200tdi sluggish and smokey

Hello,
Just a general enquiry really- my 200tdi 110 has always smoked since i bought it 30k miles ago. Smoke is grey and dieseley. However, after recently having to shell out for a new gearbox, i've decided to investigate the smoke, out of curiosity- so i can prepare for the next big spend! When it was having a new box the garage also said it felt slower than most- it's the only one i've ever driven so have nothing to compare- but was following a convoy of tdi's last weekend and was struggling to keep up.
Symptoms are as follows:
Light smoke on start-up, smells of diesel
More light smoke on acceleration, coupled with a little dark smoke under heavy acceleration.
No obvious Blue tint to smoke (unless it's been standing for more than 5 days, but burns away after a couple of seconds)
No smoke on idle.
Usually about a tbl spoon of oil (maybe less?) in air filter housing in between 6k services.
Engine HATES additives- smokes like a bleedin' chimney- white smoke. Once put a double shot of additive and was smoking so much i got out of the car, after a few minutes couldn't see a hand in front of my face!
Occasionally the vehicle feels really fast- charging up hills and the like, and will reach 85mph without trying, but mostly it doesn't. . .
I think that's it.

Truck is a '93 200tdi with 200k miles. Injector pump was replaced just before i bought it, 35k miles ago. Timing belt was done at the same time. Truck gets 35mpg on daily driving.

Any ideas?


Cheers!

Forgot to say, never had any emissions problems.

Possible timing issue. When the belt was replaced the pump might be a tooth out

Steve - you def have a problem if you couldnt keep up - I was taking it pretty steady really and noticed you was dropping back. Found out when I got home that my throttle cable had slipped too and was only opening my throttle half way on that journey.

Yeah, that's right- i couldn't keep up at all!
Weird thing was though- a few days before (when i collected it from the garage) it was pulling like a train! If it was timing it wouldn't be intermittent like this would it?

Mine has been getting slower and slower over the last few months, until i noticed i couldnt keep up with my mates 90 and he later told me he wasnt pushing it at all, my local big test hill would hold 55 in 4th gear and even then was slowing down, seemed to smoke in all gears especially when trying to push it hard.
Penny dropped when i went to replace the fuel filter and found it half empty, one new lift pump normal service resumed, allmakes one cost 15 quid.
Now pulls loads better and a lot less smoke.
Got to be worth a go especially at that price?


Lynall

Yeah, i had thought about the lift pump- especially as it struggles to start if there's less that 1/4 tank in it. Check the fuel filter yesterday- it's done 5k miles, and found it partly empty. Also found that the manual pump arm thing on the lift pump felt a bit odd- like it wasn't connected to anything (but i'm not sure what they're supposed to feel like), just didn't feel right.
I'll start with the lift pump and fuel filter then (i also don't have the tools for the timing. . .)

Cheers!