QuestionHi John
just wondered if you can help me please ,its been an expensive year with my car....first the airflow thing had to be changed because the car lost power going uphill then the clutch went when we were on holiday and a tow back....and now we have black smoke coming from the exhaust, and we are driving so slow...could you give me a pointer as to what it could be its only been out of the land rover garage 3 weeks after the clutch repair.............many thanks for your time..JIll
AnswerHi Jill.
Sorry to read about your service bills. I've been in that same circumstance with my Disco.
Black smoke indicates excessive amounts of fuel is being delivered to the engine for combustion. Since there is not enough air available to burn all of the fuel, some comes out as carbon particles, which are naturally black.
Black smoke is usually accompanied by a strong fuel smell, as much of the fuel is simply exhausted in unburned form. Of course, the engine will run poorly in this state, with reduced power, very poor economy and it threatens your catalytic converters.
You mentioned that you had "airflow thing" changed. You you mean the MAF (mass air flow)? If so, go back and have them re-examine that problem. You are not getting enough air in your mixture and the MAF is a key suspect at this time.
Best of luck,
JohnMc
NB: MAF replacement work should still be under warranty ... depending upon the laws in your area.
