{"id":85446,"date":"2023-06-30T02:45:20","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T09:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=85446"},"modified":"2023-10-23T17:33:31","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T00:33:31","slug":"why-do-diesel-engines-emit-black-smoke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/why-do-diesel-engines-emit-black-smoke\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Diesel Engines Emit Black Smoke?"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column_786719-b4 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_786719-b4 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_786719-b4 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_786719-b4 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_786719-b4 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_786719-b4 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_786719-b4 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_786719-b4{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_786719-b4 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_786719-b4 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_786719-b4 qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-d58492  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-1ef860\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_4fad97-94, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_4fad97-94[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_4fad97-94\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_4fad97-94 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_4fad97-94[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_4fad97-94\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_4fad97-94 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_4fad97-94[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_4fad97-94\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading_4fad97-94 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_4fad97-94\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Faulty fuel injectors, a clogged air filter, and a bad fuel injector pump are some of the reasons why diesel engines emit black smoke.<\/li><li>Black smoke from a diesel engine is harmful both for you and the environment. Have a professional inspect your vehicle right away if this happens.<\/li><li>Sticking to your vehicle&rsquo;s regular maintenance schedule is one of the easiest ways to minimize black smoke emissions.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing thick black smoke from your diesel vehicle&rsquo;s exhaust can be alarming. The thick plumes are rarely a good sign. What does it mean when the smoke starts, and what can you do to reduce these emissions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Do Diesel Vehicles Emit Black Smoke?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Black smoke is more common on older diesels than on the newer electronic diesels equipped with particulate filters. Even before particulate filters, light vehicle diesels were being designed to produce almost no smoke by careful injector pump tuning. This has been true since the early 1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The black smoke from the exhaust of your diesel vehicle is likely a result of an imbalance in the air-fuel ratios in its system. When there&rsquo;s too much fuel and not enough air in the mix entering the engine, the fuel doesn&rsquo;t burn up completely. The diesel particles instead exit the engine and leave the exhaust as thick black smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Diesel fuel fires on compression (2 degrees increase in temperature per pound of compression) rather than using a spark, and diesels don&rsquo;t typically use a throttle plate to determine how much power the engine is producing. If more fuel than is needed is delivered to the cylinder during the power stroke, some of that fuel will exit the stack or tail pipe as hydrocarbon soot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>If more fuel than is needed is delivered to the cylinder during the power stroke, some of that fuel will exit the stack or tail pipe as hydrocarbon soot.<\/p><cite><em>&ndash;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/richardmccuistian\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician\">Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> To increase the power and speed of a diesel, you just add more fuel. The engine is always getting all the air it needs even if it isn&rsquo;t turbocharged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Typically, when a diesel emits large amounts of black smoke it&rsquo;s due to aftermarket modifications (either electronic or mechanical) or some issue with the injectors or the injector pump. And although some diesel vehicles will naturally emit black smoke during hard acceleration, a consistent and excessive flow of black smoke isn&rsquo;t normal. There are many things that could cause this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&rsquo;s best to take your vehicle to a mechanic for a proper diagnosis, but here are a few common causes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Faulty Fuel Injectors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/the-top-6-signs-of-bad-fuel-injectors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"fuel injectors\">fuel injectors<\/a> in a diesel vehicle are worn or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-to-clean-fuel-injectors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"blocked\">blocked<\/a>, it could lead to excessive injections of fuel into the engine. This results in the imbalance of air to fuel in the system, which leads to black smoke leaving your exhaust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bad Air Filter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/heres-what-happens-when-your-cars-engine-air-filter-is-dirty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"air filter\">air filter<\/a> in your diesel vehicle maintains a specific level of differential pressure inside itself in order to keep the air flowing. There&rsquo;s a pressure drop between the airflow entering the filter and the filter&rsquo;s inner sections. When the filter fails, it tends to collapse in on itself, and the air that would otherwise come out clean will instead show signs of contamination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Faulty Fuel Injector Pump<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The fuel injector pump is in charge of delivering fuel in precisely timed and measured amounts to the engine. If the injection pump isn&rsquo;t as precise as it should be, the air-fuel ratio in your diesel engine can be thrown off, leading to black smoke from the exhaust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bad Turbocharger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Modern diesel engines are often equipped with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-do-turbos-look-like-plus-how-they-work-and-more\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"turbocharger\">turbocharger<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/turbocharger\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"turbocharger\">turbocharger<\/a> compresses the air flowing into your engine&rsquo;s cylinder. This packs the air molecules closer together, which means more fuel can be added to the cylinder without throwing off the air-to-fuel ratios. When a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/bad-turbo-symptoms-plus-faq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"turbocharger malfunctions\">turbocharger malfunctions<\/a>, air compression won&rsquo;t be as measured. The ratios will no longer be consistent, which can result in black smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Faulty Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Valve<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of the EGR system, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-an-egr-valve-do\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"EGR valve\">EGR valve<\/a> helps limit nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from a vehicle&rsquo;s tailpipe. If it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/bad-egr-valve-common-symptoms-and-testing-procedure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"fails\">fails<\/a>, you might see an increase in emissions from your diesel vehicle&rsquo;s tailpipe, including blackened smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"article-search-widget\">\n<div class=\"cp-search\">\n<div align=\"center\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/w_auto,dpr_auto\/carparts\/logos\/badge_wordmark\/full_color\/CP_LOGO_COLOUR_RGB\" alt=\"CarParts.com\" width=\"300\" height=\"56\">\n<\/div>\n<form id=\"cpsearchform\" name=\"cpsearchform\" action=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/search\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\" accept-charset=\"character_set\" aria-label=\"search CarParts.com\">\n    <input type=\"text\" class=\"keyword\" name=\"q\" placeholder=\"Search for parts on CarParts.com\" value=\"\" aria-label=\"Search CarParts.com\"><input type=\"submit\" class=\"btn-search\" value=\"Search\" aria-label=\"Search\">\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> Black smoke itself doesn&rsquo;t indicate a presence of NOx. Black smoke is hydrocarbon soot and particulate matter from too much fuel and not enough air. NOx is an invisible gas and is created during high combustion heat where the nitrogen and oxygen in the air are bound together during combustion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>EGR recirculates cooled exhaust gas in a diesel to lower combustion chamber temperatures, reducing the amount of NOx created during the combustion event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Worn Camshaft Lobes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your vehicle&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/camshaft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"camshaft\">camshaft<\/a> is the long bar in its engine with egg-shaped eccentric lobes. It manages the precise intervals that the engine&rsquo;s valves and fuel injectors operate at in relation to the motions of the piston. If your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-are-the-symptoms-of-a-bad-camshaft-6-signs-to-watch-out-for\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"camshaft\">camshaft<\/a> lobes are worn out, these intervals are thrown off, and the air-fuel ratio can be affected, leading to black smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Misaligned Tappets or Valve Clearance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In your vehicle&rsquo;s engine, there are small gaps between the top of the valve stems and the mechanism that presses on them to open the valves. These are called valve clearances. Over time, wear and tear can affect your valve clearances, leading to poor performance, rough idle, and black smoke coming from your exhaust. The process of fixing the valve clearances is called adjusting the tappets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Excessive Exhaust Backpressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When the exhaust system isn&rsquo;t blocked, exhaust can flow freely. With mufflers and pipe bends, there is always just a bit of backpressure, but not much. But when there is abnormal exhaust system blockage of any kind, the engine will have to struggle to push the exhaust out. This is what it means to have excessive backpressure, which is not normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When there&rsquo;s excessive backpressure, it throws off the air-fuel mixture because the engine can&rsquo;t &ldquo;breathe freely&rdquo; &nbsp;and this can result in black smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dirty or Clogged Fuel Filter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your fuel filter is obstructed by contaminants, it can starve your engine of fuel during hard acceleration. This reduces the engine&rsquo;s performance and can end up affecting the air-fuel ratio. Misfires and increased engine smog, which can appear as black smoke, are also a result of a dirty or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/here-are-the-top-4-signs-of-a-bad-fuel-filter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"clogged fuel filter\">clogged fuel filter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contaminated Fuel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Contaminated fuel can indirectly cause black smoke by damaging the other parts of the system. For instance, asphaltenes will clear engine injectors, but will tend to clog engine filters. Colloid carbon, which is a result of oxidized stored diesel, can also block the filters along with grit, sand, sludge, wax, and rust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Black Smoke from a Diesel Engine Harmful?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you see black smoke coming out of your diesel vehicle&rsquo;s exhaust, it&rsquo;s important to have it repaired soon. The smoke can have an impact on both your health and the environment if it continues to be emitted by your vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Negative Health Effects of Black Diesel Smoke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Diesel exhaust is detrimental when inhaled in large quantities. The concentration of diesel particulate matter in black smoke only adds to its potency. Short-term exposure to these high concentrations can lead to dizziness, coughs, headaches, and irritation in your eyes, nose, and throat.&nbsp; Prolonged exposure can lead to lung cancer as well as cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, and respiratory disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Environmental Impact of Black Diesel Smoke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Diesel emissions can pose a grave threat to the environment. They can damage crops, trees, and other vegetation because they contribute to the production of ground-level ozone. These emissions can also affect the soil and natural water systems through acid rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Minimize Black Smoke From a Diesel Engine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way to keep your vehicle&rsquo;s black smoke emissions to a minimum is to follow its regular maintenance schedule. That being said, aging engines will eventually decline in performance and efficiency, which can lead to increased black smoke emissions. Diesel fuel in particular can leave deposits in your engine that will result in these emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can add a detergent additive to your diesel fuel to help clean out these deposits. The additive can also reduce the amount of incompletely-burned diesel in your vehicle&rsquo;s system, which will in turn reduce the black smoke from your emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On older diesel vehicles with large turbochargers, you can also try adding a combustion catalyst to the fuel. Large turbochargers in older vehicles add too much fuel to engines that turn at low <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-car-rpm-stand-for\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"revolutions per minute (RPM)\">revolutions per minute (RPM)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Seeing thick black smoke from your diesel vehicle&rsquo;s exhaust can be alarming. The thick plumes are rarely a good sign&#8230;. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/why-do-diesel-engines-emit-black-smoke\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":85456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[52,3747],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":{"0":"post-85446","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diy","8":"category-engine","9":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Do Diesel Engines Emit Black Smoke? - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Black smoke pouring out of your diesel vehicle\u2019s exhaust is never a good sign. Read about the common causes and risks of these emissions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/why-do-diesel-engines-emit-black-smoke\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Do Diesel Engines Emit Black Smoke? - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Black smoke pouring out of your diesel vehicle\u2019s exhaust is never a good sign. Read about the common causes and risks of these emissions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/why-do-diesel-engines-emit-black-smoke\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-06-30T09:45:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-24T00:33:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/black-smoke-from-a-car.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/why-do-diesel-engines-emit-black-smoke\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/why-do-diesel-engines-emit-black-smoke\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"4\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"jobTitle\":\"Expert Automotive Writer\",\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. 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