smoke during idle

[LEGO]

So here's the problem I'm having. My ko4 blew two weeks ago. I bought a new turbo from gpopshop.com, put that in a week ago. The car was smoking for a while cause I figured there was a bunch of oil and other crap in the exhaust and it had to burn out. I did two seafoam treatments through my intake lines to help clean it out. Now I'm not getting any smoke out of my exhaust while I'm driving. When I first start the car there is no smoke. After driving the car a bit and letting it warm up, if I stop at a stop light or just let it idle, white/blue smoke comes out of my exhaust and it smells like burning oil. What would cause this problem? The turbo is brand new and if it was leaking oil into my exhaust, wouldn't that happen when the turbo is stressed most under boost? Is there still oil in the engine that hasn't burnt and is burning up from the blown turbo? I checked my oil and it's a little overfull on the dipstick. Would this cause the smoke? Performance is not lacking at all though. The turbo hits hard and pulls well and smooth. It's just anoying that when I'm at a light, people give me dumb looks like there's something wrong with my car and I don't know it. Please let me know if anyone has any ideas. Thanks!

[audiluxary]

Don't know if it will work for you but I took mine to the shop about 6 months ago for an oil change and then my exhaust started smoking lightly while idling. I checked the dip stick and it was overfilled. I drained some oil (after it was cool of course) and no more smoke, clean as a wistle. I always do my own oil changes now.

[ILoveT]

Reason being, oil gets burnt by your converter.

[GQ//S4]

The best is when we were at the stoplight the day after the turbo went in, and the guy on the motorcycle behind us had to sit at a red light for a couple of minutes while your exhaust was billowing oily smoke all over him. That made me laugh

[LEGO]

Well, I just changed my oil again. I've always put 4.3 quarts in because I thought that was the oil capacity of the 1.8t, but after putting 4 quarts in, letting the car idle for 5 minutes and then checking the dip stick again, it was full. Kinda wierd. Does anyone know if the oil capacity for the 1.8t is 4 or 4.3 quarts?

[Rau]

its 4 quarts only. any more and you overfill it. i used to change the oil on Audi's all day

[audiluxary]

What size filter do you use? If you use the large one it might take a little bit more, depending if you drained all your old stuff out all the way. I ususaly use 4 though maybe a little bit more.

[LEGO]

I always use the large oil filter. I drained as much as I could. Left it dripping for a while too. Changed it when my engine was hot by the way and ended up burning my hand by trying to loosen the oil filter. Couldn't get that darn thing off, then finally figured out that I can get a screw driver between the two humps on the bottom and twist. Loosened right away! Can't believe it took me like 10 minutes to figure it out. Anyway, put 3 quarts royal purple in, 1 quart of the lucas oil addative. Let it idle for 5-10 minutes, then checked the dip stick level. Ended up right at the full line with only 4 quarts.

[LEGO]

I'm still getting this. It's wierd because it smokes during idle, but then once I start moving from a stop light, the smoking stops. What else could be causing this?

[audiluxary]

Are you sure it's oil burning? It's not coolant burning, clear slightly white and thin and you can only see it at idle because it's thin and when you drive it disapears.

[LEGO]

Huh, It's possible. What would cause my coolant to burn? Why would it leak into the exhaust?

[audiluxary]

Could be coolant in your cylinders and when ignited it burns up. Is your coolant level getting lower slowly? Do you only get it on start up or does is still do it when it's all warmed up? Is it thick smoke or very light?

[LEGO]

My coolant is getting low slowely. No smoke at start up. No smoke when I'm driving. After my car is completely warmed up, if I stop and let it idle, it starts smoking right away. Smoke is pretty noticeable. White smoke and smells. As soon as I start driving, no smoke. It's not crazy thick, but noticeable. I can see it through my tinted windows. What do you think would cause this?

[Naudilos]

Did you ever find out the cause of this smoke? Seems like I'm having the same issue.

[Junaid]

I was having the same issue and couldnt register my car because it was like the car was on fire. But i put some stop smoke and stop leak in and all was good until today when i replaced my coils and spark plugs began to smoke again and then it went away drove for like 50 minutes and got my e test done and passed with flying colours

[LEGO]

Naudilos, I haven't figured it out yet. What turbo do you have? Is it a hybrid ko3/ko4? Cause it seems that people with the hybrid have the same problem.

Junaid, what kind of turbo do you have? I will try what you said. I saw some of that stuff at walmart the other day, but I didn't know if it would help or not. I'll give it a try. Thanks! Keep you guys posted

[Naudilos]

I just have a stock K03S turbo. I'm boosting 21psi easily if I want to. So I don't really see it being turbo failure, since it's not burning oil when I'm boosting. I only get smoke when it's warmed up and I come to a complete stop for more than around 30 secs. Some times it takes a few mins of being at a complete stop. The smoke comes out pretty white, maybe a little blueish, and then stops and the problem goes away. It's very inconsistent when it occurs, makes no sense to me.

[This Is Epic]

I'm having this same issue, but it happens at start up sometimes also. I am also losing coolant very slowly.

I think mine is the cause of some sort of exhaust leak around the manifold.

[1.8t]

Anybody figure out the problem?

[This Is Epic]

I haven't, I hope to find out more this weekend when I get some free time.

[LEGO]

Well, mine stopped smoking and only does it once in a while after long trips. I don't know what caused it to go away. I always use lucas oil stablizer and I added some stop smoke stop leak from walmart. I don't know if I can say that the stuff actually helped my exhaust stop smoking or if all of the oil from the blown turbo finally burned up out of my exhaust. Give that stop smoke stop leak stuff a try. It's cheap at walmart. I also cleaned out my exhaust tips. There was a bunch of caked up oil in there. I sprayed some engine degreaser in the tips, let it sit, then washed and wiped it out.

[Junaid]

Sorry about the late reply i will take a pic or write down the name the next time i go to my car, but check the big pipe from your engine to your intercooler or turbo not sure which one it is but see if that has oil in it. Mine does and thats why my car smokes still sometimes.

[Junaid]

I haven't, I hope to find out more this weekend when I get some free time.

If your losing coolant slowly you have a head gasket leak, i suggest you take it to a mechanic before it is too late. You can DIY for about $500 other wise you are looking in the ball park figure of $1500 to fix. Alot of labour in there.

[390wheel]

there are couple of possible problems, it might be the turbo(just starting to go bad), might be the head gasket(not common) or the valve seals (if it only smokes blueish smoke at idle or after a couple of min of idling)

is the smoke blueish or white
white is antifreez
bluish is oil
black is toooooo rich.

[This Is Epic]

If your losing coolant slowly you have a head gasket leak, i suggest you take it to a mechanic before it is too late. You can DIY for about $500 other wise you are looking in the ball park figure of $1500 to fix. Alot of labour in there.

I replaced the head gasket about 2 months ago when my TB went. Plus if it was a head gasket issue wouldn't coolant be in my oil?

[Junaid]

if you replaced your head gasket already...then try some of this stuff maybe your gasket wasn't seated properly?