Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

I am relatively new to the whole diesel scene and I just want to know if this is normal without getting involved in huge philisophical questions about glaciers and global warming. When I start my van it is kind of sputtery and chokes a bit, so I put my foot down lightly to raise the rpm on the gas (or diesel pedal if you will) and it gradually starts to run normally but puts out a huge plume of black sooty smoke. It kind of freaks the kids and other teachers out at the school I work at - as well as me. Once the plume is gone and the idle is normal (1000 rpm,) if I let it sit and idle I get a kind of dark black puddle or spray pattern on the driveway or lot, my guess is soot. Is this normal? I have never owned a diesel and am totally loving this one but it just scares me when it sends out complete sentences in smoke signals. Thanks

Craig

small puff is normal
when it's colder you'll get more smoke but not a lot

problem areas : glow plugs and injection pump main seal

replacing the glow plugs and the pump seal along with a new fuel filter will probably eliminate 99% of the smoke you're getting

see here :

http://www.delica.ca/forum/problems-sta ... -8560.html

CREGAN wrote:I am relatively new to the whole diesel scene and I just want to know if this is normal without getting involved in huge philisophical questions about glaciers and global warming. When I start my van it is kind of sputtery and chokes a bit, so I put my foot down lightly to raise the rpm on the gas (or diesel pedal if you will) and it gradually starts to run normally but puts out a huge plume of black sooty smoke. It kind of freaks the kids and other teachers out at the school I work at - as well as me. Once the plume is gone and the idle is normal (1000 rpm,) if I let it sit and idle I get a kind of dark black puddle or spray pattern on the driveway or lot, my guess is soot. Is this normal? I have never owned a diesel and am totally loving this one but it just scares me when it sends out complete sentences in smoke signals. Thanks

Craig

Absolutely abnormal.
As jfarsang said, firstly you would suspect bad/not replaced glow plugs, which we need to replace first thing in Canada.
Secondly you need to adjust IP.
I guess your importer have done all things before sale.

Steven

Rising Sun Auto Import wrote:

CREGAN wrote:I am relatively new to the whole diesel scene and I just want to know if this is normal without getting involved in huge philisophical questions about glaciers and global warming. When I start my van it is kind of sputtery and chokes a bit, so I put my foot down lightly to raise the rpm on the gas (or diesel pedal if you will) and it gradually starts to run normally but puts out a huge plume of black sooty smoke. It kind of freaks the kids and other teachers out at the school I work at - as well as me. Once the plume is gone and the idle is normal (1000 rpm,) if I let it sit and idle I get a kind of dark black puddle or spray pattern on the driveway or lot, my guess is soot. Is this normal? I have never owned a diesel and am totally loving this one but it just scares me when it sends out complete sentences in smoke signals. Thanks

Craig

Absolutely abnormal.
As jfarsang said, firstly you would suspect bad/not replaced glow plugs as we need to replace them in Canada.
Secondly you need to adjust IP.
I guess your importer have done all things before sale.

Steven

I have had the same thing happening since I bought the vehicle last October. I've run chemicals through to clean the injectors and have had Butch test the glow plugs. Glow plugs are fine so I suspect injectors!? I park beside a white fence and have a side exhaust and now the fence is black.

nxski wrote:

Rising Sun Auto Import wrote:

CREGAN wrote:I am relatively new to the whole diesel scene and I just want to know if this is normal without getting involved in huge philisophical questions about glaciers and global warming. When I start my van it is kind of sputtery and chokes a bit, so I put my foot down lightly to raise the rpm on the gas (or diesel pedal if you will) and it gradually starts to run normally but puts out a huge plume of black sooty smoke. It kind of freaks the kids and other teachers out at the school I work at - as well as me. Once the plume is gone and the idle is normal (1000 rpm,) if I let it sit and idle I get a kind of dark black puddle or spray pattern on the driveway or lot, my guess is soot. Is this normal? I have never owned a diesel and am totally loving this one but it just scares me when it sends out complete sentences in smoke signals. Thanks

Craig

Absolutely abnormal.
As jfarsang said, firstly you would suspect bad/not replaced glow plugs as we need to replace them in Canada.
Secondly you need to adjust IP.
I guess your importer have done all things before sale.

Steven

I have had the same thing happening since I bought the vehicle last October. I've run chemicals through to clean the injectors and have had Butch test the glow plugs. Glow plugs are fine so I suspect injectors!? I park beside a white fence and have a side exhaust and now the fence is black.

Put water with garden hose into your exhaust pipe till full and leave it all through the night.
Drive your delica hard in Highway in higher rpm.
Black smoke may be gone.

Steven

Is that to get rid of build up in the exhaust system? Because mine was smoking when I bought it and I put on a completely new exhaust and it's still smoking...

nxski wrote:Is that to get rid of build up in the exhaust system? Because mine was smoking when I bought it and I put on a completely new exhaust and it's still smoking...

joke.
I assume you need IP adjustment as long as your glow plugs are from good source.

I was getting a little concerned. A banana up the tail pipe is the extend of my knowledge on this subject

I'll be looking into that soon then, thanks.

Whatever you do keep in mind that glow plugs have nothing to do with black smoke.

On my Hilux Surf a couple of the injection pump seals are going and possibly a glow or two has crapped out so my first start of the morning is always a bit of a bucking bronco ride for ~20 seconds. The righteous smoke cloud is always white though not black. I will get a speck or two of black soot that is visible on fresh snow but hardly anything.

My L400 has an iffy glow or two (Mardy mentioned it but was out of stock the day I picked it up so could not replace) so it can take a few seconds of cranking to get it started in teh morning and then it usually gives a small white puff and a shake shake for ~2 seconds and then it it good to go. A few colder mornings (~0-2oC) it has given a bigger white cloud and a shake shake shake similar to the Surf but of less duration like 5-10 seconds. As the injection pump seals were replaced as part of the pre-purchase service I assume that any cold start issues are due to the glows not being in top form. It has not given a black smoke cloud.

Profister wrote:Whatever you do keep in mind that glow plugs have nothing to do with black smoke.

What causes black smoke then?

Usually the cause is the excessive amount of fuel and/or lack of air (oxygen) to burn it.

Profister wrote:Usually the cause is the excessive amount of fuel and/or lack of air (oxygen) to burn it.

Very interesting answer.
What is the cause is the excessive amount of fuel and/or lack of air (oxygen) to burn it?

Steven

Some other things to clarify that can give more clues:

Is this happening every time you start your van or just first thing in the morning/after sitting many hours? What is the rpm when it is making the black cloud, is it much lower than what the idle is set at? Is the rpm only rising to the set idle temp when the engine is at normal running temperature? Maybe your cold start adjuster isn't working or set properly.

Does it make black smoke during normal driving as well? Maybe your air filter is dirty. Did you suck up a moose into the airbox on your way back to Calgary?

Can you give examples of what it would be for both instances? Smoking at every start vs smoking and low idle when IRS been sitting a while...