White smoke - thoughts / help please?

Over the last few weeks my car has been creating more and more white smoke from the exhaust. This happens at no given time - sometimes under engine load, sometimes at idle. It is not starting to really get to me and worry my wallet!

When I put my hand in the back box it is wet (much more than a little condensation), so water as I know is implied by white smoke is getting in somehow?

The coolant reservoir is all getting from full to bone dry in record time. When checking over the engine I have found a slight coolant leak from the fat pipe over that stretches across the rear of the engine rocker covers and links onto to the turbo pipework. Not sure this explains the water though?

What I don't think it is:

- There is no loss of brake fluid, the engine runs fine (a little fast on occasion, but I think I need to clean the idle control valve - I think this is a separate issue) and pulls hard.

- I don't think it is a head gasket - the engine has only done 39k and is very very clean internally. I am running 1.2 bar boost, but I have not other

- The fmc seems to be in good nick

Any pointers would be much appreciated

Cheers

The fact you are losing coolant and white smoke from your exhaust don't sound good in combination. Did the two symptoms start at the same time?

Are you blowing any coolant out of the expansion tank?

Is there anu water in your oil?

I don't know if the turbo can leak coolant into the exhaust. I would not have thought so.

 

The coolant reservoir is all getting from full to bone dry in record time. When checking over the engine I have found a slight coolant leak from the fat pipe over that stretches across the rear of the engine rocker covers and links onto to the turbo pipework. Not sure this explains the water though?

That fat pipe at the back carries air, if it's the one I think you are referring to. It takes filtered air from pre-turbo#2 to the idle control valve on the plenum. So I'd hope it's not leaking coolant

-Ian

There is no water in the oil that I can see - that looks fine

No coolant blow from the expansion tank to my knowledge

I think the symptoms did both start at the same time, yes

In terms of the fat pipe I refer to it is dripping some fluid onto the right hand rocker cover, when you tap it. I believe it it is the pipe just above the blue colour coded hose on my garage photo of my bay. Does that sound possible (the fluid seems to be a greeny colour)?

Not a headgasket problem ? Are you sure the fact its done 39K doesn't really mean that a gasket wouldn't let go .

It is just a gut feel it isn't a head gasket gone - it could be cracked, and agreed it does sound head gasket syptomatic.

If it is a head gasket, what £ am I looking at?

What should my next steps be?

Get a pressure test done?

That fat pipe at the back carries air, if it's the one I think you are referring to. It takes filtered air from pre-turbo#2 to the idle control valve on the plenum. So I'd hope it's not leaking coolant

 

-Ian

Hi,

I was around at Neil's house last night and had a look at his car and the smoke etc. The pipe that is leaking is a thick black pipe joined to another pipe and runs over the back of the rocker cover. This appears to be leaking coolant down the side of the rocker cover - you mentioned the fact that it is linked to the idle control valve and Neil has mentioned that the car's idle is sometimes fast - could the 2 be connected?

Also when the car is started it runs fine, no smoke at all.

If the bollocks are revved of it and it goes back to idle then the smoke starts to come out. The inside of the exhaust is wet and there is a small spluttering of water on the path behind the car.

When you drive the car it is pulling like a train - Turbos kicking in fine etc - However, it continues to smoke quite alot.

If the head gasket or turbos were fooked would you not notice a loss of power or change in drive?

A neighbour thought that the exhaust smelt like oil but I am not sure if the smell was oil or just a very hot engine? The smoke does appear to be white though.

Not sure if this helps or not,

Chris.

I have just been to a garage for a compression / block test.

The mechanic says the head gasket is fine and he thinks it is the turbo on the way out!?

The thing that is weird is that the car seems to be chucking out alot of white smoke, and the level of coolant is dropping rapidly - am I right that coolant in the exhaust would lead to white smoke?

The white smoke is not on start up but after the car has been run.

Would a gentle drive - i.e. keeping 2nd turbo off pin-point whether or not it was the 2nd turbo - If it didn't smoke?

A previous post mentioned the fact that the pipe that appears to be linking to the idle control value, and that appears to have coolant leaking out of it?

Are all these potentially linked i.e. could coolant be somehow leaking into the turbo?

Just a follow up really - turbos taken apart - surprise suprise the seal on tubby 2 has gone and oil and water have been leaking into the exhaust, hence the smoke.

New type of set up now on the way (involving the word single), hopefully in and ready for Santa Pod on the 24th!

Sorry Neil, missed this mate.

I had the EXACT symptoms and problem diagnosis as well bud, but had loads of white smoke.

For me too it was tubbie number 2 which had a crack in the housing and was leaking coolant. That was accompanied with VSOSs too though!

All sorted here, hope the same goes for you bud

Greg

Oh shit Neil! Expensive one then, no more buying blingy bits for a while. Pauls gonna go out of business now.

Not cheap! I will have to borrow a tenner for food and santa pod and a splash of 99Ron to get me home from someone!

Cheers everyone - on the positive side, turbo aside, the guys sorting my turbo say that the car is mint in every other way - lets hope they are right!

Greg I feel for you as I now share some of your turbo pain bud!