It can be very alarming to find out that your car is emitting black smoke. This is because it can mean that you have serious engine trouble. However, there is no need to panic when faced with this situation. Various factors can cause the black smoke. Below are some reasons why your diesel engine is emitting black smoke.
The exhaust system can have some oil leaks
The leaking of oil can be caused by the poor conditions of the valve seals. These are meant to keep the oil separate from the areas where combustion takes place. However, when it is in poor condition, it will allow oil into the combustion area. This leads to the emission of black smoke. To ensure that this does not happen again, you should replace the valve seals.
Poor fuel quality
Have you fuelled at a new station recently? If the answer is yes, then it can provide some answers why your car is emitting black smoke. The diesel fuel sold at the station might be contaminated and this leads to incomplete combustion, which causes the black smoke. The best way to protect yourself from these incidences is to always travel with a full tank of fuel if you are going to remote areas.
Problems with the injector system
It is recommended that you should change the fuel injector of your diesel vehicle regularly. Failure to change the fuel injector leads to persistent wear, which leads to various problems. As the fuel injector wears, the nozzle hole becomes bigger, and this leads to an excessive flow of fuel to the combustion chamber. Most of the excess fuel will not be burned efficiently. The black smoke from your car, therefore, arises because of the incomplete combustion of excess fuel. Make sure that the fuel injector is checked every time you take your car for service.
Overheating of the engine
Many people fail to check the coolant level regularly. As such, when the coolant runs out, the engine will overheat, and this causes the head gasket to blow up. When this occurs, it creates a direct path into the combustion chambers. Coolant in the head gasket will then flow into these chambers, and this can be evident by the emission of the black smoke.
While some of these problems can be easily solved using DIY solutions, the best approach is to take your car to a mechanic who has the experience and skills required to service diesel engines.