Driving a car with a smoky exhaust.

[B Huey]

My Focus has a faulty turbo and at times is throwing out a lot of smoke. Is this illegal and what could I get done for if I get stopped?

Thanks for looking.

[Caulkhead]

My Doblo doesn't have a faulty turbo but still throws out some smoke! Inless it's making a James Bond type smoke screen, I wouldn't worry about it.

[B Huey]

Thanks for the replies.

Regarding the oil, I'd assumed it was burning diesel as it seems to be using more fuel. The oil level doesn't seem to have dropped.

Would the smoke only be caused by oil being burnt?

[spoodler]

If it's trailing black smoke then it is most likely diesel, if it's grey or whiteish then it will be engine oil. If you can't tell best check the oil level anyway...

[Steve H]

Visible smoke is a fail on the MOT (testers discretion as to the amount) which would also mean a charge of driving an unroadworthy vehicle if the BiB wanted to go that way. Pretty unlikely though since you would no doubt assure the officer that it just started to do that on this journey.

[maniac0796]

spoodler said:

If it's trailing black smoke then it is most likely diesel, if it's grey or whiteish then it will be engine oil. If you can't tell best check the oil level anyway...

Black smoke is too much fuel, greyish smoke is incomplete combustion, blue smoke is oil and white smoke is water.

[B Huey]

Thanks for the responses. The smoke is black, would driving the car like this cause any damage to the engine?

[Petrolhead_Rich]

B Huey said:

Thanks for the responses. The smoke is black, would driving the car like this cause any damage to the engine?

Yes, I drove my Volvo S40 (Basically a Focus) for a couple of months with little turbo boost, completely filled all my inlet EGR etc with sticky oily st, took me over a week to strip it all down and get it cleanish.

Get the turbo changed ASAP!!!

[shovelheadrob]

Followed a car the other day that was chucking out so much black smoke that I couldn't even tell you what it was! It overtook a police car & I was surprised that it wasn't stopped, so obviously down to Bib mood on the day, probably renders ANBPR useless!

[moreflaps]

maniac0796 said:

Black smoke is too much fuel, greyish smoke is incomplete combustion, blue smoke is oil and white smoke is water.

Damn I though white smoke was a new pope...

Cheers