How Much White Smoke From Exhaust Is Too Much? 1.4TSI 140HP FR

carperson12

Active Member
Dec 11, 2018
12
0
Hi,

I recently bought a 1.4TSI FR but it seems to blowing a lot of white smoke compared to my friends ST which officially blows more than the FR (109 v 139).

The car also failed its MOT recently with the 2nd idle emissions being too much then passed without testing the 2nd idle emissions when I bought it. The cause of this said by the dealer is that they changed the Lambda sensor which was giving wrong readings to the ECU therefore more emissions. But I'm still not convinced.

There's a video linked below. I know it's not a super amount but for a car that's rated 109g/km, it seems quite excessive.


The video was taken in 11 degrees weather with the car warmed up.

Maybe I'm just paranoid?

Thanks
 
Last edited:

Compo1

Active Member
Jul 19, 2010
271
64
Some of that could be condensation.

Is it like that after a spirited run ?
 

Rooster

Active Member
Oct 27, 2018
1,188
326
Yorkshire
You would be surprised at how much water can collect in car rear silencers in cold weather, if you shake some of them you can hear it sloshing around inside. I drilled a small hole in a Polo rear silencer and about three quarters of a litre drained out! I take it your coolant level is staying constant?
 

carperson12

Active Member
Dec 11, 2018
12
0
You would be surprised at how much water can collect in car rear silencers in cold weather, if you shake some of them you can hear it sloshing around inside. I drilled a small hole in a Polo rear silencer and about three quarters of a litre drained out! I take it your coolant level is staying constant?

I've only had the car for 2 weeks and yeah the coolant levels stayed the same. Is there any way to get the condensation out without drilling a hole?
 

martin j.

Active Member
Feb 11, 2007
1,996
889
Fife
Looks more like steam/condensation than smoke, when it’s doing this do you get any reside on your hand if you hold it at the tailpipe rather than just getting damp?
 

Legojon

I only wanted a remap
Staff member
Moderator
Jul 7, 2015
5,284
2,713
My Cupras much worse than that. Condesation, cold weather. Plus, I know it's steam because it mists up the back window (which smoke wouldn't do). Needed a 20 mile+ run in one go to clear it. Then a few days later it's right back again.
 

Crossthreaded

Active Member
Apr 16, 2019
536
145
My Cupras much worse than that. Condesation, cold weather. Plus, I know it's steam because it mists up the back window (which smoke wouldn't do). Needed a 20 mile+ run in one go to clear it. Then a few days later it's right back again.
I know this post has been quiet for a wee while but thought my ha'penny worth might be of interest? Back in the 1960's, when I was in college learning all about being a motor mechanic, I remember being amazed to be told by the engine shop lecturer that for every gallon of petrol you burn in your engine slightly more than a gallon of water results from the chemical reaction between the fuel and air. Mostly you don't notice it because it comes out the tailpipe as superheated steam into relatively warm air so it is invisible. However when the weather and engine are cold this steam condenses back into water and collects in the silencer(s). You'll often see a wee dribble of water running out of the tailpipe of a car which has been sitting idling at traffic lights just as it pulls away. The steam becomes most noticeable in cold weather when the engine is hot because as it reaches the end of the tail pipe it will have cooled enough during it's journey down the pipes to condense into visible steam as it hits the cold outside air. I have seen (but not recently come to think of it) new silencers with a very small drain hole drilled through the casing at their lowest point to allow trapped water to drain. Probably just drilling your own hole would only encourage corrosion to start early though.

Looking at your video I can see nothing to be alarmed about. Especially as you report no drop in coolant level to be evident. Relax and enjoy your car!

PS You're now going to post telling us all about the head job that's just been needed on the car!
 

Legojon

I only wanted a remap
Staff member
Moderator
Jul 7, 2015
5,284
2,713
I remember being amazed to be told by the engine shop lecturer that for every gallon of petrol you burn in your engine slightly more than a gallon of water results from the chemical reaction between the fuel and air.

PS You're now going to post telling us all about the head job that's just been needed on the car!

Cheers for that. Interesting read. Funny you should say about the head... yes, I did need a new head gasket. But completely unrelated as I still get loads of steam coming out the back now (and I was losing coolant when the head gasket went). I always wondered why exhausts dribble at traffic lights. I thought it was petrol. LOL.
 

Diamond123

Active Member
Feb 19, 2016
30
6
Hi,

I recently bought a 1.4TSI FR but it seems to blowing a lot of white smoke compared to my friends ST which officially blows more than the FR (109 v 139).

The car also failed its MOT recently with the 2nd idle emissions being too much then passed without testing the 2nd idle emissions when I bought it. The cause of this said by the dealer is that they changed the Lambda sensor which was giving wrong readings to the ECU therefore more emissions. But I'm still not convinced.

There's a video linked below. I know it's not a super amount but for a car that's rated 109g/km, it seems quite excessive.


The video was taken in 11 degrees weather with the car warmed up.

Maybe I'm just paranoid?

Thanks
I’ve a 1.4TSI Leon which has done basically the same thing since brand new. 14miles on the clock.

Sometimes I wonder the same cause if your in traffic you can see the white smoke drift past the rear window. I don’t think it’s a major problem. Some cars do it more than others it seems