R32 Smoke Issue

[saweeet4DR]

I have searched thru the forums and looked for posts that have similar problems to mine but cant find any that are just like mine so here it is....

I have a R32 with a R33 turbo and noticed one night driving home (from a cruise,and 1 small burnout from the misses) that it was spiking from my set boost of 13.5 to 15psi.I dont check my boost gauge everyday but close enuf to it so cant say how long for sure it had been running at 15psi.When i got home i let the car cool down for 2-3 minutes then turned her off.The next day when i started the car up it was warming up for 3-4 minutes then as i was reversing down the driveway i noticed a thin cloud of white smoke in the rearview so i got out and checked and coming out from the zorst was a thin stream of white smoke.I didnt think to much of it at the time and thought hopefully that seen as it was a very cold night the car was just a tad cold still so i put it down to that but as i took off up the street there was a small white cloud following me still.It stoped blowing in the next street but still the thought had me worried of a blown turbo or even worse it was the the rings or the engine was on the way out.I had a mate follow me the other day seeing if it was blowing any smoke and he said it wasnt really xcept for when i stopped at lights idleing and then on take off.The engine seems the same to me,revs the same,sounds the same and is making boost as about the same as b4 the smoke started but still the smoke is there.I went to the shops today and as i pulled in and clutched it in2 a parking bay and a mass of white smoke whaffled by me,i turned the car off and when i came back and started it up and idled there was no smoke at all even as i took of and on the drive home there was no smoke at all.I asked around and went to a workshop today but the drive there and in the workshop car park it didnt blow any smoke so the guy said until he sees the smoke colour and smell himself he cant really say for sure what it is..

I have had silvias an 180sx's b4 and have blown a turbo in them but it was like boooooost then BANG no power black smoke and so on but this has got me stumped as to what it could be.I have looked all arvo for leaks or any problems but cant see any exept for my catch can has a bit of oil on it.

I will be taking it to a workshop to have a inspection in 2 weeks but any help or feedback would be muchly appreciated in the meantime thanks.

[bubba]

I'll take valve stem seals for $100.

*tic-toc-tic-toc*

[Mr. Keets]

I'll take head gasket for 200 thanks

[stormtrooper]

Think you should lay off the skids a little.................

[bubba]

Yeah keets.. lay off the skidz bro!

Wait.. I know what the problem is.. you let the mrs drop a skid..

Edited May 7, 2010 by bubba

[Mr. Keets]

of course!...

Bubba...Ghosty sez hi

[bubba]

of course!...

Bubba...Ghosty sez hi

where do you know ghosty from??

[saweeet4DR]

thanks for the reply (Bubba and Mr Keets)...(i could be wrong) but I dont really think it is the valve stem seals as i cant see any smoke on deceleration only on take off and idle.Nah i dont thrash the car and that small burnout that night was the first and last and its not the misses fault,she actually is a good driver and WOULD put some of the guys on this forum to SHAME ..I warmed the car up today (but am to afraid to drive it incase i f**k it even more) but just sat there idleing an saw no smoke.. Question: if it is the turbo on the way out shouldnt it smoke all the time not just on idle and take off???...

Edited May 7, 2010 by saweeet4DR

[DR1FT4]

My turbo was pretty much F***** when i took it out shaft play all over the place and other shit, blew no smoke at all just made a really bad whine

[Mr. Keets]

Bubba...you have a pm

Scott...check your rad, low and or oil?

[XxNinjaxX]

condensation perhaps? Every car blows white "smoke" when you first start it up around this time of year when the engine is dead cold. and it stops once the engines come to opperating temperature. until you can rule this out then i wouldnt go jumping to conclusions. my advice is to take a step back and look at the situatuation and the symptoms then work out from there a list of repairs that can be made going from cheapest to most expencive and start at the basics. but yeah, as i said it could just be the condensation from your exhaust heating up and turning the water to steam.

[saweeet4DR]

Scott...check your rad, low and or oil?

Checked oil,its fine and doesnt seem to be using any more then normal and no discolour/sludge in engine as i took the cap off and its just oil in there.

Checked radiator for oil and there wasnt any signs of oil,its the normal light green colour.

Checked the lines to and from the catch tank (thought i'd rule shit out) and all looked normal.

Took a section of the front mount piping off and no signs of oil in there either.

Ive been looking this morning at some posts on here talking about the pcv and smoking issues but dont know where xactly it is on the engine to take a look myself.Does any1 know bowt the pcv and if they or a friend has had problems with it b4 as im freaking out that it might be the engine dying not a $50 to maybe a new turbo job im looking at...

[lagperformance]

compression test see if you have even pressure across all 6 cylinders within 10 percent of each other if not its most likely an internal problem eg rings valves headgasket etc

failing that i would say turbo leaking oil out over the seals pull the intercooler piping off look for oil pull the dump pipe off look for oil when my 25 turbo went it smoked just like a burnout white thick and filled the streets doesnt mean to say your turbo sweet might just not be screwed completely yet!!!

[saweeet4DR]

condensation perhaps? Every car blows white "smoke" when you first start it up around this time of year when the engine is dead cold. and it stops once the engines come to opperating temperature. until you can rule this out then i wouldnt go jumping to conclusions. my advice is to take a step back and look at the situatuation and the symptoms then work out from there a list of repairs that can be made going from cheapest to most expencive and start at the basics. but yeah, as i said it could just be the condensation from your exhaust heating up and turning the water to steam.

Yeh mate i thought that first and prayed it was that but after i warmed it up wednesday for atleast 6-7 minutes then drove from my place in yangebup to kmart kardinya as i stoped at the lights there that white smoke appeared and thats when i ruled that theory out.It is very unconsistant but im noticing it happens more on a cold night/early morning but seen as tho driving for 10-15 minutes and stoping and it appears thats when i startred thinking the turbo's dying or oil in the system burning somewhere or worse case scenario the engine is the problem ...........but then again i mite just be freaking out

[saweeet4DR]

compression test see if you have even pressure across all 6 cylinders within 10 percent of each other if not its most likely an internal problem eg rings valves headgasket etc

failing that i would say turbo leaking oil out over the seals pull the intercooler piping off look for oil pull the dump pipe off look for oil when my 25 turbo went it smoked just like a burnout white thick and filled the streets doesnt mean to say your turbo sweet might just not be screwed completely yet!!!

Yeh mate i will be getting a compression test later next week so til then its a process of elimination taking shit off checkin this n that and praying it it just the turbo..

[XxNinjaxX]

Yeh mate i will be getting a compression test later next week so til then its a process of elimination taking shit off checkin this n that and praying it it just the turbo..

dont forget a TK test aswell, it'l let you know the condition of the headgasket although its unlikely to be the cause as the most common sign of a blown head gasket is tonnes of white smoke/steam right on start up which goes away and slightly difficult starting first thing in the morning, or if its bad enough commpression leak into the cooling system which is fairly obvious but from what infomation you've given its obviously not that bad. from what i can see its possible to be a leak from the turbo, possibly from the turbo cooling galleries may be leaking into the exhaust side, i dont think it'd be oil as oil creates a blueish smoke.

[bubba]

Ive been looking this morning at some posts on here talking about the pcv and smoking issues but dont know where xactly it is on the engine to take a look myself.Does any1 know bowt the pcv and if they or a friend has had problems with it b4 as im freaking out that it might be the engine dying not a $50 to maybe a new turbo job im looking at...

When I bought my car, the guy thought the turbo was f**ked, blew HEAPS of smoke on boost.. he had the breather hoses set up wrong..

The PCV is a little plastic valve on the outside of the intake cam cover, it connects via a hose to the intake manifold and allows the crankcase to ventilate when the engine is under vaccum but stops the crankcase from pressurising when on boost. It *could* be getting stuck open intermittently I guess.. allowing the crankcase to pressurise and blow some oil past the rings..

When it does happen, is it after a little boot? or completely random?

[saweeet4DR]

When I bought my car, the guy thought the turbo was f**ked, blew HEAPS of smoke on boost.. he had the breather hoses set up wrong..

The PCV is a little plastic valve on the outside of the intake cam cover, it connects via a hose to the intake manifold and allows the crankcase to ventilate when the engine is under vaccum but stops the crankcase from pressurising when on boost. It *could* be getting stuck open intermittently I guess.. allowing the crankcase to pressurise and blow some oil past the rings..

When it does happen, is it after a little boot? or completely random?

Thanks bubba il check it out if i get home b4 sun gets down today..

It is completely random most times but mostly occurs within the first hourish i run the car from a lenghty stop (6-8 hours plus).

I warmed up today 5-6 mins and no smoke at all so i drove around the block and no smoke either apart from a very small cloud on take off from driveway,tho i could do the same thing tmrw and it might smoke noticeibly its that random.

I spent hours yesterday checking over everything again and didnt see any signs of leaks or split hosings either so im out of ideas as to what it could be (externally) so im taking it to cypher this week sometime...and hopefully not receiving news of a valve stem problem..or worse

[turael]

Sounds like turbo exhaust oil seal to me. Remember to keep checking your oil levels, and swap the turbo over to check if thats the culprit. I've been through a couple of turbos on the 180 now, sometimes it starts off intermittent.. though quite quickly degenerates to quite a lot of smoke. its usually fine for a few seconds on startup, then as the turdbot heats up it will start burning the oil. if you blip the throttle a huge cloud would come out. haha. I smoked out the entire driveway..

my aristo has a valve stem seal issue, not sure how similar it is to RB issue - it only happens on start up, then the VSS get warmer and expand, and the smoke stops. sometimes it can be quite a bit of smoke as well, but its always right on startup, after being left overnight or for all day etc.

as for headgasket, if theres no coolant in the oil and no oil in the coolant i'd say you are safe there.

[saweeet4DR]

Got compression test done today and all were running the same (150 or 155,ive 4gotn already the actual figure but were fine) across all 6 cyl's so boiled down to being them valve stem seals.I went to a few "big name" workshops and was quoted between 1300 - 1600 with new seals and labour to fix...Is this a right price for this job or am i being RIPPED OFF bkoz i can get a new rb20 installed for around 16-$1800..