VRS Black Smoke update

[Broadbean]

Having read several threads on the issue of black smoke I decided to investigate further. My VRS was showing signs of this under hard acceleration or when labouring in too high a gear etc. I travel 100 miles each day to work and back and have also noticed a 5mpg increase in fuel consumption. Last week one of my intercooler hoses blew off and of course this caused masses of black smoke and a complete loss of power. The reason the hose blew off was the fact that the small pulley on the left side of the engine had slowly rubbed against the securing clip of the hose and eventually it rubbed right through until it blew off. Having changed the seals and associated pipes there has been a marked improvement. There is now hardly any smoke!!!. I am beginning to wonder whether over time all the seals on the intercooler may get tired and leak out thus giving the increase in black smoke. Has anyone else experienced this and had the same effect on renewing the hoses??

[MoggyTech]

The seals are designed to expand under boost and prevent leaks. What usually happens, is if a pipe pops off, the seal sometimes get twisted when the pipe is refitted.

As you have probably noticed the clip system used to hold the connections together are pants. A good mod for standard cars, is to fit a jubilee clip each side of the joint, and feed two cable ties through the clips, on opposite sides to where the clips hold. This holds the pipes in four places, and prevents thing blowing apart.

[Broadbean]

Moggy,

Thanks for the advice. Funny old thing that is exactly what I have done but with Zip Clips instead. The seals are not ideal and the clips are even worse, especially the ones for the bottom pipe under left headlight unit.