I adjusted the valves a couple of days ago. I have noticed some improvement in performance, however, I was hoping it would reduce the smoking, but it had no effect. If you step on it, the car puts up an effective smoke screen. I hope this is normal. I've also noticed it smokes more with a/c running. It seems like the valves are noiser now then before the adjustment. Did I screw up?

__________________
2012 550CLS
1982 380SL
1985 300D
1998 ML-320
1997 E-320
1984 380SE

No, you did not mess up judging from what you have said... The valves are looser and will make more noise as a result... but more noise is the price we pay for NEVER ALLOWING THE VALVES TO GET TOO TIGHT (with respect to the cam/valve distance).... because that is the kiss of death in terms of burning valves.... Valves are cooled in large part by the time they spend in contact with the head... it does not seem to be enough time to help... but trust me on this.... if the valve is not regularly giving off some of its heat to the head then it will burn...
Most of the time when you see big puffs of smoke coming from a big truck.... it is shifting.... and that is unburned/incomplete combustion showing in the exhaust .... That is the good news... that it may be only the injection of your car which needs to be tuned... and which would not have been affected by your valve setting procedure....of course that means you have lots of work to do to tweak the fuel side of your car to reduce the smoke...if it is not burning oil....that would be different in the correction actions necessary...
Most of the time setting of valves is not going to show up as seat of the pants differences in performance... as it should not have been allowed to get so tight that setting to proper distances would be much of a change .

Thanks for the info. The car uses about a quart every 3000 miles or so, which i figure is normal. The smoke could be normal as well, I just tend to think it may be on the high side. If I want to mess with the injection, does that imply injection timing or something else? Is this something a novice can perform? I also think I'm in need of glow plugs, the car always starts, but its a little rough and I get a little bit of white smoke during start up. Unless it has something to do with the injection? Thanks

__________________
2012 550CLS
1982 380SL
1985 300D
1998 ML-320
1997 E-320
1984 380SE

Your not burning oil at that rate of usage so you have to figure it is the injection....I would include chain stretch as an injection item... because injecting at the wrong time with relation to either the valve movement or the position of the pistons is going to be a bad deal...
Messing with the injection is something which should include a lot of studying... don't want to mess it up...
So timing of the start of fuel with relation to the crank, compensating for chain stretch or correcting it, being sure the injectors and precombustion area are operating properly.. and something I know nothing about... the sensing mechanism which adjusts for altutude and for changes in load on the engine.... if all these things are properly set you may greatly reduce the smoke you are putting out... and of course be sure your air filter and fuel filters are clean...

If you are getting a lot of smoke at full or nearly full throttle, particularly at high engine speed, I would think that the injection timing is late.

Before you do anything with that, you need to get the timing chain wear (called stretch) checked -- if the chain is worn, both injection timing and valve timing will be late.

Both will be corrected by pulling a new chain through. Don't attempt this unless you have done some engine work before -- beginners tend to drop the chain, and a half hour job turns into removing the engine to get the chain back in.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!