Why does every truck on the road here belch black smoke?

[Tokay]

Even new trucks I see spewing clouds of black smoke from their tail pipes. What is going on with these trucks? Poor maintenance or did the manufactures cut corners somewhere? How does this happen to new trucks?

I'm not a mechanic, so can someone please clue me in here. Thanks.

[bristolgeoff]

runs on red diesel I think

[Cylon]

I think they turn up the injector pump for more power.And the rest have dirty airfilters and no maintainace.

Edited June 14, 2014 by Cylon

[Tokay]

I think they turn up the injector pump for more power. And the rest have dirty air filters and no maintenance.

The owners do this, or in Thailand they come from the manufacture that way?

[Cylon]

It only takes a small spanner and screw driver,owners and mechanics.Also there is inferior grades of diesel here.

[ClutchClark]

One primary difference is that many diesel trucks in Thailand do not have a (PM) or Particulate Matter Filter.

This is how trucks operated in the Us until a couple decades ago.

Every process on a vehicle is a compromise of several factors. Example, an improvement in emissions results in a loss of something else--typically fuel economy and performance. An obstruction to a vehicle exhaust cuts down on Maximum engine performance (HP & Torque). PM Filters are located in the exhaust system.

Well, truckers want Torque so they remove all the obstructions to their exhaust.

Note: The older trucks did not have these filters to begin with.

Thats also why engines sound louder than back in the US. We have noise ordinances that must be met so our trucks have big mufflers. Big mufflers create an obstruction in the exhaust so in Thailand and other countries with lax regulations or enforcement, they remove these noise dampening mufflers and replace them with minimal equipment.

Although the exhaust of a diesel was always full of visible black soot, it was much lower in the carbon monoxide produced as a byproduct in gasoline engines so diesels "looked" worse for the environment but it was gas engines that had the invisible deadly gasses in abundance.

Now diesel fuel has even been modified to burn cleaner by the removal of sulfur from the fuel--called Low Sulfur diesel fuel in the US. For every action there is a reaction, though, and sulfur was a lubricant so LSD does not contribute to long engine life.

Edited June 14, 2014 by ClutchClark

[ClutchClark]

I think they turn up the injector pump for more power.And the rest have dirty airfilters and no maintainace.

More fuel alone is not the answer. Both fuel and air must be increased for performance gains and increases to fuel/air require an equal increase to exhaust capacity.

An injector pump has to be timed with the engine. There is a point of diminishing returns with adjustments to fuel rate and so the equation is more complicated than simply a turn of a screw--which only results in unburned fuel left over in the combustion chamber and exhausted out the tailpipe or left to quickly burn out a Catalytic converter (if installed).

Diesel engines are almost all Turbo today, and turbos increase volume of air available to the engine. With an increase of air, you can then provide a useful increase in fuel.

Edited June 14, 2014 by ClutchClark

[Tokay]

One primary difference is that many diesel trucks in Thailand do not have a (PM) or Particulate Matter Filter.

This is how trucks operated in the Us until a couple decades ago.

Every process on a vehicle is a compromise of several factors. Example, an improvement in emissions results in a loss of something else--typically fuel economy and performance. An obstruction to a vehicle exhaust cuts down on Maximum engine performance (HP & Torque). PM Filters are located in the exhaust system.

Well, truckers want Torque so they remove all the obstructions to their exhaust.

Note: The older trucks did not have these filters to begin with.

Thats also why engines sound louder than back in the US. We have noise ordinances that must be met so our trucks have big mufflers. Big mufflers create an obstruction in the exhaust so in Thailand and other countries with lax regulations or enforcement, they remove these noise dampening mufflers and replace them with minimal equipment.

Although the exhaust of a diesel was always full of visible black soot, it was much lower in the carbon monoxide produced as a byproduct in gasoline engines so diesels "looked" worse for the environment but it was gas engines that had the invisible deadly gasses in abundance.

Now diesel fuel has even been modified to burn cleaner by the removal of sulfur from the fuel--called Low Sulfur diesel fuel in the US. For every action there is a reaction, though, and sulfur was a lubricant so LSD does not contribute to long engine life.

Thank you for taking the time to explain that. Makes perfect sense.

Do they simply not sell the PM Filters on new trucks here, or does the owner have them remove it?

[Dellboy218]

They also do not drive them properly. Trying to run in top gear at 20km/hr does not work too well. When fuel prices spiked a few years ago Thailand bought some cheap high sulphur fuel from Russia if memory serves correct. Wonder what happened to that?

[masuk]

If you're at the transport office, you'll notice that trucks and songteos etc are tested for exhaust emissions.

What a laugh! I watched for a while and not one was tested. Off they went, belching black smoke.

The diesel is full of fine particulate matter, and pity the poor motor cyclist and that rare species, the pedestrian, breathing that gunk in.

When on a short visit to Guangzhou, China, in December, I was amazed to see less pollution than a year ago. Diesel is almost totally banned in that city. Buses run on LNG (remember buses - before songteaos), pickups etc are either gasoline or LNG, and 99.9% of all motorbikes are electric.

[Spoonman]

It only takes a small spanner and screw driver,owners and mechanics.Also there is inferior grades of diesel here.

You need more than a screw driver and small spanner to wind the pump up in a modern diesel.

[Lancelot]

Because they don't care. Same with the annual burning season, an easy way to control vegetation...

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

This situation has improved a lot due to newer vehicles being purchased and older ones taken off the road.

6 to 8 years ago it was horrible.

[CharlesHH]

The black smoke comes from inadequate combustion in the engine. Full combustion usually burns the carbon into a lighter invisible gas which is expelled from the engine nevertheless.

Inadequate combustion comes from dirty engines and dirty filters and combustion adjustments that are wrong for the fuel used. In sum, poor maintenance.

[Pond Life]

They also do not drive them properly. Trying to run in top gear at 20km/hr does not work.

I think this is a large part of it.

Almost everyone does this, because everyone else does it.

Thay may think it saves them fuel, but the black smoke coming out of the exhaust is unburnt fuel going to waste.

[HeavyDrinker]

I recall the police and the BMTA having a 'crackdown' on such vehicles which as ever lasted all of a week....

[Spoonman]

The black smoke comes from inadequate combustion in the engine. Full combustion usually burns the carbon into a lighter invisible gas which is expelled from the engine nevertheless.

Inadequate combustion comes from dirty engines and dirty filters and combustion adjustments that are wrong for the fuel used. In sum, poor maintenance.

Really......

I could get my brand new Ranger to belch black smoke easily, are you saying it was sold new with a dirty engine and filters and poor maintenance ?

[kalbo123]

Poor quality diesel is the main cause!

Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met behulp van Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Goat Roper]

Poor quality diesel is the main cause!

Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met behulp van Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Partly true. Diesel fuel by it's nature is abrasive, the dirtier the more abrasive it becomes. This abrasiveness over time/kilometers will wear the orifice diameter in the injectors hence more fuel to the cylinders and not enough air. Too much fuel and not enough air equal black smoke. I would be surprised if the Thais change the injectors until the engine will not run. Changing injectors is not too much of a chore for a good mechanic, not sure what the cost is of new injectors in LOS.

[GBK]

It's quite simple. It's either worn piston rings and/or a blocked air filter.

Diesel is not abrasive, it's an oil, however there may be some abrasive particulate in it, rather like petrol and that is usually sand.

Dirty/clogged injectors produce a lean burn and a loss of power.

[kaptainrob]

Wouldn't be surprised if some truckies burn a mix of Mama's used cooking oil with diesel. An old mate in Aus used to run his landcruiser on cooking oil and sump oil ... and he was a diesel mechanic!

[Utley]

Lugging a diesel engine to save fuel produces black smoke.

[sirchai]

It's neither the piston rings, nor did somebody manipulate the Diesel pump.....

Black smoke indicates that the engine doesn't burn all Diesel, which is injected into the cylinders through injectors. There're two different types of Diesel pumps, but both need maintenance.

There're valves, o-rings and other parts inside the pump that have to be renewed, once black smoke comes out of the exhaust system. Then the injectors have to be renewed as well.

No truck owner wants to have black smoke coming out of the exhaust system, and filters wouldn't fix that problem. Some trucks only have that "problem" because the air filter was never cleaned/ changed.This black smoke is money that comes out, unused by the engine........

So less air the engine gets, so more un- burned Diesel will come out through the muffler,

Diesel engines do have a high compression, and the mixture will self fire through the high compression. Blue smoke shows that the piston rings are worn out.

Hope that explains your question, not too many people in Thailand can afford an overhaul of their Diesel pump, plus new injectors.

When you see some 30 year old Pick up trucks, with a lot of black smoke coming out, do you think they can spend 3-5,000 baht to get that fixed?

And it's difficult to find the right garage, familiar with that stuff. For those people who live in Sisaket area, Sisaket Diesel does a great job and it's affordable. located at Kantharalk Road.

By the way, this black smoke is pretty much dangerous and can develop cancer for people who inhale that too often.

.

Edited June 15, 2014 by sirchai

[sirchai]

Wouldn't be surprised if some truckies burn a mix of Mama's used cooking oil with diesel. An old mate in Aus used to run his landcruiser on cooking oil and sump oil ... and he was a diesel mechanic!

Shows how much money a mechanic in your country makes......lol.-

Edited June 15, 2014 by sirchai

[transam]

[Goat Roper]

It's quite simple. It's either worn piston rings and/or a blocked air filter.

Diesel is not abrasive, it's an oil, however there may be some abrasive particulate in it, rather like petrol and that is usually sand.

Dirty/clogged injectors produce a lean burn and a loss of power.

They don't burn hi-quality diesel here or anywhere else I'm aware of. Open market diesel IS abrasive.

http://www.fuelactive.com/fuel-contamination.php

[sirchai]

I knew that you'd tune your Pick Up sooner or later. But why did you choose black?

Okay, whatever color you'll choose, you can always look at my Mitsubishi's muffler.-

Edited June 15, 2014 by sirchai

[transam]

I knew that you'd tune your Pick Up sooner or later. But why did you choose black?

Okay, whatever color you'll choose, you can always look at my Mitsubishi's muffler.-

It's BLUE............ ..........

[SwimmingPoolsThailand]

NOT EVERY TRUCK - We have several diesel vehicles ranging from 1-ton pick-ups to 6-wheelers; brands include Nissan, Tata, and Heino. All purchased new within the last 3 years, but some now have over 200,000 Km on the clock. None of them belch smoke. All are serviced every 10,000.00 Km. Not one single repair needed to any of them.

Dirty air filters is the main reason for smoke from diesel engines.

Dirty swimming pool water is usually also the fault of the owners. Filters need taking care of

[Woodsie888]

It's neither the piston rings, nor did somebody manipulate the Diesel pump.....

Black smoke indicates that the engine doesn't burn all Diesel, which is injected into the cylinders through injectors. There're two different types of Diesel pumps, but both need maintenance.

There're valves, o-rings and other parts inside the pump that have to be renewed, once black smoke comes out of the exhaust system. Then the injectors have to be renewed as well.

No truck owner wants to have black smoke coming out of the exhaust system, and filters wouldn't fix that problem. Some trucks only have that "problem" because the air filter was never cleaned/ changed.This black smoke is money that comes out, unused by the engine........

So less air the engine gets, so more un- burned Diesel will come out through the muffler,

Diesel engines do have a high compression, and the mixture will self fire through the high compression. Blue smoke shows that the piston rings are worn out.

Hope that explains your question, not too many people in Thailand can afford an overhaul of their Diesel pump, plus new injectors.

When you see some 30 year old Pick up trucks, with a lot of black smoke coming out, do you think they can spend 3-5,000 baht to get that fixed?

And it's difficult to find the right garage, familiar with that stuff. For those people who live in Sisaket area, Sisaket Diesel does a great job and it's affordable. located at Kantharalk Road.

By the way, this black smoke is pretty much dangerous and can develop cancer for people who inhale that too often.

.

Actually, very often the pickups which produce heaps of black smoke, do so as a result of over fuelling, often as a result of larger or more injectors and pump/turbo/exhaust mods.

I think the old Tipper trucks often produce excessive smoke as a result of inadequate maintenance and also, sometimes, over fuelling and very low grade fuel, similar to red diesel in the UK.

Somebody posted earlier about Particulate filters. I'm not aware of Hino or Izusu large trucks using those as yet, as their trucks only meet Euro III specs.

As recently as two years ago MB passenger car Diesels sold in TH did not have DPF. The sulphur content in TH is too high for them.