Hi. Have a 60 plate superb estate.

 

Has run perfectly for years. 

 

Towards end of a 20 mile drive tonight, noticed white smoke from exhaust. Never happened before.

 

Within a mike it had started to pour out so slowed off.

 

Engine then revved itself to 6k rpm for a few seconds when I put gearbox in neutral & dropped back to normal.

 

No loss of power or drive but engine is noisy.

 

No warning lights, no overheating issues.

 

Have had it suggested head gasket has gone.

 

Got car transported home as amount of smoke made it unsafe on road.

 

Ran engine when stationary & smoke came from engine bay.

 

Anyone any ideas? Help much appreciated.

10 hours ago, Hawkeye13 said:

Engine then revved itself to 6k rpm for a few seconds

That sounds like "dieseling", where the engine is burning a mixture of fuel and engine oil.

 

Check the oil level, which I think will be low. If it is, then you probably need new valve stem oil seals and/or a new turbo. :-( 

" Engine then revved itself to 6k rpm for a few seconds when I put gearbox in neutral & dropped back to normal.

 

No loss of power or drive but engine is noisy. "

 

Diesel engines are governed to usually around 5k revs, as mechanical damage can occur at higher revs.

 

As Ken says, it sounds like the engine has had a runaway running on its own oil & so not having the revs controlled by the ECU.

Almost certainly due to a faulty turbo.

 

Irreparable damage ( as in uneconomical to repair ) may well have been done to the engine & a replacement engine may well be required.

 

Top up the oil & remove the inlet air supply from the turbo before trying to start so that the engine has an air supply but not via the turbo.

 

If the engine is still noisy it will probably be toast.

 

Just to add, don't run the engine for long as will probably be pumping oil through the faulty turbo still.

Edited 2 July, 20214 yr by PipH

1 hour ago, PipH said:

" Engine then revved itself to 6k rpm for a few seconds when I put gearbox in neutral & dropped back to normal.

 

No loss of power or drive but engine is noisy. "

 

Diesel engines are governed to usually around 5k revs, as mechanical damage can occur at higher revs.

 

As Ken says, it sounds like the engine has had a runaway running on its own oil & so not having the revs controlled by the ECU.

Almost certainly due to a faulty turbo.

 

Irreparable damage ( as in uneconomical to repair ) may well have been done to the engine & a replacement engine may well be required.

 

Top up the oil & remove the inlet air supply from the turbo before trying to start so that the engine has an air supply but not via the turbo.

 

If the engine is still noisy it will probably be toast.

 

Just to add, don't run the engine for long as will probably be pumping oil through the faulty turbo still.

Thanks for these points.

 

Engine is not roo noisy and was drivable to garage. If I didn't do more than crawl in 2nd & 10mph the smoke was not roo bad.

 

Awaiting garage having a look but with tour reply & checking around it's at least a new turbo if not terminal.