smell of burning. on first start up

[Mark Wilkes]

I am yet again seeking advice from the great people on this forum. I have a 2007 citroen relay campervan and when I first start the engine regardless of time of day there is a smell of burning and a puff of smoke rises up from the bonnet near the windscreen. it only happens on first start-up and then runs fine. my thought was the starter cable but it only happens once a day. please can anyone advise me on a possible solution prior to going to a garage. thank you once again.

[Mickt]

Have you done this with bonnet open, see where smoke comes from but take care.

[Mark Wilkes]

I have tried to look with the bonnet open and it seems to be coming from the rear of the engine but I am not 100% sure as there is no one to start the engine while I look but I have seen bits of smoke from the back as I have got out and looked at it.

[EJB]

Please either take it into a garage or at least get another person to help!

When I last said to my better half..."I can't smell burning" our water pump burst into flames!

Good luck :-D

[sshortcircuit]

Possibility of an oil leak dripping on to exhaust?

[malc d]

sshortcircuit - 2019-01-19 9:46 AM

 

Possibility of an oil leak dripping on to exhaust?

 

 

Wouldn't think the exhaust is hot enough at start-up.

 

(?)

[Mark Wilkes]

I think I will have to take it to the garage and hope that it won't be an expensive fix. Thank you for your comments as always its a great site with great people.

[Bucket]

Could be starter motor

This time of year (cold thick oil) its under most strain with the first start of the day.

And presumably pretty worn on a 12 year old van

PS please let us know the result

[peterjl]

Hi

 

Most smartphones have a video facility. Try tapping it in the engine well and video when you start.

 

You might need a torch taped in to light up back of the engine..

 

Peter

[vindiboy]

Are you sure it is smoke and not hydrogen gas vapour from the battery, I had this once on a fiat .I had overfilled the battery with distilled water and rain had gotten on top of the battery too and liquid was leaking from the battery overflow pipe and dripping on to the cables below , there were live and neutral cables together here and the insulation had been dissolved by the acid solution, I used to get a small cloud of white vapour from front scuttle below the windscreen, luckily I discovered the cause before an inevitable fire occurred , and fixed the problem.Check it out ??

[Mark Wilkes]

thank you for your suggestions. I will check the battery tomorrow along with the wires to see if I can see anything. Failing that I will have to take it to the garage and hope its not an expensive fix.

[Derek Uzzell]

Mark has said that his motorhome is based on a 2007 Citroen Relay.

 

In his enquiry 3 weeks ago

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Citroen-relay-2007-door-problem/50978/

 

it was asked (but not answered) if his Relay was a X250 model. If it is, then its starter-battery will be in the cab beneath a removable cover in the left footwell.

[Mark Wilkes]

Derek. sorry for not replying to the earlier post as to whether it is an x250 or not but I don't know. the battery is under the bonnet and not in the cab. hope this helps.

[Mickt]

Does your motorhome look like this

[Mark Wilkes]

Hi Mickt, there is no picture with your post but mine is a Campervan and not a motor home. so it just looks like a standard Citroen relay.

[Derek Uzzell]

Mark

 

Citroen “Relays” (called “Jumpers” outside the UK) that were built from mid-1993 tp mid-2006 are commonly called ‘2nd-generation’ models and an example is shown in the upper attached photo below.

 

Citroen “Relays” built from mid-2006 onwards are commonly called ‘3rd-generation’, with vehicles built from mid-2006 to mid-2014 often referred to as “X250” models, and those built from mid-2014 to the present date referred to as “X290” models. The lower photo below is of an X250-model Relay and the differences between the frontal appearance of this 3rd generation vehicle and the 2nd generation example will be very apparent.

 

As your campervan has its starter-battery under the bonnet, it will be a 2nd generation Relay, so presumably your Year-2007 reference to it relates to when it was first UK-registered.

 

As I said earlier, 3rd generation X250 (and X290) Relays have their starter-battery inside the vehicle in a compartment in the cab’s left footwell.

[Mark Wilkes]

hi Derek, I must of been last in the queue for brains as the battery is under the floor and the bottom picture is the same as our van. sorry for my confusion.

[Mark Wilkes]

I have done a video of the smoke and will try to upload it for you to see. I have tried to upload it but the file is too big and I don't know how to resize it.

[Derek Uzzell]

Attaching any sort of file to a posting on this forum requires that the file-size be no larger than 100KB.

 

With that file-size limitation I’m doubtful that it will be practicable to attach a video (even a quite short one) to a posting here - at any rate I don’t recall anyone having successfully done it.

 

Probably your best bet would be to load your video to (say) YouTube and then provide in a forum-posting a link to where the video is held.

[Mark Wilkes]

I have a screen shot that I am trying to load now. This is taken from the back of the engine looking down. the smoke lasts about 10 seconds and then nothing until I start it the next day no matter how many times I start it during the day.

[BruceM]

The way I see it, if it’s a fluid leak it would currently be so very slight that it builds up overnight producing a lot of smoke on start up, but with multiple starts the small amount of dripping would burn off quickly and unnoticeably.

 

So I think I’d start it first thing in the morning (lots of smoke) then try it again 12 hours later (rather than 24hrs) with the bonnet open to see if there’s a reasonable quantity of smoke. I’d also check all the fluid levels to see if anything is dropping, ie brake fluid, engine oil, power steering oil, coolant water.

 

If it is a fluid leak, as mentioned previously by other posters, the starter would probably be the only immediate source of the combustion.

 

Whatever it is, I’d suggest that the issue is tracked down and fixed pronto. There’s always the danger that what is currently a little smoke could eventually turn to flame when least expected.

[vindiboy]

Another thought to muddy the water, could it be a loose manifold to exhaust pipe [down pipe] allowing exhaust gases / smoke to escape on start up or a loose joint on the first section of the exhaust from the down pipe?.It cannot be due to heat as the engine and other components will be cold when it happens as you describe things, your picture shows a pulley so is it a loose belt burning due to friction, is there a squeal or belt noise?

[Derek Uzzell]

Mark’s main problem (as I understand it) is that he has nobody easily available who can start the vehicle while Mark checks what happens under the bonnet, or who can check what happens under the bonnet when Mark starts the engine. A secondary issue seems to be that, even if Mark takes his Relay to a garage, from what he has said the puff of smoke won’t conveniently occur straightaway as it only happens when the vehicle is first started. So the vehicle may need to be left with the garage for a while unless there are other visible clues to the cause.

 

There’s no doubt, though, that (as EJB advised above) the smoking/ burning smell needs to be investigated by someone with the necessary competence as, whatever the cause of those symptoms, there’s something clearly wrong.

[Mark Wilkes]

I did manage to get my disabled wife to start the van while I videod it but I can't do it again as she is too unwell. I think I need to find a local mobile mechanic who can see it in real time and hopefully sort the problem.

[EJB]

Good idea Mark ;-)