Help!!!--- smoke coming from under the bonnet

john j

Member
Does anyone have any advice please?
I have a 1.4 TDi and when I start it up lots of smoke comes from under the bonnet. I think it is the air conditioning unit but I dont have a diagram of the engine to refer to. (The air conditioning fan seems to come on every time the engine is started and stays on for some time afterwards. Any ideas gratefully recieved!
thanks
 
Hi John and welcome to A2OC.

Please help us out by filling in your profile fully (including full model details and your location, so that we can suggest experienced nearby members to help you).

I presume you have an early (2000-2002) diesel A2 and that this smoke is nothing more that the Webasto heater that you can see. The air conditioning makes no noise or smoke itself, so it is unlikely to be this.

Please do the above and then get back to us.

Cheers,

Mike
 
Hi John
Early TDi's have a diesel fired Webasto coolant heater (bit like a small central heating boiler) which works automatically at temps below 6 degC. I suspect the smoke or possibly steam is coming from this unit and the noise you hear is this firing up or running through its shutdown cycle when the engine is switched off.

Cheers Spike
 
Thanks, thats very helpful. I have updated profile, and would appreciate any local information that you have.
Although I really love the car, I have had a lot of trouble with it ever since I bought it - and have found it difficult to get a reasonable and reliable mechanic. If the smoke (and its definatley smoke, not steam) is coming from that heater is that ok ? -
I assume its just due to the weather at the moment.
thanks a million, John
 
Hi John,

Being based near Manchester, my local knowledge if scant at best, but I'm sure someone else will be along soon to help out.

Fear not though, the smoke you're experiencing is just the heaters' own exhaust emissions - basically, you have a mini diesel boiler under the bonnet and the diesel it burns has to come out somewhere, just like the stuff in the main engine.

In cold weather below 5 celcius the heater fires up, so that's why it's become very noticeable of late.

Thanks for updating your profile.

Cheers,

Mike
 
To complete the other posts, that noise it makes is also normal, don't be alarmed. Plus, it has a shutdown cleaning sequence after you turn off the engine.
 
Here's a pic of this little heater

picture.php


If you place your hand on the drivers front wing you can feel it vibrating when its running, and on the underside of the car you will see a small hole where the gasses/smoke comes out;)

Phil
 
Advice you've been given is correct, its the fuel fired heater in the engine comparment. As a by-the-by, during my tenure at the service department at Jaguar it was quite common for owners of the diesel S types to report copious smoke akin to the vehicle being alight! Serious smokers those.
 
It should be on fuse 14 Richard - 20A.

For those with electric additional heaters, there's a 60A fuse that sits on the right side of the fusebox, but is only accessible when the entire lower dash panel is removed.

Cheers,

Mike
 
Hi John
Early TDi's have a diesel fired Webasto coolant heater (bit like a small central heating boiler) which works automatically at temps below 6 degC. I suspect the smoke or possibly steam is coming from this unit and the noise you hear is this firing up or running through its shutdown cycle when the engine is switched off.

Cheers Spike
If that reply is ment for me thank you .. needed reassurance, it's happened twice in 18years (that I've noticed) our Audi dealership had the car for 3 hours and failed to give me that info ..they did however give me a bill for three hours investigation at £72 per hour .. this was 16years ago when the car was just 2years old .... again thanks for reassuring me that it's normal regards
John.
Ps the second time it happened was just a few
days ago ! ... it was cold and the heater blasting so everything is clear now mm pity I don't have manual might have found out years ago ... Byee
 
Hi John and welcome to A2OC.

Please help us out by filling in your profile fully (including full model details and your location, so that we can suggest experienced nearby members to help you).

I presume you have an early (2000-2002) diesel A2 and that this smoke is nothing more that the Webasto heater that you can see. The air conditioning makes no noise or smoke itself, so it is unlikely to be this.

Please do the above and then get back to us.

Cheers,

Mike
Sorry re details its 2002 tdi 1.4 bought new 2003
We've done 39.000 miles
little or no mechanical probs .
Prob 1 .. anti roll bar plastic bracket broken £50 to get fixed
Prob 2.. rear spring cracked last year £140 to replace both
Prob 3... drivers window switch up/down replaced about £50 .....thats all almost always kept outside ... all in all a great little car : )
 
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