car smoking

[therex]

I know you guys have probably have heard this before but my car is smoking now, kinda bad.

it smokes at startup, sometimes at idle, and while im driving, car starts up great, and drives great too, not sure where its coming from, just wondering where i should start looking, eats a lot of oil, probably a quart a week ( i dd it)

not sure if its the turbo or oil control seals...?

coolant levels havent changed either

[therex]

there is a small oil leak, and theres oil on the bottom of my turbo and wastegate from a bad oil return line, have pics

[Mazdabater]

I'd pull the turbo and check it out. Might help to pray first if your religious lol. Sounds like alot of smoke though for it to still be running fine. Your coolant level won't drop unless you've done a coolant seal, and even then it's pretty slow.

[therex]

Originally Posted by Mazdabater

I'd pull the turbo and check it out. Might help to pray first if your religious lol. Sounds like alot of smoke though for it to still be running fine. Your coolant level won't drop unless you've done a coolant seal, and even then it's pretty slow.

Lol i will but honestly what am i looking for, and anything else i should be looking for?

[RETed]

Where is the smoking coming out from?
Under the hood?
From the exhaust?

Is the smoke from oil?
Smell the smoke...
If it burned your eyes, it's oil.
If it's sweet smelling, it's coolant.

If it's under the hood, then it's a leak somewhere...
You need to replace the gasket or tighten the fitting.

If it's the exhaust, then it gets a bit more involved...
It could either be the engine or the turbo.
How much miles on the engine?
If you're around 200,000 miles, the engine might need to be rebuilt - no way around it.
If it's the turbo, then the turbo needs to be rebuilt.

One quick test is to pull the spark plugs...
Are the they are cruddy and wet with oil?
Good chance the motor is no good; minor chance the turbo compressor seal is bad.
Pull the intercooler pipes and intercooler - lots of oil pooling inside?
Turbo compressor seal needs to be replaced - i.e. turbo rebuild.
I don't see oil leaking from the turbine section - usually that's an indication of the turbine oil seal going bad.
It might be the seal hasn't totally let go and is only a minor leak so far.

You're not getting too many responses, cause your posts and descriptions so far are very vague.


-Ted

[therex]

Originally Posted by RETed

Where is the smoking coming out from?
Under the hood?
From the exhaust?

Is the smoke from oil?
Smell the smoke...
If it burned your eyes, it's oil.
If it's sweet smelling, it's coolant.

If it's under the hood, then it's a leak somewhere...
You need to replace the gasket or tighten the fitting.

If it's the exhaust, then it gets a bit more involved...
It could either be the engine or the turbo.
How much miles on the engine?
If you're around 200,000 miles, the engine might need to be rebuilt - no way around it.
If it's the turbo, then the turbo needs to be rebuilt.

One quick test is to pull the spark plugs...
Are the they are cruddy and wet with oil?
Good chance the motor is no good; minor chance the turbo compressor seal is bad.
Pull the intercooler pipes and intercooler - lots of oil pooling inside?
Turbo compressor seal needs to be replaced - i.e. turbo rebuild.
I don't see oil leaking from the turbine section - usually that's an indication of the turbine oil seal going bad.
It might be the seal hasn't totally let go and is only a minor leak so far.

You're not getting too many responses, cause your posts and descriptions so far are very vague.


-Ted

i know i know, sorry

yes the smoke smells like oil and is coming out of the exhaust, not the hood

engine shouldnt have more than 20k on it but i honestly dont know

i had the spark plugs out a couple days ago, i dont remember them being wet

and already checked the intercooler pipes for the TB side, no oil. should i check the other side?

and i drove the car yesterday and it barely even smoked, but the night before my friend was behind me and i could see the smoke because of his lights

thanks ted

[Mitchocalypse]

that might help you diagnose your spark plugs. how long after start up does it take for the smoke to appear? any external leaks? (puddles on ground)

[therex]

Originally Posted by Mitchocalypse

that might help you diagnose your spark plugs. how long after start up does it take for the smoke to appear? any external leaks? (puddles on ground)

lol those are all rancid, theyre just normal and black, not oil tough i dont think and right when i start it and no puddles, and smokes when i take off ive never seen it when i was driving

[RETed]

Okay, let's assume it's the turbo (turbine piston ring) that's bad...

Try and do a high idle test?
Shift trans into neutral...
Rev up to 4kRPM's for at least 10 seconds.
Do you see smoke out the exhaust?
Do you see a LOT of smoke out the exhaust or a little?

Does it smoke more when you go into boost?


-Ted

[therex]

Originally Posted by RETed

Okay, let's assume it's the turbo (turbine piston ring) that's bad...

Try and do a high idle test?
Shift trans into neutral...
Rev up to 4kRPM's for at least 10 seconds.
Do you see smoke out the exhaust?
Do you see a LOT of smoke out the exhaust or a little?

Does it smoke more when you go into boost?


-Ted

alright ill do that when i get home

and actually yeah now that i think about it one of my friends told me after i left from a light (boosting) there was a lot of smoke, and i just put almost a quart of oil on 2 days ago and now its basically all gone ( the quart)

thank you, will update when i do the test

[therex]

bump have the turbo and ex mani off, no oil in the manifold, dont really know what to look for now

[Pete_89T2]

Did you do the 4K RPM in neutral test Ted mentioned before taking it apart? If so, what were the results? No smoke, little smoke, lots of smoke?

[RETed]

Originally Posted by therex

bump have the turbo and ex mani off, no oil in the manifold, dont really know what to look for now

Is the turbine wheel on the back end of the turbine housing *BLACK*?


-Ted

[therex]

gahh i forgot to do it! but ive done something like it before, i never looked for smoke but i could smell it a bit, and it definately smokes more when i go into boost.

and no its actually white? ill post a pic

[therex]