I stumbled accross this a while ago, found it quite useful so here's a link for all my fellow oil burners.
Basically, smoke from a diesel engine indicates that something is not right.
It should be taken as an indication that there is a problem existing (or developing), that will potentially shorten the engine life, or result in unnecessary costs. It should be regarded as an opportunity to take measures that will save you money in both the long term and also the short term. At the least, that smoke may be due to a simple problem, that is causing poor combustion efficiency…and costing you in excessive fuel bills (eg carboned up engine from excessive idling, stop start operation or short run times). At the other end of the scale, it may be your last chance to act, before a catastrophic engine failure occurs (eg piston seizure, valve or turbocharger failure).
A diesel engine in good condition should produce no visible smoke from the exhaust, under most operating conditions. A short puff of smoke when an engine is accelerated under load may be acceptable, due to the lag before the turbocharger speed and air flow is able to match the volume of diesel injected into the cylinders. That would only apply to older technology diesel engines, but with modern type diesels, no smoke at all should be evident.
There are three basic types of diesel smoke, identifiable by their colour... Black, Blue and White
In the outlines below we explain what causes each colour of diesel smoke and provide you with links to high quality products that will help you solve these problems....
http://www.dieselsmoke.com.au
Basically, smoke from a diesel engine indicates that something is not right.
It should be taken as an indication that there is a problem existing (or developing), that will potentially shorten the engine life, or result in unnecessary costs. It should be regarded as an opportunity to take measures that will save you money in both the long term and also the short term. At the least, that smoke may be due to a simple problem, that is causing poor combustion efficiency…and costing you in excessive fuel bills (eg carboned up engine from excessive idling, stop start operation or short run times). At the other end of the scale, it may be your last chance to act, before a catastrophic engine failure occurs (eg piston seizure, valve or turbocharger failure).
A diesel engine in good condition should produce no visible smoke from the exhaust, under most operating conditions. A short puff of smoke when an engine is accelerated under load may be acceptable, due to the lag before the turbocharger speed and air flow is able to match the volume of diesel injected into the cylinders. That would only apply to older technology diesel engines, but with modern type diesels, no smoke at all should be evident.
There are three basic types of diesel smoke, identifiable by their colour... Black, Blue and White
In the outlines below we explain what causes each colour of diesel smoke and provide you with links to high quality products that will help you solve these problems....
http://www.dieselsmoke.com.au
