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Paraffin Smell from Diesel Engine
scootz - 22/12/10 at 01:20 PM

I've started to notice a strong paraffin-like smell coming from my Diesel Freelander.

I've never smelled anything similar on other diesels I've owned, nor on this particular car before.

Any ideas?

Cheers!


blakep82 - 22/12/10 at 01:27 PM

i've noticed in the past few years, diesels smelling like burned gas, and less sooty than they used to be, anything to do with winter addetives perhaps? stop it going thick in the cold?


mookaloid - 22/12/10 at 01:27 PM

Are you sure it's not just a diesel smell?

I've noticed my Alfa smelling a bit of diesel whilst scraping the ice off in the mornings but I put it down to it taking a few seconds on the starter before it fired and the unburnt diesel being sent out of the exhaust.

Cheers

Mooky


RAYLEE29 - 22/12/10 at 01:29 PM

could be a leak in the fuel system.
or the cold weather could have affected your nostrils making them more sensitive and no im not taking the p .
i can smell things better in colder air
awaiting lots of p taking now!
Ray


andrew - 22/12/10 at 01:44 PM

have noticed it on the vehicles on pump fuel , but not on the tractors , its somtying they are putting in or taking out have noticed it in summer as well smells like a gas heater , somthing else they are liftin our leg with,,,,


eznfrank - 22/12/10 at 01:47 PM

Does it have a fuel burning heater like some of the Disco's?? They smell like paraffin a bit

LINKY - just checked and some Freelanders do too!



[Edited on 22/12/10 by eznfrank]


britishtrident - 22/12/10 at 02:13 PM

kerosene and Gas Oil/DERV and domestic heating oil all come from the same stage of distillation there is no a clear cut division between them, Winter grade DERV has more Kerosenes in it to avoid the fuel waxing and blocking fuel lines and filters.


speedyxjs - 22/12/10 at 03:47 PM

I have been noticing a strong smell of petrol in my car when its really cold but only for a few seconds on start up and no-one else can smell it. Maybe it is a nostril sensitivity thing?


MakeEverything - 22/12/10 at 04:57 PM

or a form of warmup enrichment?


Xtreme Kermit - 22/12/10 at 05:04 PM

Warmup - Hah my diesel CRV take bl@@dy ages to get remotely warm due to some great nipponese idea of doing something bizzarre with the aircon to speed up the warmup


scootz - 22/12/10 at 05:12 PM

Cheers guys!


focijohn - 22/12/10 at 09:08 PM

As above does it have a diesel heater for the coolant? Theres usually a lil exhaust pointing to the ground on the NSF under the corner of the bumper. I know the facelift mk1's have it as do the F2.
When you start it from cold with the heater on hot if you look under the bumper at the front you'll see it chuffing away.
My dads jaguar does it and sometimes if the winds right it stinks.


adithorp - 22/12/10 at 09:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Xtreme Kermit
Warmup - Hah my diesel CRV take bl@@dy ages to get remotely warm due to some great nipponese idea of doing something bizzarre with the aircon to speed up the warmup


If you've set the heater to demist then it probably uses the air con as a dehumidifier. That way the air it blows over the screen is warm and dry rather than warm and humid.


paulf - 22/12/10 at 10:30 PM

My rover 75 has a fuel burning heater, it operates at temperatures below 5c and also smell like a paraffin heater, it must be due to the way the fuel is burnt at atmospheric temperature rather than under pressure in the engine.
Paul

quote:
Originally posted by eznfrank
Does it have a fuel burning heater like some of the Disco's?? They smell like paraffin a bit

LINKY - just checked and some Freelanders do too!



[Edited on 22/12/10 by eznfrank]


nick205 - 23/12/10 at 12:41 PM

Having just learned that my Alhambra has the same sort of diesel burning aux coolant heater (by virtue of it not working) and now seeing how many other diesel vehicles are equipped with them I'm amazed - never knew they existed.

It seems the old issues of trying to dump excess heat from an engine have been replaced with trying to gain enough hest to run the engine properly. I can't help thinking there must be a simpler, cheaper and more relaible way of doing it though.

IIRC the Rover engines use a notably smaller volume water jacket to allow much quicker warm up times (?) Could the same logic not be applied to diesel engines, possibly even a 2 stage split volume water jacket - i.e. 2 thermostats, 1 for first stage warm up, 1 for second stage warm up/radiator flow?

Got to be better than having 2 water pumps, loads of additional pipework, a diesel burning heater, additional fuel pipes and a 2nd exhaust pipe - all likely to fail at some point.


PSpirine - 23/12/10 at 02:40 PM

There have been a fair few cases of freelanders, and more importantly newer discos and ranges (that have timer/remote Fuel Burning Heaters) being put out by firemen after the neighbours call the emergency services after spotting smoke/steam coming out from under the bonnet/wheel arch of a parked car.


PSpirine - 23/12/10 at 02:43 PM

Incidentally the reasons it's done for are:

1) Starting in very cold conditions
2) Getting diesel engines up to temeperature - new diesel engines are so efficient that if it's below about 5 degrees outside they don't get up to proper operating temperature and therefore become massively inefficient in terms of fuel consumption and exhausts.
3) Instant cabin heat


Point 2 is the one I'd be more concerned about if yours isn't functioning properly - you may notice a drop in mpg!


scootz - 23/12/10 at 04:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by PSpirine
There have been a fair few cases of freelanders, and more importantly newer discos and ranges (that have timer/remote Fuel Burning Heaters) being put out by firemen after the neighbours call the emergency services after spotting smoke/steam coming out from under the bonnet/wheel arch of a parked car.


Phew!

That was going to be my next Q... I sometimes get a right burning-stink and smoke from somewhere around the front. When I investigate it's cleared and I have never been able to trace it!