Black smoke

[visotzky]

My Van gives out the occaisonal puff of black smoke under stress, It only last for a puff, 2sec. Should I be concerned? oh and how to you get to the windshield fluid resorvoir?, I found it, now what? does it tilt out somehow?
Cheers
Val

[Green1]

Diesels often give a puff of black smoke under heavy load, if it's just a puff then it's nothing to be overly worried about, some things that might help include things as simple as a good long highway run, or a good diesel purge. this is basically carbon build up in the engine that needs to be burned out.

As for the washer fluid reservoirs, the front one is in the passenger footwell and it slides out of it's bracket for filling (slides toward the rear of the vehicle, reach behind it and give it a good tug) the rear washer fluid is filled by a cap under the rear hatch on the driver's side just bellow eye level (reservoir itself can be seen by removing the access panel on that side inside the vehicle)

Enjoy your new van!

[robinimpey]

Good question about the washer fluid reservoir. Green1 you said to just give it a good tug and it will slide out of it's bracket. There is a philips screw on mine, do I need to take that screw out first?

[Green1]

possibly... I can't picture such a screw on mine, however some instructions do seem to mention one... it's late tonight, but I'll try to take a look tomorrow and see if I can figure out on mine what you're seeing on yours...

[Schwa]

I'm pretty sure you don't need to take the screw out... when I was first trying to figure it out on my '92 I thought I needed to take the screw out, but it still wouldn't budge... but eventually I figured it out, you really have to yank on it and then it does just slide out, the screw had nothing to do with it.

[robinimpey]

Yes, you're right, the screw doesn't need to come out as it is one of the two for the WW pump. A nice little tug and it slipped right out.

Thanks guys!

[delicat]

And a good clean up of your EGR can't hurt for the black smoke. It's been covered on this site, a quick search will guide you there...

Delicat

[Erebus]

And a good clean up of your EGR can't hurt for the black smoke. It's been covered on this site, a quick search will guide you there...

UK forum has step-by-step instructions for installing blanking plate, but the instructions work for cleaning too. I cleaned mine yesterday. It may be my imagination, but I think it smokes more now.

[Green1]

It may be my imagination, but I think it smokes more now.

that is actually quite likely, it indicates an adjustment that is needed, I'm trying to remember, but I seem to think it's the pump timing? or fuel mixture of some form? either way, it seems to go hand in hand with the EGR, in such a way that any adjustment or blanking of the EGR often affects it, as a result the engine can actually reach a balance if 2 things are out of whack, if you "fix" one of the 2 without the other, things appear worse, you must fix both to actually improve things...

I wish I could be more helpful on what needs adjustment, but my memory just isn't doing it for me right now... it is discussed in depth on the UK site though in the blanking plate discussions

[Erebus]

that is actually quite likely, it indicates an adjustment that is needed, I'm trying to remember, but I seem to think it's the pump timing? or fuel mixture of some form?

If my memory serves it is not timing, but duration of injection. Since my timing was done recently, I'll have to re-read the posting on the UK forum, someone said what to do.