Excessive smoke on startup after 100k mile service

I'm a new owner of a 2002 Jetta with just shy of 300k miles. The previous owner said he thought the ECU had been reprogrammed and it had received upgraded injector nozzles. It runs excellent. I had the 100k service performed recently at a local import shop and now it smokes a LOT on startup, especially when cold. The smoke stops within about 15 seconds.


Other than the smoke, it runs perfectly. I'm averaging about 47 mpg, easy starts, etc.


How should I try to troubleshoot this? I'm thinking that perhaps when the shop did the timing, there was some issue with the way it was timed vs the reprogrammed ecu? Should I try to find a VCDS and adjust timing away from stock? I'm just really not sure how to proceed.

White smoke? If yes, compression test.

Where the glow plugs changed?

If that was the only work done I would suspect late timing.

Did the shop have the proper tools and experience to time a TDI?

timing is off a hair, probably really retarded. hook up VCDS and check timing and pull the covers and check physical timing marks. this is very easy to do.
Im summing your getting black smoke? If its grey white, thats oil, check the intercooler and drain it and measure how much oil comes out.
If its white smoke, you need to run a compression test and a leak down test at 100PSI or higher.

I've never seen late timing on a cold engine cause black smoke. It'll be white.

Talking to them they seemed to know what they were talking about. It's an independent shop, but there were quite a few other VW's there for service at the same time.


The smoke is light gray, I'll see about getting buying a compression tester. I'll have to count my pennies and see if I can swing buying a VCDS too.

Were the glow plugs replaced?

But were the other VW's TDI's? Even if they were that doesn't guarantee they do it correctly.

I don't know how a timing belt change would cause a compression issue unless they totally messed it up and bent a rod.

Save the money the compression test would cost and buy the VCDS.

KLXD said:

But were the other VW's TDI's? Even if they were that doesn't guarantee they do it correctly.

I don't know how a timing belt change would cause a compression issue unless they totally messed it up and bent a rod.

Save the money the compression test would cost and buy the VCDS.

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VCDS is free, VAG-COM cable is not!