Car Smoking.. Turbo problem?

[brlukosk]

Hello...

Details: 99 1.8T AEB, chipped K03 with test pipe.

-Started noticing at startup, about 30sec - 1min after letting the car warm up the car starts smoking a blue tinted, but mostly white smoke. This is only heavy for about 30 seconds to a min and then goes away or lightens up a lot. (Figured this could be normal due to the test pipe.)

-Noticing that at stop lights when I come to a stop, I can see the smoke pouring past my car. Taking off I'd get a puff of blue tinted smoke. This only seems to happen after the engine goes into vac, and then goes under pressure/boost. (I don't get a puff of smoke when driving around and punching the gas.) Today I pulled into my parking spot at work and was told by a co-worker that my car was smoking a lot when I pulled into the lot.

-I'm starting to notice oil consumption, where after about a month (~1-2K miles) I'm getting a low oil light and need to add about 1QT of oil to top the engine off.

-I replaced the PCV system a couple of years ago, so I don't think it's related. A quick glance shows that the PCV hoses are still good. Although there looks to be a lot of oil leaking under the intake manifold at the PCV hose connections.

Any thoughts as to what I should check before replacing the turbo?

I have not taken off the intake hose of the turbo to check the shaft for play. I did however take off the throttle body hose and only found a bit of oil in it, which has always been there..Turbo is boosting a steady 12-14 PSI, not making any sort of abnormal noise.

Any idea why I'm burning so much oil? Is this a leaking gasket of some kind? PCV related? Turbo seals going bad?

Many thanks,
-Brad

[hiwords1]

10-12k miles? you need to change the oil more often than that. how's coolant level?

[Euromike]

H
-I'm starting to notice oil consumption, where after about a month (~10-12K miles) I'm getting a low oil light and need to add about 1QT of oil to top the engine off.

Defiantly cant run your oil that long, Our cars are prone to sludge.

[brlukosk]

Sorry about that, meant 1-2 thousand miles. :D

Coolant level was a little bit below max, I just topped it off.

[brlukosk]

I've done some more research and have found that it is either the PCV system causing blow-by or the turbo is on its way out.. Hmm...

[brlukosk]

Help?! :D

[grillhands]

When you start the car and it begins to smoke, pop your hood and take off the oil cap. See if the smoke stops within a few seconds after the cap is off. If is does, then you have too much pressure in you crank case.

[brlukosk]

When you start the car and it begins to smoke, pop your hood and take off the oil cap. See if the smoke stops within a few seconds after the cap is off. If is does, then you have too much pressure in you crank case.

Thank you sir, I'll try this.

Too much pressure in the crank case would point to a clogged/failed PCV system, correct?

[grillhands]

Thank you sir, I'll try this.

Too much pressure in the crank case would point to a clogged/failed PCV system, correct?

Yep..This happened to me when i went BT. I added lines with a bigger diameter, catch can and vented the pressure from the valve cover to the atmosphere to solve it.

[brlukosk]

Yep..This happened to me when i went BT. I added lines with a bigger diameter, catch can and vented the pressure from the valve cover to the atmosphere to solve it.

Were you seeing a lot of smoking?

[grillhands]

Were you seeing a lot of smoking?

LOL Oh yeah.. It started with the ko3s when i did the test pipe. I thought the turbo was going bad so i replaced it with a used gt2x but i had a cat on it. I decided to put the test pipe on the gt2x and it started smoking like crazy just like the ko3s.That turbo finally blew from all the pressure and when i bought a brand new t3/t4 it started to smoke with the straight pipe. Thats when i knew something had to be wrong and it couldn't be my turbo.

[brlukosk]

LOL Oh yeah.. It started with the ko3s when i did the test pipe. I thought the turbo was going bad so i replaced it with a used gt2x but i had a cat on it. I decided to put the test pipe on the gt2x and it started smoking like crazy just like the ko3s.That turbo finally blew from all the pressure and when i bought a brand new t3/t4 it started to smoke with the straight pipe. Thats when i knew something had to be wrong and it couldn't be my turbo.

Awesome. I'm hoping this is the problem. Cant afford to mess with the turbo right now.

I too started noticing the smoke after installing my test pipe.

[grillhands]

Try it and let me know.

[Polski]

Check for a boost leak, i had intense smoke coming out because of my boost leak, i was running rich. (fuel/air ratio was off)
Since i fixed my leak, no more smoke! Everyone was telling me it was my turbo going out..

What chip do you have? It should boost more than 12-14 psi generally to my knowledge.

[brlukosk]

Check for a boost leak, i had intense smoke coming out because of my boost leak, i was running rich. (fuel/air ratio was off)
Since i fixed my leak, no more smoke! Everyone was telling me it was my turbo going out..

What chip do you have? It should boost more than 12-14 psi generally to my knowledge.

Just the standard GIAC K03 chip.

The only thing that tells me its not a boost leak is that my vac at idle is always at 20 or higher.

[Polski]

You can be at 20 hg and still have a leak..

The giac chip should be giving you 20 psi...

I'm 99% sure you have a boost leak

[brlukosk]

You can be at 20 hg and still have a leak..

The giac chip should be giving you 20 psi...

I'm 99% sure you have a boost leak

As far as I know, the chip I have is a 1 Bar chip.

1 bar = 14.5037738 pounds per square inch

I should be holding 20 psi on a 1 bar chip?

[coreelements]

Hello...

Details: 99 1.8T AEB, chipped K03 with test pipe.

-Started noticing at startup, about 30sec - 1min after letting the car warm up the car starts smoking a blue tinted, but mostly white smoke. This is only heavy for about 30 seconds to a min and then goes away or lightens up a lot. (Figured this could be normal due to the test pipe.)

-Noticing that at stop lights when I come to a stop, I can see the smoke pouring past my car. Taking off I'd get a puff of blue tinted smoke. This only seems to happen after the engine goes into vac, and then goes under pressure/boost. (I don't get a puff of smoke when driving around and punching the gas.) Today I pulled into my parking spot at work and was told by a co-worker that my car was smoking a lot when I pulled into the lot.

-I'm starting to notice oil consumption, where after about a month (~1-2K miles) I'm getting a low oil light and need to add about 1QT of oil to top the engine off.

-I replaced the PCV system a couple of years ago, so I don't think it's related. A quick glance shows that the PCV hoses are still good. Although there looks to be a lot of oil leaking under the intake manifold at the PCV hose connections.

Any thoughts as to what I should check before replacing the turbo?

I have not taken off the intake hose of the turbo to check the shaft for play. I did however take off the throttle body hose and only found a bit of oil in it, which has always been there..Turbo is boosting a steady 12-14 PSI, not making any sort of abnormal noise.

Any idea why I'm burning so much oil? Is this a leaking gasket of some kind? PCV related? Turbo seals going bad?

Many thanks,
-Brad

I have the same issue with my 1999 1.8T Avant. I just replaced the turbo with a K04 and did replace the spark plugs. Driving around yester day for the the first time in a month I noticed the smoke and allot of it tonight. After interstate driving tonight and in my driveway the car wanted to stall and i noticed a very strong gas smell coming from the engine. It smokes in a ver similar maner as yours. I had the engine breather valve replaced already so I don't think it is the crank case breather. But I am going to try that removing the oil cap trick. Any other suggestions??

[sexib5ofcourse]

i had same problem it was my turbo.

[coreelements]

i had same problem it was my turbo.

I dont want to say so but I have a feeling I am in the same boat. This is a new turbo so I will have to do a return. It is not like just replacing a bettery ore something. Pulling the turbo for the second time and now the third time for me as I had to remove the first one then had a exhaust leak now this