My vRS has started being a bit of a soot monster lately, moreso than usual, and seems to bog down a bit at lower revs. I was wondering if fouled glowplugs could cause this - it's a 13k mile car, only about 4k since fettling to about 175 brake so not a stupidly powerful map or anything. Any ideas? :confused:

try the pd160 intake and green filter to free it up a little, if you've already done that you might consider an oil change and a filter clean/change. sorry i can't answer your glow plugs question and i'd be interested to know this myself even though i dont experience the issues you have posted.

Assuming the car is otherwise running fine....

Check the air filter. Consider the SEAT PD160 intake.

Also bear in mind that the weather has improved lots and the ambient temperature has risen significantly since March/April.

Other things to check are the SMIC for gunk etc. Consider pikey mods.

J.

seen mine smoke? never need any plugs changing. I thought the glow plugs werw only to do with starting the car, not in its general running? Correct me if I'm wrong (Ross will soon enough )

Assuming the car is otherwise running fine....

Check the air filter. Consider the SEAT PD160 intake.

Also bear in mind that the weather has improved lots and the ambient temperature has risen significantly since March/April.

Other things to check are the SMIC for gunk etc. Consider pikey mods.

J.

Did this - green filter not very dirty but cleaned and lightly re-oiled anyway. Didn't make a difference.

Have the PD160 intake, and both pikey mods.

It soots like a bitch, even at night when ambient temperatures are lower, and during colder periods. In hot weather, it's worse. Probably been doing it for about 8 weeks now.

Doesn't really explain the engine bogging down at about 1500 - 2200 revs either.

Going in to the garage tomorrow to get the gauges wired up (oil pressure, temp and boost) so will get an oil change then anyway, will see if that makes a difference - although the oil that's in there is only about 4.5k miles old.

Who did the map?

i dont think glow plugs have anything to do with the soot, it's there just to warm something up before it starts up the engine.

Who did the map?

Angel Tuning

Will see if it improves any after an oil change tomorrow, might have a look in the cooler pipes while they are at it and see if they are gunged up.

Want Shell to start selling Diesel Extra down here so I can use it instead of poxy city diesel

It soots like a bitch' date=' even at night when ambient temperatures are lower, and during colder periods. In hot weather, it's worse. Probably been doing it for about 8 weeks now.

[/quote'] 8 weeks ago is about when diesel changed from winter grade to summer grade. Try giving it a fill of premium diesel from a forecourt with a high turnover and see if that improves things at all.

8 weeks ago is about when diesel changed from winter grade to summer grade. Try giving it a fill of premium diesel from a forecourt with a high turnover and see if that improves things at all.

Might have to do that - still got half a tank left and just got the workhorse van back from the bodyshop so probably won't use that half a tank for at least a fortnight yet.... damn congestion charging, I want to drive to work!

seen mine smoke? never need any plugs changing. I thought the glow plugs werw only to do with starting the car, not in its general running? Correct me if I'm wrong (Ross will soon enough )

Yep this is correct - a diesel engine uses compression to ignite (unless it's really cold)...

Chris

Yep this is correct - a diesel engine uses compression to ignite (unless it's really cold)...

Chris

Of course, that was a pretty dumb question

But I don't think you can use intake cleaner on a diesel can you? I remeber we tried once on a mates astravan, it redlined and ran for a good minute after taking the key out of the ignition... seemed not to have done any permanent damage, although can't say that for sure as he wrote it off very shortly afterwards...

The problem is you have reoiled the green filter. The MAF just beyond the airbox is very susceptable to being damaged by this oil (either green or K+N) and your only choice is to replace the MAF if this is the case. Talking to Jabba and a few others the best plan with the green filters is to gentle blow off and any dirt and when it gets too much just replace. The new one is best baked in an oven first to dry it out.

Glow plugs will have no effect on anything but the initial start.

My suggestion would be a new air filter, as at least on the Octy the skoda interval of 40k miles is wildly optermistic. Post that an oil plus filterchange will always help and a tank or two of ultimate then back to whatever you use.

Also when doing the tank or two of good fuel, then warm the engine up and give it a good hard(ish) drive along a motorway at higher revs. Used to do this all the time pre MOT time in my older diesels

EDIT City Diesel as in sainsbury? If so that stuff is dreadful for soot. Proven in at least 5 diesels of various makes. Try standard shell or something of a similar quality instead.

Talking to Jabba and a few others the best plan with the green filters is to gentle blow off and any dirt and when it gets too much just replace. The new one is best baked in an oven first to dry it out.

That seems a little extreme :eek:.

I clean mine every 5k with the cleaning solution/respray application by Green, 30k and it's going as strong as ever.

The problem is you have reoiled the green filter. The MAF just beyond the airbox is very susceptable to being damaged by this oil (either green or K+N) and your only choice is to replace the MAF if this is the case. Talking to Jabba and a few others the best plan with the green filters is to gentle blow off and any dirt and when it gets too much just replace. The new one is best baked in an oven first to dry it out.

Cripes!

My vote is either the filter is clogged... Replace filter temporarily with a new standard one and see if that helps.

Or the MAF is b*ggered :(

Or you have a boost leak.

it certainly reads as if it's pushing too much fuel for the airflow.

Another unpallatable is that the turbo VNT may have siezed :(

i dont think glow plugs have anything to do with the soot, it's there just to warm something up before it starts up the engine.

Correct

Glow plugs will have no effect on anything but the initial start.

My suggestion would be a new air filter' date=' as at least on the Octy the skoda interval of 40k miles is wildly optermistic. Post that an oil plus filterchange will always help and a tank or two of ultimate then back to whatever you use.

Also when doing the tank or two of good fuel, then warm the engine up and give it a good hard(ish) drive along a motorway at higher revs. Used to do this all the time pre MOT time in my older diesels

EDIT City Diesel as in sainsbury? If so that stuff is dreadful for soot. Proven in at least 5 diesels of various makes. Try standard shell or something of a similar quality instead.[/quote']

40k between cleanings is nonsense, the green filter is a mess after 15k, as shown by some others on here. I cleaned mine at about 7k and it wasn't very pretty, and again about 6k later just last week.

:eek: I'm worried now! :shocked:

I got something techie / engine related RIGHT! NOOOOOOOO! :eek:

I am buying a new genuine air filter every 10-15k on mine. I saw mine at 40 and almost had a heart attack.

Would gonsider a washable K&N/Green cotton, but well I can do 4 more the price of one of them and will probably sell my car if a VRS TDi comes out.

I am buying a new genuine air filter every 10-15k on mine. I saw mine at 40 and almost had a heart attack.

Would gonsider a washable K&N/Green cotton' date=' but well I can do 4 more the price of one of them and will probably sell my car if a VRS TDi comes out. [/quote']

Would like to try an ITG foam filter as I've been happy with them on other cars, but don't think they make them.

Pipercross make them and they are only about

Cripes!

My vote is either the filter is clogged... Replace filter temporarily with a new standard one and see if that helps.

Or the MAF is b*ggered :(

Or you have a boost leak.

it certainly reads as if it's pushing too much fuel for the airflow.

Another unpallatable is that the turbo VNT may have siezed :(

Well, at least the boost gauge should indicate if I have a leak or if there's something up with the turbo... what pressure should I be expecting on a mapped car?

Angel Tuning

Will see if it improves any after an oil change tomorrow' date=' might have a look in the cooler pipes while they are at it and see if they are gunged up.

Want Shell to start selling Diesel Extra down here so I can use it instead of poxy city diesel [/quote']

JUT, you can talk diesels with Nigel at Angel until the cows come home. Have you contacted him?

Technically incorrect i'd add about the glow plug operation.

Glow plugs have two phases,

1) Glow plugs come on to preheat the combustion chamber to help with cold starts.

2) Glow plugs go off when cranked and then come on again during the first part of the warm up phase, this helps limit diesel knock and reduces cold start emissions. They go off over so many RPM which is why on a TDi Octavia sometimes you can hear a relay clicking in and out when cold.

i would deffo talk to angel about your smoke problem , it sounds like too much fuel to me ,or get someone to put it on VAGCOM to see if there is any fault codes