Smoke issue: first for me.

[DownhillA4]

Hey all. Been driving the car problem free for a long time, finally have something that's stumping me. Took a spirited mountain drive yesterday. After ripping a road, we pulled into a park lot to turn around and rip back down the road. Stopped in the parking lot for maybe ten minutes tops, 49F, never turned car off to let it cool down, and heat was on full blast to help pull heat from engine bay. I was walking around the car and it was NOT smoking at idle. We go to leave and as I pull away at 5mph I get my first ever look at what it would be like to own a diesel. Blueish smoke in MY rearview. I stop about 50ft from park spot. Rev a few times, smoke dissipates. No more smoke. I decide to drive conservative the rest of the way back with my buddy following(mk4 golf tdi, BT, r32 drivetrain), got on it a few times, and he reports no more smoke. No codes, turbo sounds fine, boost still at 22psi. This has never happened before. Now that I think about it, I was idling for 15min once this winter in 15F weather and remember seeing excessive smoke out exhaust put once I pulled away, never saw it again. It was dark out so I thought it was just moisture since it was freezing out. So aside from these two times, my car has never smoked. Thoughts? Thanks! I searched threads but didn't find one with this similar scenario.

04 1.8T- 92k on it
Revo stage 1, 22psi
KO3 (stock turbo)
034 HFC
2.5" TT downpipe
Magnaflow 16601
Ngk spark plugs
R8 coilpacks
Apikol SMIC
Oil just changed (every 3k)

[MetalMan]

My guess would be valve stem seals, think I have similar symptoms... after sitting in vacuum for a minute or two (or more) while idling, and then at the start of acceleration there may be a little burning-oil smoke.

[dmanisgnarly]

Turbo seals are your culprit. Valve stem seals will cause it to smoke when cranking it up as well. This is because the oil will weep past the valve seals into the cylinder overnight and then be burned off in the initial cycle, a cold starting SAI with leaky valve seals is horrific to smell. My K03S still boosted to 20 with bad turbo oil seals-it's normal to not lose any boost at initial onset of failure. Eventually you will be spitting oil and chugging like a freight train as it gets worse. I had your symptoms when i first bought my car with 138,XXX. Installed a K04 and never looked back. Smoke free, probably ready for a bore and build next year.

My brothers B5 just started doing it today as well..he's going with the same K04-15x hybrid I am running.

[EErie B6]

You might pull apart and look your PCV lines over in a few spots while you are at it. You mentioned it being cold and cool weather tends to make the car cough up more sludge. (Ask the guys with catch cans) It is possible the spirited driving and then sitting stationary (which would allow the engine bay to heat up) loosened up (melted) some build up on the pcv system and the car merely hocked a loogie into the intake manifold. Then opening the throttle to drive off sucked it from the pcv lines / manifold into a cylinder and a puff of gray smoke is the result.

I could be way off, but it's a thought.

[DownhillA4]

Thanks for the response guys. Took the car out for a short drive again, no smoke. So I'm not sure.