The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

The Number One Club for owners of Triumph's range of small saloons from the 1960s and 1970s.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:21 am

All times are UTC




Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1 2 Next
Author Message
 Post subject: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 9:44 pm 
Offline
TDC Member

Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:39 pm
Posts: 241
I've owned a 1500HL for 12 years and during that red hot weather recently I restarted my engine after I'd been out for a run and a cloud of white smoke shot out and curled upwards from the front grill and some escaped from the sides of the bonnet. I thought I was on fire at first but it only lasted a couple of seconds and disappeared.
I'd thought the starter motor turned over for longer than usual before the engine fired up but that's not unusual when the motor's warm.
After that the car ran fine and has been ever since, with no leaks or fluids on the floor and I'm baffled as to what happened there; it was quite a startling occurence when it did this and I wondered if anyone has any ideas as to the cause.
Alan, N Yorks.


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 10:37 pm 
Offline
TDC Cheshire Area Organiser

Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 6:28 pm
Posts: 1405
Location: NANTWICH.
Have you lost any brake fluid? If so it could be a fault on the servo.

Tony.

_________________
NOW A CLUB MEMBER 2017057 :bluewave:


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 12:15 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!

Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 2:22 pm
Posts: 364
Had exactly the same happen to me in the same conditions trying to fire up a hot engine not wanting start when I was having coil ignition troubles. It was found to be the supply feed to the starter motor over heating due to dirty connections on it and the earth wire. Once all cleaned up and tightened all has been well since.


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 3:47 pm 
Offline
TDC Member

Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:39 pm
Posts: 241
Well I haven't lost any brake fluid and I haven't been having any coil ignition problems. But please keep your suggestions coming!
Alan.


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 7:14 pm 
Offline
TDC Cheshire Area Organiser

Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 6:28 pm
Posts: 1405
Location: NANTWICH.
Did you notice any kind of smell?

Tony.

_________________
NOW A CLUB MEMBER 2017057 :bluewave:


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:45 pm 
Offline
TDC Member

Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:39 pm
Posts: 241
No , no smell at all. I thought the starter motor was spinning excessively and the engine was taking a long time to fire up but put it down to the exceptional weather conditions (baking hot). I'd covered about 20 miles and had parked and switched off to shift our other car out of the way before putting the Triumph in the garage. Either side of the incident it ran normally and it's never done anything like it before or since. I had a good look round the engine bay tonight; no leaks, nothing obviously different and no drips or puddles on the floor. It's going for its annual service on Monday and I'd already told the garage proprietor what had happened; he couldn't think of any cause immediately and I hoped that I could get a few suggestions from the forum for him to check out. If appropriate I'll print him this thread.
The main clues are perhaps the very hot weather and ehe very white smoke.
Alan


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 10:43 pm 
Offline
TDC Member

Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2018 6:08 pm
Posts: 71
White smoke tends to be steam. If you have an expansion bottle it might, due to the heat and built up pressure, relieved itself of a small amount of water directly onto the exhaust manifold . It doesn't take much to create an impressive display. It may not appear to have lost anything. Graham


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 7:20 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:48 pm
Posts: 1635
Quote:
White smoke tends to be steam. If you have an expansion bottle it might, due to the heat and built up pressure, relieved itself of a small amount of water directly onto the exhaust manifold . It doesn't take much to create an impressive display. It may not appear to have lost anything. Graham
I'd be concerned if the expansion bottle let out any steam as it should have a pressurised cap and even more concerned if it sprayed enough water to hit the exhaust on the opposite side of the engine.

_________________
Some people are like Slinky's, they serve no real purpose in life but bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 9:32 pm 
Offline
TDC Member

Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:39 pm
Posts: 241
It had crossed my mind whether it could be steam. I'll check the expansion bottle cap. On the 1500 the bottle and exhaust are on the same side.


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:02 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!

Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:50 pm
Posts: 567
Location: newton abbot, south devon
Quote:
Quote:
White smoke tends to be steam. If you have an expansion bottle it might, due to the heat and built up pressure, relieved itself of a small amount of water directly onto the exhaust manifold . It doesn't take much to create an impressive display. It may not appear to have lost anything. Graham
I'd be concerned if the expansion bottle let out any steam as it should have a pressurised cap and even more concerned if it sprayed enough water to hit the exhaust on the opposite side of the engine.
1500, the tank is on the same side as the manifolds. Maybe a split in the plastic which opened up and squires some water onto the manifold. Unlikely but who knows with these cars?!? If it was coolant, hopefully you're antifreeze levels are correct, I would have thought you'd have smelt it. From memory it's sweet smelling when exposed to a manifold.
Mark.


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:33 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2015 12:58 pm
Posts: 1293
Location: London
Don't know much about the 1500 layout, but if a Sprint, the engine coolant drain plug is on the manifold side, I would give it a nip up with a spanner.

_________________
NRW 581W Sprint


On the motorway no one can hear me sing!
Construed as a public service, self preservation in reality.


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 9:50 pm 
Offline
TDC Member

Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:39 pm
Posts: 241
I'm starting to think I'm not going to get to the bottom of this one. No coolant loss has occurred and I've done several more journeys in baking hot weather where I've restarted a hot engine and nothing like it since. In fact the car's never run as well as it does now.
But when it performed this trick there was an enormous amount of white smoke escaping.


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:53 am 
Offline
TDC Cheshire Area Organiser

Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 6:28 pm
Posts: 1405
Location: NANTWICH.
Got it....... The white smoke was from the "gremlin genie" Puff of smoke and all was fixed :shock:
Just a thought :wink:

Tony.

Ps, If you find his lamp? Let us all know.

_________________
NOW A CLUB MEMBER 2017057 :bluewave:


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 3:17 pm 
Offline
TDC Member
User avatar

Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2015 8:20 pm
Posts: 1293
Location: Shetland / here & there
White smoke is something moisture heavy being heated quickly. Ok, so I only spent a day being taught how to be a fire warden so I'm not exactly an expert but the colour of the smoke tells you what is burning and at what stage it's at. If you think of a pile of garden waste, gives off a lot of white smoke as it initially burns but as it dries out the colour changes to a much darker one. How does that fit in with your observations? No idea, just adding colour! :)

_________________
Current fleet: '75 Sprint, '73 1850, Daihatsu Fourtrak, Honda CG125, Yamaha Fazer 600, Shetland 570 (yes it's a boat!)

Past fleet: Triumph 2000, Lancia Beta Coupe, BL Mini Clubman, Austin Metro, Vauxhall Cavalier MK1 & MK2, Renault 18 D, Rover 216 GSI, Honda Accord (most expensive car purchase, hated, made out of magnetic metal as only car I've ever been crashed into...4 times), BMW 318, Golf GTi MK3 16v x 3


Top
   
 Post subject: Re: White smoke mystery
PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 3:34 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2015 12:58 pm
Posts: 1293
Location: London
Has your windscreen washer bottle emptied out on the manifold ?

_________________
NRW 581W Sprint


On the motorway no one can hear me sing!
Construed as a public service, self preservation in reality.


Top
   
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1 2 Next

All times are UTC


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google, Trendiction, wgcjim20 and 30 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited