Big bang and lots of white smoke

[tinysomniac]

I was driving my HDi to work this morning, got 3 miles down the road and started to accelerate to pass something. Had a big bang, looked behind me to see a mass of white smoke that covered the carriageway, and engine had cut out. I coasted to a parking spot and tried to start the engine. It turned over for about 5 seconds but failed to start, so I left it and called the AA.

Had it towed home and when it was here it started again, first turn of the key. It revs fine and sounds fine but it has a smallish amount of white smoke out the exhaust. Engine management light is on.

I haven't driven it so not sure if it's down on power. Does anyone have any thoughts what it might be? I guessed something turbo related but i'm not a derv expert.

Thanks in advance

[silverzx]

Sound like turbo crapped itself tbh. Would be tempted to check the blades of it were me!

Even just stick your head under and have a look around the turbo for anything suspicious!

[Eeyore]

yeh have a look at the turbo and check what the light has come on for.

[Toms306]

White smoke does often follow turbo failure, but I don't see how it'd stall the engine or bring up an EML? I suppose the compressor 'could' seize solid, massively reduce the airflow to stall the engine. But even then, there's no sensors around the turbo so how would the ECU know it'd failed?

[Dum-Dum]

Also possibly a lifter if its not the turbo.

[tinysomniac]

White smoke does often follow turbo failure, but I don't see how it'd stall the engine or bring up an EML? I suppose the compressor 'could' seize solid, massively reduce the airflow to stall the engine. But even then, there's no sensors around the turbo so how would the ECU know it'd failed?

It's interesting that it starts and revs now with no problems.

Someone has suggested the timing belt might've slipped a tooth? What do you guys think?

[Jonny81191]

Is it smoke or steam? Potentially could be the head gasket.

[Toms306]

White smoke does often follow turbo failure, but I don't see how it'd stall the engine or bring up an EML? I suppose the compressor 'could' seize solid, massively reduce the airflow to stall the engine. But even then, there's no sensors around the turbo so how would the ECU know it'd failed?

It's interesting that it starts and revs now with no problems.

Someone has suggested the timing belt might've slipped a tooth? What do you guys think?

Yeah its intriguing. You don't have a code reader I guess?

Jonnys is a good idea but I've never heard of HDi popping a headgasket. Probably be useful to check the oil and water, see if either has dropped....if waters dropped possibly HG, if oils dropped possible Turbo.

I'm wondering if it could be a stuck injector or similar though as white smoke is unburnt diesel, really would be useful to get the code though.

I haven't had any experience of a slipped belt so couldn't say. But its fairly easy to check the timing.

[tinysomniac]

White smoke does often follow turbo failure, but I don't see how it'd stall the engine or bring up an EML? I suppose the compressor 'could' seize solid, massively reduce the airflow to stall the engine. But even then, there's no sensors around the turbo so how would the ECU know it'd failed?

It's interesting that it starts and revs now with no problems.

Someone has suggested the timing belt might've slipped a tooth? What do you guys think?

Yeah its intriguing. You don't have a code reader I guess?

Jonnys is a good idea but I've never heard of HDi popping a headgasket. Probably be useful to check the oil and water, see if either has dropped....if waters dropped possibly HG, if oils dropped possible Turbo.

I'm wondering if it could be a stuck injector or similar though as white smoke is unburnt diesel, really would be useful to get the code though.

I haven't had any experience of a slipped belt so couldn't say. But its fairly easy to check the timing.

Fault reader is in the garage somewhere, will be able to have a look one night this week.

Will check the water and oil levels. How can I check the timing?

[NP306]

i picked up a hdi today and its giving me some white smoke as i pull from the lights, i hope i dont get the same issue!

[Toms306]

It's interesting that it starts and revs now with no problems.

Someone has suggested the timing belt might've slipped a tooth? What do you guys think?

Yeah its intriguing. You don't have a code reader I guess?

Jonnys is a good idea but I've never heard of HDi popping a headgasket. Probably be useful to check the oil and water, see if either has dropped....if waters dropped possibly HG, if oils dropped possible Turbo.

I'm wondering if it could be a stuck injector or similar though as white smoke is unburnt diesel, really would be useful to get the code though.

I haven't had any experience of a slipped belt so couldn't say. But its fairly easy to check the timing.

Fault reader is in the garage somewhere, will be able to have a look one night this week.

Will check the water and oil levels. How can I check the timing?

Personally I'd find the code reader asap. For the timing, take the timing belt covers off and see if the marks line up with the marks on the engine. I'm pretty sure the HDi has white painted timing marks but I've had a few cars now so I could be thinking of a different one.

[Poodle]

Has it lost any oil at all? If your turbo's died it will have dropped a fair bit of oil. The bang could have been the engine hydro-locking on it's own oil, would explain why it cut out.

[darrenjlobb]

Most likely the turbo, can you hear it spool up if you rev it? Have you lost oil? Drive it and see if its flat as pancake?

Wont have slipped timing if it starts perfectly now

[kentiiboii]

My old hdi was having a problem where when I hit 3k revs it would cut out.

Had a arguement with the mrs had a really enthusiastic drive and all of a sudden it went bang! White smoke coveree the rear screen temp gauge went up to 100 and engine cut out. Pooping my self I had a look round car but couldnt see anything waiting for temp to go down and started it up. Ran sweet as after that never cut out at 3k again.

[Poodle]

Cool story bro...

[tinysomniac]

Realised I've not got back to you all, so, thread from the dead.

Serviced the car - oil change, fuel filter change, oil filter change and it has run since then (9 months and about 10,000 miles) absolutely fine. Engine management light went off on it's own and had no problems until this week, but see my other thread for that

[Poodle]

How much oil came out? I'm wondering if it was overfilled and inhaled some oil when it was thrashed..? Bang would have been it hydrolocking, white smoke from the resulting mass of unburnt oil in the exhaust.

[tinysomniac]

How much oil came out? I'm wondering if it was overfilled and inhaled some oil when it was thrashed..? Bang would have been it hydrolocking, white smoke from the resulting mass of unburnt oil in the exhaust.

Not sure, if anything oil was low as I was abusing the hell out of it and hadn't serviced it in a long while. We were wondering if some water had gone through system as the fuel hadn't been bled for.. well... a long while.

[Poodle]

Could hve done I guess, that makes sense. Should think it would need a leak into the fuel tank to get that much water through between fuel filter changes...