[JRM2013]

I'm the new kid here (actually 70 !) and our SF Sport 2.0T is a first for me. Since my first car, 1956 Nash Metro, I have been through a bunch or them but none have ever had a turbo.

I figured I'd come here to get some expert info. We have had the 2013 Sport for only a month. Right now it has only 900 miles, more or less. My question concerns what I consider to be a heavy coating of carbon in the dual tail pipes. It is a dry powder, not wet with oil or water. I have noticed when the wife drives off a little puff of blackish smoke out of the pipes. Is this normal for a turbo engine?

Many years ago I worked as a Service Adviser at a VW-Mazda dealership. If we saw the same thing out of our cars we knew the thing was running rich and needed to be adjusted. I understand with the newer injection systems there is less chance of this happening but the CPU just might have a hiccup and is letting the engine run a bit rich.

I called the Service Dept. and asked it I should bring it in for them to look at and the attitude was that it was normal during break-in and it would be a waste of time for me to have it checked out.

Since I am leasing it I figured, what the heck, it's really their car anyway so I'll just wait until the 3000 mile oil change and have them look at it then. If it is a problem and it pukes before then so be it.
Sorry if this a bit long but wanted you to know all the facts.

 

[debd]

I'm the new kid here (actually 70 !) and our SF Sport 2.0T is a first for me. Since my first car, 1956 Nash Metro, I have been through a bunch or them but none have ever had a turbo.

I figured I'd come here to get some expert info. We have had the 2013 Sport for only a month. Right now it has only 900 miles, more or less. My question concerns what I consider to be a heavy coating of carbon in the dual tail pipes. It is a dry powder, not wet with oil or water. I have noticed when the wife drives off a little puff of blackish smoke out of the pipes. Is this normal for a turbo engine?

I have the same on my Turbo as well and it has 2600km or 1625 miles on it. I believe this is normal. My 2010 Toyota Corolla sport which is non turbo chagred also has teh same thing. I think its just way more noticeable because of the chrome exhaust tips then if the tips weren't there.

 

[Torchbearer]

I have a 2.4L and the same thing is happening to mine.

 

[HoseHead]

Same on my turbo SFS and it has over 12,000 KM's on it now. I guess it's just one more area on the car we need to clean when giving it a wash.

 

[Hickleberry]

I was concerned I might need to change my engine oil more often because of the turbo.

 

[JRM2013]

OK boys, ya told me what I needed to know. It seems to be normal.Guess that is why the mileage isn't as good as the V6 SF SE was.
I plan to change over to Mobil1 5W-30 at 3000 miles. Anyone else using that oil? I've always used it on all brands of cars and never had a engine lube problem. Maybe with the extra miles and M1 oil I'll see a pick up in the MPG.
What octane gas ya'll using? The SF SE got better with the 89 so I am trying that also with the 2.0T. Plus my ethanol treatment additive.

On a different subject, has anyone here installed an after market back up camera system on their SF?

 

[hitrack]

Same on my turbo SFS and it has over 12,000 KM's on it now. I guess it's just one more area on the car we need to clean when giving it a wash.

I've already been out there with the Brasso cleaning my tips.

 

[DeMAN13]

OK boys, ya told me what I needed to know. It seems to be normal.Guess that is why the mileage isn't as good as the V6 SF SE was.
I plan to change over to Mobil1 5W-30 at 3000 miles. Anyone else using that oil? I've always used it on all brands of cars and never had a engine lube problem. Maybe with the extra miles and M1 oil I'll see a pick up in the MPG.
What octane gas ya'll using? The SF SE got better with the 89 so I am trying that also with the 2.0T. Plus my ethanol treatment additive.

On a different subject, has anyone here installed an after market back up camera system on their SF?

Save your money. Turbo oil changes are every 5k miles unless you are in a severe climate like in Canada or northen portion of the US.

I agree on the 89 octane. I do seem to get better mileage, but not enough to justify the cost different between 78 and 89 octane. $.20- $.30 difference in price per gallon.

I personally dont know about the ethanol treatment product. I've never used it, nor any of the folks I work with.
I do only buy my gas from only high volume gas stations and I switch brand probably once a month or so to avoid using gas treatments.

 

[JRM2013]

Save your money. Turbo oil changes are every 5k miles unless you are in a severe climate like in Canada or northen portion of the US.

I agree on the 89 octane. I do seem to get better mileage, but not enough to justify the cost different between 78 and 89 octane. $.20- $.30 difference in price per gallon.

I personally dont know about the ethanol treatment product. I've never used it, nor any of the folks I work with.
I do only buy my gas from only high volume gas stations and I switch brand probably once a month or so to avoid using gas treatments.

I was just going by the "book" on the first oil change at 3000 miles. 5000 miles after that is what I have done for years. The difference in 87 and 89 here is about .10 a gallon. Worth it to me for the MPG difference.

As for the gas treatments, I ran a test for a local paper on my 2006 2.3 Mazda 3 with and without the treatment and picked up 3-4 MPG in town and about the same on the highway. On our 2010 SF SE V6 went from 16-18 in town to 19-23 and on the road from 21-23 to 24-26. I won't give the brand in the forums because of the rules but I will if e-mailed. No, I don't work for the company. Just know what works for me. I don't use oil additives and other stuff but the alcohol in our gas is Bad Mojo for our engines. Period.

BTW, thanks for all the good input so quickly. Seems like a good give and take site.

 

[Carmine]

I was just going by the "book" on the first oil change at 3000 miles. 5000 miles after that is what I have done for years. The difference in 87 and 89 here is about .10 a gallon. Worth it to me for the MPG difference.

As for the gas treatments, I ran a test for a local paper on my 2006 2.3 Mazda 3 with and without the treatment and picked up 3-4 MPG in town and about the same on the highway. On our 2010 SF SE V6 went from 16-18 in town to 19-23 and on the road from 21-23 to 24-26. I won't give the brand in the forums because of the rules but I will if e-mailed. No, I don't work for the company. Just know what works for me. I don't use oil additives and other stuff but the alcohol in our gas is Bad Mojo for our engines. Period.

BTW, thanks for all the good input so quickly. Seems like a good give and take site.

I highly rec using the gas additive that Hyundai recommends. The Techron stuff. With these GDI engines, the fuel injectors can/will carbon up in no time!! I've replaced many injectors with only a few thousand miles on them because the people didn't use the additive. Hyundai recommends it every 3700 miles I believe. It's only like $20, def worth it. My wife has a 12 Sportage with the 2.0T at almost 40k, and no carbed up injectors thanks to the additive.

 

[hwitten]

Yikes, guess I better read up more re additive. Never used any in previous fuel injected vehicles. SF Sport is my first turbo too, other than in aircraft. 16KM on my SF now. Use mostly brand name 87 octane.

EDIT: A quick check in the manual clarifies use of additive recommended if one is not using TOP TIER gasoline. Since I mostly do I won't worry about it unless coughs and sputters set in

 

[Carmine]

Yikes, guess I better read up more re additive. Never used any in previous fuel injected vehicles. SF Sport is my first turbo too, other than in aircraft. 16KM on my SF now. Use mostly brand name 87 octane.

EDIT: A quick check in the manual clarifies use of additive recommended if one is not using TOP TIER gasoline. Since I mostly do I won't worry about it unless coughs and sputters set in

Yea it's the direct inject that causes all the carbon. I've seen problems with turbos and non turbos. If it's a GDI, use that additive! So far I haven't seen any warranty issues from not using it, even though they recommend it. And if you start to misfire, it's prob already to late! Everyone that's ever come into the shop for misfires wouldn't clear up no matter what we used. So it was new injectors for them. Just an FYI for after the warranty runs out.

 

[ByByBMW]

Figured I better jump in here and correct some misunderstandings. Almost all cars coming out today have this issue. The cause? Cars are set to run very rich when they first start up from a cold condition. They are set to run rich to light off the catalytic converters as fast as possible. Once the cats are lit off then the ECM leans out the mixture. What you are seeing is the results of the fast light off requirement, ie running rich from cold start. All of my new cars since 2008 have shown this same soot issue. If you clean it off then go for a long hiway drive, you will see very little if any soot.
Hope that helps folks concerned about the soot.

 

[golfermack]

I plan to change over to Mobil1 5W-30 at 3000 miles. Anyone else using that oil? I've always used it on all brands of cars and never had a engine lube problem.

:00000732:

For 45 years I've never used Mobil 1, or any synthetic oil, and have never had an engine lube problem.
John

 

[JRM2013]

Figured I better jump in here and correct some misunderstandings. Almost all cars coming out today have this issue. The cause? Cars are set to run very rich when they first start up from a cold condition. They are set to run rich to light off the catalytic converters as fast as possible. Once the cats are lit off then the ECM leans out the mixture. What you are seeing is the results of the fast light off requirement, ie running rich from cold start. All of my new cars since 2008 have shown this same soot issue. If you clean it off then go for a long hiway drive, you will see very little if any soot.
Hope that helps folks concerned about the soot.

THAT, my friend, was all I was looking for, a clear explanation on my soot question. I thought that might be the reason but wasn't sure. All I knew for sure was the little sucker was running rich at some point. Thanks to all for your input.

 

[Ruperts Trooper]

Petrol/gasoline engines have always needed to run rich during the start-up phase, even in the days of carburettors and non-catalytic injection systems - the fuel doesn't vapourise well when the engine is cold.

That's why fuel consumption is so much worse when starting from cold than restarting from hot.

 

[ImStricken06]

when you are cruising, and accelerate - all turbo engines will puff a cloud of black soot out. its normal.
even non turbo cars will have soot on their exhaust tips. its mostly from the PCV system letting some blow-by recirculate and then into the exhaust system for the cat's to burn it up.

 

[Ruperts Trooper]

when you are cruising, and accelerate - all turbo engines will puff a cloud of black soot out. its normal.
even non turbo cars will have soot on their exhaust tips. its mostly from the PCV system letting some blow-by recirculate and then into the exhaust system for the cat's to burn it up.

No it's not - at least not on modern electronic systems in good condition.

Or maybe there's a totally different emphasis on "emissions" on different continents. If Euro cars emit a puff of black smoke at any time, they have a fault ! Even our diesels don't do that any more.

 

[ImStricken06]

No it's not - at least not on modern electronic systems in good condition.

Or maybe there's a totally different emphasis on "emissions" on different continents. If Euro cars emit a puff of black smoke at any time, they have a fault ! Even our diesels don't do that any more.

again, IT IS NORMAL. not only are you running richer when you are accelerating, but you are also blasting soot from your exhaust pipe that sat there for the last few miles of your cruising at highways speeds (near 2000-ish rpm). its normal - and very common on all turbo engines. look at any white car thats turbo'd - look at the rear bumper and you will see soot all over it.

thats one of the reasons why we all MUST rev our engines from time to time (obviously only when under load). not only do you help blow out soot from your exhaust system & turbo system, but you also help by allowing your engine to not develop a ridge that could chip off if the engine does ever reach higher RPM's. these ridges develop when you dont allow your piston & rings to reach their max height during T.D.C. when at a high RPM.

 

[ImStricken06]

If Euro cars emit a puff of black smoke at any time, they have a fault ! Even our diesels don't do that any more.

(as someone who was partially raised in europe, and has plenty family there) - Europe is the last on my list to use as a gauge for how cars should work, or whats normal and what isnt.

European leadership's will penalize everyone and anyone for just about anything. when it comes to cars- a small puff of smoke from your exhaust, aftermarket xenon headlights, pretty much any alteration = is enough to have your car mandated to a shop for "repair" and or diagnosis.

frankly, with the communistic regimes in Europe - i am surprised Europe doesnt tax human's for flatulating. god forbid if they saw someone COAL ROLLING, they'd throw them in jail: