Grey smoke - lots of it!

John Todd · Feb 12, 2025

I hope someone can help as it's driving me to distraction. I have a 2005 KJ 2.8 CRD. It loses water slowly but I've never found out why.
Recently, though, if it isn't used for a day or two on first starting up it blows a lot of whitish smoke which disappears after a few minutes.
Yesterday, though, I started it up after not having used it for about a week. As soon as it started up it began to blow out light grey smoke from the exhaust which billowed down the road. And when I say billowed, it was impossible to see anything in the rear view mirror once I got moving, and it took about 3 miles before the smoke disappeared. After that the Jeep ran as well as usual. It has done 185k miles and is a UK rhd version.
Is it possible that water (antifreeze) is leaking into the exhaust system somewhere, and the longer the car isn't used the more the water accumulates? Or perhaps into the intake system? Incidentally there is no mayonnaise in the oil filler cap nor does the oil level in the sump increase.
Could it be connected in some way with the EGR?
Any and all ideas will be gratefully received.

KJowner · Feb 12, 2025

It's either a blown head gasket or if you are really lucky a leaking EGR cooler.

John Todd · Feb 12, 2025

Thanks for responding.
The best way to check if it’s the EGR?
How about if I disconnect the water pipes to the EGR and join them together temporarily (so bypass it) and then leave the Jeep for a couple of days to see if it doesn’t happen when I start it up?
Does that make any sense?

KJowner · Feb 13, 2025

Yes, that's about all you can do without pressure testing it.
Make sure you are using the correct HOAT antifreeze or you can have corrosion issues with the liners.

John Todd · Feb 13, 2025

KJowner said:
Yes, that's about all you can do without pressure testing it.
Make sure you are using the correct HOAT antifreeze or you can have corrosion issues with the liners.

Thanks. I'm a bit under the weather at the moment but once I get around to it I'll let you know how I get on.
On the other hand, if it's the head gasket, how could so much water be being burnt off for several minutes? Where would it have accumulated? Surely not in one or more of the cylinders?

KJowner · Friday at 1:21 AM

If its only a tiny leak then maybe.
Is it running OK and starting well? Just wondering if you have an external water leak and a tired injector or 2.
Mine are at 130,000 miles and fairly worn, I'll probably put a recon set in it this summer.

John Todd · Friday at 8:26 AM

KJowner said:
If its only a tiny leak then maybe.
Is it running OK and starting well? Just wondering if you have an external water leak and a tired injector or 2.
Mine are at 130,000 miles and fairly worn, I'll probably put a recon set in it this summer.

Other than the smoke it runs very well and in fact my Wife prefers driving it to our Mercedes C class, though it does take a while to start in the winter.
What I don't understand us that it runs for so long before the smoke clears. Even on tick-over when just started after standing for a day or more the smoke billows down the road. Would it take so long to clear if it's water in the EGR?
If it's the head gasket (fingers crossed that it isn't) where could it be leaking from and where to?

John Todd · Friday at 3:56 PM

John Todd said:
Other than the smoke it runs very well and in fact my Wife prefers driving it to our Mercedes C class, though it does take a while to start in the winter.
What I don't understand us that it runs for so long before the smoke clears. Even on tick-over when just started after standing for a day or more the smoke billows down the road. Would it take so long to clear if it's water in the EGR?
If it's the head gasket (fingers crossed that it isn't) where could it be leaking from and where to?

Thinking more about this (excuse my ignorance), is the inlet manifold water cooled? If so, would water accumulating in it cause the symptoms I have described?
As I have tried to describe, I'm talking about huge clouds of white or light grey smoke that don't clear for a few minutes, suggesting that a lot of water is being turned to steam? Or am I going bonkers?

KJowner · Sunday at 8:44 AM

Have a sniff of the smoke and see if its diesel, clouds of whitish smoke are usually unburnt fuel. Slow to start in cold weather is often due to lower cranking speed because of thick cold oil & a leaky injector or two dropping rail pressure or possibly a glow plug fault, dependingon the age of the jeep it doesn't always put the engine light on. My 04 doesn't. I've done 3 injectors in mine over the last couple of years, all second hand ones as I have a spare set, I really need to treat it to some service exchange ones.
The inlet is just an aluminium pipe to the head, a leak here could only come from a cracked head...

John Todd · Monday at 12:07 PM

KJowner said:
Have a sniff of the smoke and see if its diesel, clouds of whitish smoke are usually unburnt fuel. Slow to start in cold weather is often due to lower cranking speed because of thick cold oil & a leaky injector or two dropping rail pressure or possibly a glow plug fault, dependingon the age of the jeep it doesn't always put the engine light on. My 04 doesn't. I've done 3 injectors in mine over the last couple of years, all second hand ones as I have a spare set, I really need to treat it to some service exchange ones.
The inlet is just an aluminium pipe to the head, a leak here could only come from a cracked head...

Well, now I am more puzzled than ever. This morning, not having started the Jeep since Friday I thought I'd see whether the smoke is still as bad. Guess what? No smoke. It's as though it was all burnt off the other day.

Then I remembered that the day before I started it and it smoked so badly, I had fitted a new fuel filter. To do so as you will all know it's necessary to bleed the system using the pump facility on the filter housing. Is it possible that it was somehow water in the fuel?

Incidentally it has always been a bad starter in the winter and even with a brand new Varta battery fitted a two weeks ago it still takes a while. It spins fast enough but turns over lumpily as if only one of the four glow plugs is working. Although I bought a new set a while ago I've been reluctant to fit them because of the horror stories about them breaking off. They are also not the easiest things to get at!

read6737 · Monday at 12:43 PM

Three years ago I had the same sort of problem little bit of whitish smoke it disappeared using water very slowly and then one day clouds of white smoke behind me completely obliterating the road went home left the engine running took a long time and it's appeared and then you just stop the engine leave it a little while and it's the same problem again no water mixing in the oil no signs of anything at all it ends up that it is a head gasket leak into a cylinder and I fixed it by adding a product called steel seal into my water and running the engine it cleared instantly and anytime white smoke reappears which is rare it's seals it more or less immediately and I've not had to replace the gasket this is a 50 quid fix you leave the liquid in and just use the vehicle normally I've added a second bottle to make sure it doesn't run out and I've had no problems in three years save lots of money on labour effort time materials car runs great

KJowner · Monday at 3:55 PM

I'm not a huge fan of instant fix stuff you tip into engines, in my experience they create more trouble down the road....
However I'm glad yours is working for you.

KJowner · Monday at 4:01 PM

John Todd said:
Well, now I am more puzzled than ever. This morning, not having started the Jeep since Friday I thought I'd see whether the smoke is still as bad. Guess what? No smoke. It's as though it was all burnt off the other day.

Then I remembered that the day before I started it and it smoked so badly, I had fitted a new fuel filter. To do so as you will all know it's necessary to bleed the system using the pump facility on the filter housing. Is it possible that it was somehow water in the fuel?

Incidentally it has always been a bad starter in the winter and even with a brand new Varta battery fitted a two weeks ago it still takes a while. It spins fast enough but turns over lumpily as if only one of the four glow plugs is working. Although I bought a new set a while ago I've been reluctant to fit them because of the horror stories about them breaking off. They are also not the easiest things to get at!

You can check them with a multi meter, if they are showing continuity they are OK.
What year is your Jeep? The later ones had the ceramic plugs, the earlier non VNT turbos were 12V steel plugs.

Andres · Tuesday at 1:27 AM

John Todd said:
I hope someone can help as it's driving me to distraction. I have a 2005 KJ 2.8 CRD. It loses water slowly but I've never found out why.
Recently, though, if it isn't used for a day or two on first starting up it blows a lot of whitish smoke which disappears after a few minutes.
Yesterday, though, I started it up after not having used it for about a week. As soon as it started up it began to blow out light grey smoke from the exhaust which billowed down the road. And when I say billowed, it was impossible to see anything in the rear view mirror once I got moving, and it took about 3 miles before the smoke disappeared. After that the Jeep ran as well as usual. It has done 185k miles and is a UK rhd version.
Is it possible that water (antifreeze) is leaking into the exhaust system somewhere, and the longer the car isn't used the more the water accumulates? Or perhaps into the intake system? Incidentally there is no mayonnaise in the oil filler cap nor does the oil level in the sump increase.
Could it be connected in some way with the EGR?
Any and all ideas will be gratefully received.

I had same problem, with my 2006 CRD and the reason was broken air intake hose between air filter and turbo.
Water condence in turbo when it is cooling.Part number
is 53013104AE but I dont know does it fits to your RHD.In RockAuto 13$.

John Todd · Tuesday at 3:25 AM

KJowner said:
You can check them with a multi meter, if they are showing continuity they are OK.
What year is your Jeep? The later ones had the ceramic plugs, the earlier non VNT turbos were 12V steel plugs.

It's an early 2005. I know it's a 2005 model because I bought some new front indicator lenses and they didn't fit as they were for a 2004 model!

John Todd · Tuesday at 3:27 AM

Can you explain in a little more detail how to check the glow plugs please?

LadyLiberty¹ · Tuesday at 9:36 AM

The upgraded glow plugs make it run better...or I just see how it supposed to sound with all injectors firing properly at last. Mos def PB-Blaster to remove, just to be safe. Especially in the wetter climates.

KJowner · Tuesday at 3:51 PM

Checking the plugs is simple but a pain in the rear... access is difficult, I have a selection of long nose pliers I used on mine, just pull the plug cap off and put a multi meter access it set to measure resistance, you can attach the negative lead to battery negative so you only have one probe to get onto the plug terminal.
However.... I think 2005 has the later setup with the VNT turbo, if so then the ECU should automatically check the plugs on start up and put the engine light on.
@LadyLiberty¹ did you get the CEL on for yours?
Mine is 2004 so early system and a very simple EGR

Grey smoke - lots of it!

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