goodmpg
Member
Hi all,
I have a 2004 Jetta BEW 5sp wagon that I am trying to troubleshoot. I have owned it since 2009 at 70K, and it seems to be making an increasing large, smoky cloud on cold start up, regardless of air temperature. It's a big smoke cloud. The smoke clears after a few seconds and there is no further smoke. I've driven behind the car on the road and there is no noticeable emission.
In searching the forums, there are a few different pieces of advice, but I haven't been able to quite relate my problem to any of them.
Current mileage is 160K.
1. Timing - It looks like this could be the problem, but some say the PD cars set their timing automatically. This feels like it might be right, but I don't want to dig in if it can't be a factor due to PD auto-timing.
2. Glow plugs - Since a cold start on a 100degree day still results in a smoke cloud, the glow plugs shouldn't be turning on anyway.
I'm a reasonable mechanic if I have a good manual or some tips. I just can't figure out where to start on this problem.
Let me know if you can help with diagnostics, or know a good TDI tech near Salt Lake City that can debug efficiently. I do not have a computer diagnostic tool (VAG-COM).
Thanks in advance for any help!
Patrick
I have a 2004 Jetta BEW 5sp wagon that I am trying to troubleshoot. I have owned it since 2009 at 70K, and it seems to be making an increasing large, smoky cloud on cold start up, regardless of air temperature. It's a big smoke cloud. The smoke clears after a few seconds and there is no further smoke. I've driven behind the car on the road and there is no noticeable emission.
In searching the forums, there are a few different pieces of advice, but I haven't been able to quite relate my problem to any of them.
Current mileage is 160K.
1. Timing - It looks like this could be the problem, but some say the PD cars set their timing automatically. This feels like it might be right, but I don't want to dig in if it can't be a factor due to PD auto-timing.
2. Glow plugs - Since a cold start on a 100degree day still results in a smoke cloud, the glow plugs shouldn't be turning on anyway.
I'm a reasonable mechanic if I have a good manual or some tips. I just can't figure out where to start on this problem.
Let me know if you can help with diagnostics, or know a good TDI tech near Salt Lake City that can debug efficiently. I do not have a computer diagnostic tool (VAG-COM).
Thanks in advance for any help!
Patrick