've got one

Who's clever idea was it to put soot laden exhaust gases back into the cylinders fools

probably someone with lung cancer! don't mean that flippantly!

the issue as I understand it is that soot is a by-product of an incomplete burn, so anything that increases the chances of more effective combustion should help.

Personally I favour my regular dose of 120ml of acetone in every tank, and then theres Jocky the Hiclone Ranger

[extreme-4x4]

i suppose the bast cure is to ditch the caravan ....

[lacroupade]

Originally Posted by extreme-4x4

i suppose the bast cure is to ditch the caravan ....

LMFAO! Do you know how hard I was trying not to use that one!

[extreme-4x4]

road hoggs

[Jocky]

and then theres Jocky the Hiclone Ranger

Don't knock till you've tried it as I'm not the only one

1st time I took it for MOT after fitting hiclones the guy thought his machine was playing up, told him about hiclones and he asked me to come back next day with them out, I did and the readings went back up to what they should have been, refitted them as garage was quiet and readings dropped guy was impressed and got some for his Shogun

shark1e had the samething when he had his Mistral.

Also seen them in action on a test rig with smoke a few years back and it was impressive to see the difference with and without

Got 2 for my Trol and guess what

Getting back on topic, just buy a tailpipe extension that diverts the crap to the road

[mont]

Hi ,I can confirm what jocky says is true and not the snake oil effect. I too had soot on the back corner of van until i fitted hyclones,now as clean as when started off.

[extreme-4x4]

Originally Posted by lacroupade

LMFAO! Do you know how hard I was trying not to use that one!

oh yes.... i held out as long as i could

[zippy656]

hyclones, where do thay fit, befor or after the intercooler?