Volkswagen Passat (2001 - 2005) - 01 1.9TDi excessive soot in the exhaust tailpipe

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Thu 1 Oct 2009 11:31
01 1.9TDi excessive soot in the exhaust tailpipe - Paddyboy
Hi Folks

My car (130bhp AWX Passat) has excessive black soot in the exhaust tailpipe. Can anyone tell me what is causing this and possible remedies.

Thanks

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 01/10/2009 at 13:41

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Thu 1 Oct 2009 11:58
01 1.9 Soot - Hamsafar
You need to get a fault code reading and live data. But usual culprits are EGR valve control, loose/ruptured boost pipe or maybe air mass meter.
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Thu 1 Oct 2009 12:46
01 1.9 Soot - 659FBE
Soot on the inside of the exhaust is entirely normal for a diesel engine of this generation.

If it does not produce excessive smoke when running (transient smoking when the fuel is increased and before boost pressure is fully established is normal) and has the performance and fuel consumption you would expect from an AWX engine, leave it well alone. If in doubt, get the codes read as has been suggested.

The use of correct oil is essential to the longevity of this engine and a new air cleaner element is needed at least every 20k miles - despite what VAG say in the service book. Running with a choked air cleaner can cause all sorts of difficulties including smoke, high oil consumption and engine runaway. Don't overfill the engine with oil.

659.
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Thu 1 Oct 2009 15:36
01 1.9TDi excessive soot in the exhaust tailpipe - Paddyboy
Thanks chaps.

My local VW dealer wants £52 + VAT to read the codes. Will I get the same depth of information and accuracy from an independant?
My local man has a pretty decent set up (£1000 diagnostics equip & £400 updates a year), but its not specifically for VW. He's only £20.
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Thu 1 Oct 2009 16:48
01 1.9TDi excessive soot in the exhaust tailpipe - dieselnut
If you have a laptop you can buy a USB interface cable off Ebay for less than £20.
VAG.COM software is available for free off the internet if you just want to read the codes.
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