Blue smoke on start up - Ford Mondeo

RICK..._2 · 15 January 2011 at 3:47PM

We took delivery of our 60 reg Mondeo, 1.8 tdci in september, everything was fine until around late november..

Started to notice that when starting up from cold in the mornings it would chuck blue smoke out the back, doesn't do it any other time, just first start of the day. Now i understand diesels smoke, but do not expect it to be thick blue stuff.

Took it to local GK ford, who sat in it, revved it for a bit and said 'nah nothing wrong with it' - wasn't happy with this so decided to leave it until after christmas and get it booked in elsewhere.

Got it booked in last week with Sandicliffe, left it with them overnight so they could start it first thing and check properly.. and what a suprise 'no smoke at all' the technician says, even though every single morning i've started it there has always been some.

I've done my own research and found LOADS of people saying that it's a common fault on this engine that the injector seals fail and leak overnight, causing the smoke and that replacement injectors solves the problem. The technician said he electronically checked them and they were fine..

Now I don't know what to do, thats 2 ford garages that say there's nothing wrong with it. Just recently it's started to hesitate in the mornings aswell, and sometimes stalling when pulling off the drive.

I don't know what to do now, the car is coming up to 5k miles, and although it doesn't seem to be a major problem, it still bugs me as we only bought the car brand new 5 months ago.

Any suggestions? Recorded a clip on my phone yesterday of the 'imaginary' smoke but it doesn't show it at it's worst, sometimes you can see the big blue cloud floating down the street!

sorry for the boring essay

geordie_taxi · 15 January 2011 at 3:58PM

sounds like it mite b burning a bit of oil when cold. r u having to top up the oil often? and does it go away when the engine warms up?

optimus_primera · 15 January 2011 at 3:59PM

Blue smoke means it burning oil.
Just one question, do you do a lot of short journeys?
If you do giving the car a good long run may help matters.It will get things nice a hot and clear out all the crap from the system.

RICK..._2 · 15 January 2011 at 4:06PM

I would say 50/50, both long distant and short journeys. Even when I have been on a long run it still chucks it out first thing in the morning without fail. But after the initial start up I don't see any blue smoke again until the next day, just black, as it doesn't have a DPF.

I do associate blue smoke with burning oil also, but people are adament it's due to the injectors, i don't know if an electronic check would check the seals? or just the output.

There is a problem, how big or small I don't know. But the garages just make out i'm talking out my rear. So I don't know what to do.

edit- forgot to say, no havent had to top the oil up, i think it may of used a tiny bit but not enough to warrant topping up

Inactive · 15 January 2011 at 4:08PM

RICK... wrote: »

I would say 50/50, both long distant and short journeys. Even when I have been on a long run it still chucks it out first thing in the morning without fail. But after the initial start up I don't see any blue smoke again until the next day, just black, as it doesn't have a DPF.

I do associate blue smoke with burning oil also, but people are adament it's due to the injectors, i don't know if an electronic check would check the seals? or just the output.

There is a problem, how big or small I don't know. But the garages just make out i'm talking out my rear. So I don't know what to do.

Try getting a better movie of it using a digicam or a decent camera.

optimus_primera · 15 January 2011 at 4:14PM

valve stem seals weeping/leaking?
you wouldn't tend to notice that the engine is running, but when its been left for a while and the cylinder(s) have a drop of oil in them?
I am not sure on the injector theory (but i could be wrong).

Lot of black smoke is usually over fuelling/lack of air

White smoke,tends to be under fuelling/excessive water in the diesel.

RICK..._2 · 15 January 2011 at 4:25PM

Also I forgot to mention, when we first got the car, after about 500 miles I decided to have a nosey under the bonnet, only to find about 10mm of coolant left in the tank. Had AA out and he said the clip to the coolant resevoir was hanging off and not put on properly from factory so all the coolant had leaked out, but he reckoned it wouldn't of done any damage... could this have something to do with it? maybe of put a slight strain on the engine? or is that unlikely.

I just want the car to start, drive and run as it should and not be told by garages that i'm pretty much imagining these faults.

Should I take it to another? or try ringing ford direct?

cyclonebri1 · 15 January 2011 at 4:28PM

It's a diesel, even if it starts ok suspect the glowplugs are dead, easily checked. If so the car still sarts just blows smoke for a 1/2min of so

.

RICK..._2 · 15 January 2011 at 4:38PM

If it were a few years old i'd probably put up with it, but it's only 5 months old, and the problem first started at 2k miles!

I don't know what it is around here with dealerships, but it's too much effort to get off their back side and have a proper investigation into what it could be.

Stigy · 15 January 2011 at 5:36PM

Most diesels (even new ones) will smoke a little bit on initial start up, but excessive smoke should be checked out. If the smoke is definitely blue and not black, I'd have the dealer check it out, and any repairs, I'd like to think, would be under waranty. Blue oil means oil is being burned. If the coolant was also low, I'd check this out, as it seems strange on such a new car!