Smokey Exhaust On Startup

[Hoovie]

I've noticed that if I have not used my RAV4 (2.0 VVTi) for a few days, when I start it up, there is a fair bit of black smoke coming out the exhaust for the first few seconds.  It is only for 1 or 2 seconds but there is a noticable 'cloud'

Car going in for 40,000 service next Tuesday and told them about this, but unlikely they will actually see the smoke themselves. 

I am assuming from a basis of no real knowledge that this is due to engine running a bit rich and nothing to worry about other then needing an adjustment somewhere?

[anchorman]

The only thing you can realy check Hoovie is the air filter (that may not get checked on service) - unclip on the left;

swing it out and unhinge on the right;

If it looks dirty just get one and put it in as they will be expensive from Toyota (unless you get Kingo to send you one)..........

.............other than that they may well put it on the exhaust gas anyliser like they use for the MOT just to see if it is rich. You can't make any adjustments to the mixture but it may be another component playing up. It might also be that it always did it and you only just noticed!

[bothwell_buyer]

In the good old days of the 3SFE, after a few miles....well after a fair few miles the engine would start up smokey.

In older cars its down to valve guide wear and the oil dribbling down the shaft. On yours, its seems a young car.

Maybe condensate in the exhaust mixing with the sooty stuff and then getting blown out as a steam composite on starting? (thats a guess by the way)

Mixture on starting maybe over-rich when cold??

Sign of old age?

Neighbour lighting bonfire at the same time as yer going out as they know ye'll no complain then??

Or, horror of horrors, some swine has swapped the car overnight for their smelly oily burner and just swapped the plates as well??

Anyway, what have I said all along about hinges and 5 door cars!! Somethings got to give :lol:

[Hoovie]

I did only notice it after I fitted the twin pipe Toyota/Remus exhaust. Would fitting an exhaust system with different characteristics make a difference in this way? It has not been serviced since fitting it - I am pretty much dead on a 10,000/1 Year schedule so was about 5,000 miles and 6 months ago.

Something else I meant to post before but never got round to it, and may be relevant ....

The running temperature of the air intake on my 2.0 petrol is about 18 Deg Celcius going by the Scanguage, irrespective of the outside temp. But Local Heroes 2.2D has an air intake running temp that was always near enough the same of the outside temp.

Is this just a difference in the way a Diesel and a Petrol are best at different temps and the intake laid out differently or could it be a clue for a blocked and oil air filter?

I'll have a look at the filter later this evening

[anchorman]

I did only notice it after I fitted the twin pipe Toyota/Remus exhaust. Would fitting an exhaust system with different characteristics make a difference in this way? It has not been serviced since fitting it - I am pretty much dead on a 10,000/1 Year schedule so was about 5,000 miles and 6 months ago.

Something else I meant to post before but never got round to it, and may be relevant ....

The running temperature of the air intake on my 2.0 petrol is about 18 Deg Celcius going by the Scanguage, irrespective of the outside temp. But Local Heroes 2.2D has an air intake running temp that was always near enough the same of the outside temp.

Is this just a difference in the way a Diesel and a Petrol are best at different temps and the intake laid out differently or could it be a clue for a blocked and oil air filter?

I'll have a look at the filter later this evening

I wouldn't imagine it has anything to do with the exhaust and I wouldn't read too much into the scangauge. It depends where it gets it's info from.

[bothwell_buyer]

judging from my straight thru exhaust on number 1, it doesn't make much difference other than vent the engine - assuming the engine is tuned properly

[chatman]

You sneaked a diesel engine under the bonnet Hoovie Another mod of yours, you not telling us about...

Bothy always wanted rid of his LR engine....

[Hoovie]

You sneaked a diesel engine under the bonnet Hoovie Another mod of yours, you not telling us about...

Bothy always wanted rid of his LR engine....

I could do with a diesel at the moment ... getting 25 MPG on average since Christmas 

Attached a pic of the filter - is this very dirty? obviously not white but could it do with a change?

Just did a little test and started up the engine and revved it .... smokey puff when it gets to high revs, tried again a few seconds later - more smokey puff, tried again a few seconds later ... no smoke - so it seems to me something is getting choked up after I turn the engine off and the high revs clears it out??

Maybe over-analysing?

[anchorman]

You should be getting mid 30s on a trip so maybe there is something wrong. I have seen worse filters that that but it won't harm to change it when you get chance.

The emission tester at the garage will tell you right away if something is wrong - I would give that a go.

[local hero]

DID MY BEST TO CLEAN IT FOR YOU HOOVIE..MUST HAVE MISSED THE AIR FILTER>>

[Hoovie]

it has never looked cleaner :)

shame I failed on the clean on yours when I returned it :( thought I did a good job until the water dried off :(

[anchorman]

Stewpot

Can I borrow your car? Just let me know how long I need to be gone!!!

[local hero]

Anchs, anytime but could i trust you to bring it back with the same engine + gearbox..

[anchorman]

Well I'd have to push it if you were administering a "super valet" to the ancmobile. I'll have to think about that one

[bothwell_buyer]

Hoovie

(to bring it back on topic after a mudearotour has gone off-topic :P

25mpg is dreadful - defo something amiss. I'm getting near 25mpg with the number 1 when its speed pedal only has 2 positions....on and off. Seriously, my turbo engine getting used on full throttle and getting hammered on fast starts etc is getting as good as yours. I'd either get the emmissions checked or get the engine tuning checked by somewhere that specialises in tuning - pref a Jap car performance garage as they'll understand what it should be running at.

[Hoovie]

just looked at the MOT emmisions report from May 2008 ...

Fast Idle (2752 RPM)

CO: max 0.20%, read 0.00%

HC: max 200 ppm, read 10 ppm

Lambda: range 0.97 - 1.03, read 1.02 (so close to upper limit?)

Natural Idle (774 RPM)

CO: max 0.30%, read 0.00%

So all passed ok about 9,000 miles and 10 months ago, but of course that was a fair time ago.

I will tell them the economy is very poor and ask them to sort it out (I always have had a lead foot though :( )