Intermittant white smoke from the engine!

[firstascent2002]

The engine is a volvo 2002.

It tends to wind into life over 3 or 4 seconds if cold (although sometimes I just do something right and it starts from cold on the button)

On the way to fowey last week I motor sailed with teh exhaust post below the water for about 10 minutes. Felt it was unlikley to be a good idea and turned off the donky.

On the way back the engine produced white smoke for the first time. Pretty thick. We stopped and sailed for the bulk of the way. On restarting the engine...smoke gone. If it was a compression problem, would not it be more of a fixed feature? I was wondering if the cold start function may be sticking on akin to a choke in a car explaining the sudden onset start and stop of the smoke.

Any ideas

J

 

[tamara]

white smoke can be unburnt fuel, or as i found out in the French canals a blocked filter, when was the last time you changed yours, it's always a cheap starting point.

 

[brianhumber]

Have a read though of recent past couple of days posts on smoke.
White smoke no smell - water vapour
White smoke fuel smell - unburnt vapourised fuel

3/4 secs is pretty good to start in my opinion, so from your description could be just you filled up your exhaust with water - so no damage it seems as you ran and got the system hot hence white vapour but a lesson to keep a good eye on the exhaust overboard or perhaps change the arrangements.
Check the cold start is released allowing more fuel to be injected when you go through the start routine

Good Sailing

Brian

 

[PeterGibbs]

Adding to Brian's useful reply, we all get to wondering from time to time if the donkey is working at its best - usually coincides with a long stretch of motoring when our senses seem to be looking for work. We could all have our injectors checkout out more frequently etc but what is important even vital is clean fuel (filters changed even twice a season!) This I learned from an old engineer years ago, and it has stood me in good stead.

So relax, your engine is working, starting within normal parameters, pulling, and your emissions are intermittent - which is good. As with human physiology, it's a case of real concern only when the coughing is persistent!

PS. after November this year you will (along with us all) buy some sweeps for your boat because the cost of diesel will have reached £1.40 at the marina and our engines will lie rotting in the bilges, useful only for ballast.

PWG

 

[sailorman]

Re: Intermittent white smoke from the engine!

we used to get white emissions @ regally intervals on our Yanmar YSE12 when the thermostat opened

 

[Bilgediver]

On the way to fowey last week I motor sailed with teh exhaust post below the water for about 10 minutes. Felt it was unlikley to be a good idea and turned off the donky.

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WHoopsie........not a good idea to turn off a hot diesel when the exhaust is submerged as the cooling exhaust gases can suck the sea water back into the exhaust pipe and possibly the engine. I never stop on starboard tack.

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Seen a couple of ships lifeboat engines wrecked doing this which are fitted with underwater exhausts for safety but the anti syphon device became blocked.