Xantia HDi smoking

[RichardW]

Ethanol / achohol - it's the same thing, and it's not being added to diesel

They do add up to 7% bio-diesel though, but this is a methyl-ester - usually considered to reduce smoking in diesels.

[myglaren]

Ethanol is alcohol.

[DHallworth]

Well I managed to get the car out of the shed last night and took it for a run.

It's cleaned up a LOT, it feels smoother, quieter and runs much better. It's also noticably quicker!!

Only thing I didn't like to much was when the throttle peddle jammed wide open! Lifting the pedal didn't make any difference so I slowed it down to 1200 rpm with the brakes in 5th and turned it off. Upon restarting it was absolutely fine!

Wondering if it's the cable that might be sticking or if there's a dirty track on the potentiometer.

David.

[DHallworth]

Managed to find a clip that was on the pipe next to the throttle potentiometer. When you floored it the clip got lodged under it stopping it from returning. Moved the clip and normal service has now resumed.

David.

[c.morewood]

Well after months of scratching my chin I think I've finally found out why this Xantia HDi was smoking and it was purely by chance...

When I took the front end off the car I noticed that there was a black oily spot on the bottom of the intercooler. I didn't even need the compressor to detect the leak, covering one end with my hand and blowing in it was enough to hear the air escaping from it.

Ordered a new one and fitted it, started the car and it was running nicer, when revving it the smoke seems to have cleared and the thick diesely smell from it has gone. Sounds much more like the other HDi that we've had, just got to get the front back on the car now and then take it for a run.

Never even considered that there were problems with the intercooler as it's never been *noticeably* down on power or performance.

David.

David/ Jim, Would this be the offending pipe you were describing?

[CitroJim]

The top one is one of them. It's a bit leaky where it joins the intercooler. Possibly a loose Jubilee clip but more likely the pipe is split right at the end under the Jubilee clip band. Wherever those pipes leak they'll give it away by showing copious amounts of oil. The oil comes from the crankcase breather system and is not a leak in itself - just condensed oil vapour. Hence why it's horrible, black and sticky...

The pipe underneath, which is really oily, is the air intake pipe and not a problem.