Author Topic: 1Z constant white smoke  (Read 10817 times)

Offline Tmarkle

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1Z constant white smoke
« on: April 23, 2018, 09:43:12 PM »
Just picked up a 98 Jetta TDI for dirt cheap. Runs pretty solid and has good power, I drove it 150 miles home from Wyoming to Montana and it performed great. However it has a smoking issue. When idling, it constantly smokes a bit of white. It is unburied diesel, burns your eyes and such. When revving, it is a very light grey haze, and after driving there will be no smoke till it sits and idles for a minute. The smoke is much more noticeable cold but is still there when warm. The intake is pretty dang plugged and I found a tiny diesel leak on the bottom of the pump head. There was a small bubble sitting in the feed line to the injection pump, so I’m thinking that maybe there’s some air in the system? I’m my Toyota diesel swap thread I know I put AHU, my mistake, I didn’t actually look at the code till today.


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1985 Jetta 1.6 NA, Project
1981 Rabbit 1.5 diesel SOLD
1980 Dasher, also a project
1993 Passat GLX VR6 (daily driver)
1992 Toyota Pickup, 350 V8 swapped
1997 Jetta TDI, engine donor for a diesel powered Toyota!
1986 Toyota Custom Cab

Offline ORCoaster

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Re: 1Z constant white smoke
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2018, 11:09:54 PM »
It might be air in the lines or timing.  Best get out the dial gauge and see if it is advanced a bit too far or not far enough. 

Offline Tmarkle

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Re: 1Z constant white smoke
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2018, 12:11:35 PM »
It might be air in the lines or timing.  Best get out the dial gauge and see if it is advanced a bit too far or not far enough.
Can I adjust the timing on the tdi by tilting the pump? I thought I’d need to use a computer to do that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
1985 Jetta 1.6 NA, Project
1981 Rabbit 1.5 diesel SOLD
1980 Dasher, also a project
1993 Passat GLX VR6 (daily driver)
1992 Toyota Pickup, 350 V8 swapped
1997 Jetta TDI, engine donor for a diesel powered Toyota!
1986 Toyota Custom Cab

Offline Tmarkle

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Re: 1Z constant white smoke
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2018, 12:26:31 PM »
I think I misunderstood some of my readings. Can I adjust the TDI timing using my dial gauge for IDIs?
1985 Jetta 1.6 NA, Project
1981 Rabbit 1.5 diesel SOLD
1980 Dasher, also a project
1993 Passat GLX VR6 (daily driver)
1992 Toyota Pickup, 350 V8 swapped
1997 Jetta TDI, engine donor for a diesel powered Toyota!
1986 Toyota Custom Cab

Offline ORCoaster

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Re: 1Z constant white smoke
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2018, 08:34:43 PM »
Deferring to someone with knowledge of TDI timing.  I don't know if the IDI method is the same.  Likely not as the age and engine is way better than something from the 1980's inventors.


Offline libbydiesel

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Re: 1Z constant white smoke
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2018, 01:37:39 AM »
You need vag-com for timing the TDIs. 

Fix the fuel leak, double-check that the cam timing is spot on, double-check the pump timing.

Offline Tmarkle

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Re: 1Z constant white smoke
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2018, 08:40:33 PM »
I scanned the following codes and have gathered some info on what they are.

P0380 Glow plug fault
P1619 Glow plug relay fault
P1144 MAF ??
P1258 Coolant temp short ??
P1161 Intake air temp ??

I’m thinking these may be pointing to to my issue. The fuel “leak” I found was because I tried to bleed air out of the injectors and it ran down lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
1985 Jetta 1.6 NA, Project
1981 Rabbit 1.5 diesel SOLD
1980 Dasher, also a project
1993 Passat GLX VR6 (daily driver)
1992 Toyota Pickup, 350 V8 swapped
1997 Jetta TDI, engine donor for a diesel powered Toyota!
1986 Toyota Custom Cab

Offline Tmarkle

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Re: 1Z constant white smoke
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2018, 01:18:12 PM »
Ran a clear lines from the filter to the pump and discovered tons of bubbles coming into the pump. I ran a clear line from the filter to a bottle of fuel and a clear line from the return back to the bottle. I eliminated bubbles coming in but the return line is full of tiny bubbles. Stopping the air coming in greatly reduced the white smoke, yet there is still a small amount. I haven't looked any closer into the codes. I really need to bite the bullet and buy a laptop and VCDS.
1985 Jetta 1.6 NA, Project
1981 Rabbit 1.5 diesel SOLD
1980 Dasher, also a project
1993 Passat GLX VR6 (daily driver)
1992 Toyota Pickup, 350 V8 swapped
1997 Jetta TDI, engine donor for a diesel powered Toyota!
1986 Toyota Custom Cab

Offline benniecem

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1Z constant white smoke
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2019, 09:54:58 AM »
So, what does the smoke smell like?  Sweet like coolant, like diesel, or like oil?

Or is this problem already sorted and you didnt reply because of people like me who werent here and didnt reply because we didnt see the post?

Just wondering...

PH