Thick Black Smoke
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:31 pm
Hi all, after reading a story that has come to a happy end for forum member 7builder, I am going to try my luck and see if anyone can offer me some good advice, if not I will have to go and visit Jason and see if he can help me out.
This is going to be a long one but I am going to break it down as much as I can.
So I bought my E53 X5 3.0d 2001, three years ago with a private plate at an amazingly cheap price, I asked the guy if he wanted the private plate and he said no, I will throw it in, so I parted with my cash. (Alarm bells should have rang)
The 15 mile drive home was perfect no overheating in traffic, no lack of power to my knowledge being my first X5. Besides a knocking sound and a loud click when I turned the steering it seemed okay.
The following day I went to start my car, put it into drive and the car did not even move and came up with TRANS FAIL SAFE. Being my first X5, and searching around the internet everything was pointing towards the gearbox malfunctioning and at a price from around 2k to 4.8k for a repair I just gave up and thought I had been ripped off, so the car sat on my drive for four months without me attempting to do any work on it at all.
I then attempted to start the car again and it was completely dead and I could not gain entry as the main door lock was broken. Anyway I called my local mechanic who came out to visit and got my car started and it went into drive, but on pulling away kicked out tons of black smoke.
Three years later everything is fine but I still have the tons of black smoke, but this is what I have done to my X5 so far.
1. Gearbox was fine needed a new battery
2. Bought a new battery and found out I also needed an alternator
3. Fitted the new alternator on the car and started it, and with the correct voltage running through the car it came alive and blew out the small rad with fluid going everywhere.
4. Bought a new rad, fitted it, and car is now running but very sluggish and still smoking.
5. Full service, gearbox oil, oil, glow plugs, air, oil, pollen and fuel filter car is now running to me at 90% but still smoking.
6. Added injector cleaner and some V-power and took the car for a long run but still smoking.
7. Remap new exhaust I would now say its running at 95% but still smoking.
When I say smoking I don’t mean a puff of black smoke I mean thick black smoke that causes people behind me to stop and on one occasion a driver actually turned on his headlights, but this only happens when I kick down otherwise driving normally the car seems perfect. I have tons of power I think, but want to know what I should try next to cure this smoking problem.
I am thinking EGR Valve Bypass and turbo pipe cleaner, any other suggestions would be helpful. I am going to try and get one of my work colleagues to video me driving so you can see what I mean by thick black smoke.
This is going to be a long one but I am going to break it down as much as I can.
So I bought my E53 X5 3.0d 2001, three years ago with a private plate at an amazingly cheap price, I asked the guy if he wanted the private plate and he said no, I will throw it in, so I parted with my cash. (Alarm bells should have rang)
The 15 mile drive home was perfect no overheating in traffic, no lack of power to my knowledge being my first X5. Besides a knocking sound and a loud click when I turned the steering it seemed okay.
The following day I went to start my car, put it into drive and the car did not even move and came up with TRANS FAIL SAFE. Being my first X5, and searching around the internet everything was pointing towards the gearbox malfunctioning and at a price from around 2k to 4.8k for a repair I just gave up and thought I had been ripped off, so the car sat on my drive for four months without me attempting to do any work on it at all.
I then attempted to start the car again and it was completely dead and I could not gain entry as the main door lock was broken. Anyway I called my local mechanic who came out to visit and got my car started and it went into drive, but on pulling away kicked out tons of black smoke.
Three years later everything is fine but I still have the tons of black smoke, but this is what I have done to my X5 so far.
1. Gearbox was fine needed a new battery
2. Bought a new battery and found out I also needed an alternator
3. Fitted the new alternator on the car and started it, and with the correct voltage running through the car it came alive and blew out the small rad with fluid going everywhere.
4. Bought a new rad, fitted it, and car is now running but very sluggish and still smoking.
5. Full service, gearbox oil, oil, glow plugs, air, oil, pollen and fuel filter car is now running to me at 90% but still smoking.
6. Added injector cleaner and some V-power and took the car for a long run but still smoking.
7. Remap new exhaust I would now say its running at 95% but still smoking.
When I say smoking I don’t mean a puff of black smoke I mean thick black smoke that causes people behind me to stop and on one occasion a driver actually turned on his headlights, but this only happens when I kick down otherwise driving normally the car seems perfect. I have tons of power I think, but want to know what I should try next to cure this smoking problem.
I am thinking EGR Valve Bypass and turbo pipe cleaner, any other suggestions would be helpful. I am going to try and get one of my work colleagues to video me driving so you can see what I mean by thick black smoke.
