I've been having some smoke issues as of late. Not on vehicle start, but under acceleration (high in the rev range, accelerating from low revs, and around when the turbo kicks in). Fuel Economy is down too - my last semi-accurate reading was 580km out of a tank whereas I formerly could push 640km without a warning light.
I've tried all the usual maintenance items, including:
- MAP Clean
- MAF Clean
- Catch Can Empty & Clean
- Oil, Fuel *2, and Air Filters (2,000km before the issue started)
- Injectors, Fuel Lines, SCV (24,000km before the issue started)
- EGR and Intake Cleaned (24,000km before the issue started)
- ECU Reset
- Check of all clamps, hoses, etc.
Ran a diagnostic last night which I think has given me a lead. My process is that I save all my diagnostics and also record drives on my diagnostic day so I can graph the vehicle through real-life driving.
When comparing 2016 to 2017, I see that in 2016, my Target EGR Position and EGR Lift Sensor Volt % are much tighter including when the Target is above 50%. My 2017 diagnostic recordings (from last night tonight) show that the values are much further apart, and my EGR Lift Sensor Volt % never gets over 45%. In fact, I think it caps at around 44.1%.
As such, I'm guessing that my smoke issues are related to the EGR - either it's clogged or something to do with the sensor - and that's despite having it and the intake cleaned 24,000km ago (just a tad under a year ago). Otherwise, it's related to work done by a mechanic when they replaced my rocker cover (which was cracked). We only noticed the issue after the mechanic did the work (though this could've been by chance).
Can anyone confirm that my next steps would be to clean the EGR and/or replace the EGR Valve Position Sensor (89455-35020)?
Screenshots:
2016:
2017:
Diagnostics:
Thanks for any advice!