Coolant loss/ white smoke

[Millwas]

Hi guys.

Desperate for help or advice.

I own a 14 plate leon fr 2.0tdi 184bhp. Recently I’ve noticed once the engine is warm (90c) white smoke will intermittently ploom out the exhaust. If you turn the car off and on again it stops. The car is also loosing coolant over a period of time. (200mile round trip last weekend and it emptied)

I’m really struggling for answers and no one seems to know anything I don’t want to pump £££££ into her however I’d be devastated to let her go.
Thanks for reading!

 

[Big Col]

if no signs of an obvious leak then I'd be looking at the head gasket or the egr cooler.

 

[Millwas]

if no signs of an obvious leak then I'd be looking at the head gasket or the egr cooler.

Can’t see any obvious leaks anywhere at all

 

[Ricky88]

Are you getting milky looking engine oil?
Can you see bubbles in the coolant?

I would do a compression test and a block test (with the liquid that changes colour if combustion gasses are detected) to rule out a head gasket issue.

 

[SteveGSXR600K1]

If it's the EGR cooler you wont see any leaks. I'm pretty sure this causes white smoke. Lets hope it's not the head gasket.

 

[Millwas]

There is no milky residue anywhere within the oil car or the dipstick. I can there aren’t any bubbles in the header tank either. I’m going to double check with the garage later today to see if they performed a compression test on the vehicle when they had it last week. I know they did a pressure test and there were not leaks spotted at all. I’m sorry for the awful description of things.

 

[Millwas]

Spoken to the garage. They are very sure it’s not a head gasket issue as there is no smoke from cold, a compression test was completed and it’s all good. There is no milky residue anywhere or any leaks obvious.

I’ve seen in other cases about the heater matrix being blocked so I’m going to replace that as I have no heat in the cabin and have coolant loss (seen this in another thread)

also stupidly forgot to mention the car only smokes intermittently but once the car is warm. any suggestions welcome and I appreciate everyone who’s commented so far! Legendary group of people

 

[Ricky88]

Good news that the head gasket is sound.

Keep us updated with how you get on.

 

[SuperV8]

Spoken to the garage. They are very sure it’s not a head gasket issue as there is no smoke from cold, a compression test was completed and it’s all good. There is no milky residue anywhere or any leaks obvious.

I’ve seen in other cases about the heater matrix being blocked so I’m going to replace that as I have no heat in the cabin and have coolant loss (seen this in another thread)

also stupidly forgot to mention the car only smokes intermittently but once the car is warm. any suggestions welcome and I appreciate everyone who’s commented so far! Legendary group of people

The heater matrix cannot make the exhaust smoke, It can cause you to loose coolant, expelled out your header tank cap and can cause no heat out your vents - but this could also be due to air lock or low coolant.

My money would be on the EGR cooler - so it can internally leak coolant into your exhaust - which would cause white smoke which is the coolant evaporating and condensing.

 

[Millwas]

Just waiting for my heater matrix to arrive from the parts company and the garage should hopefully be able to fit it today. The main reason of going with this first is I know that’s broken anyway so start there to stop/slow the coolant issue. Interestingly I’ve had the dpf warning light come on yesterday morning. So the garage will take a look at that too

 

[SuperV8]

Just waiting for my heater matrix to arrive from the parts company and the garage should hopefully be able to fit it today. The main reason of going with this first is I know that’s broken anyway so start there to stop/slow the coolant issue. Interestingly I’ve had the dpf warning light come on yesterday morning. So the garage will take a look at that too

Make sure they flush the cooling system BEFORE fitting your new matrix.
EGR cooler is used during/post regens so maybe the issue is effecting the DPF?

 

[Millwas]

The garage will be fitting the matrix bud

 

[SuperV8]

The garage will be fitting the matrix bud

Understand - that's why I said "make sure THEY"

 

[Millwas]

Understand - that's why I said "make sure THEY"

My bad misread that

 

[SuperV8]

My bad misread that

Haha,
Just in case it is the egr cooler - last time I checked I think they were quite an expensive part . Finger crossed it not - but just giving you a heads up!

 

[SuperV8]

Haha,
Just in case it is the egr cooler - last time I checked I think they were quite an expensive part . Finger crossed it not - but just giving you a heads up!

edit:
04L131512BQ is the EGR cooler part number - and not as expensive as I was remembering!!!

 

[martin j.]

If you're losing coolant will the "white smoke" not be steam as the coolant evaporates into the hot exhaust ? are you getting a coolant/anti freeze smell when the white 'stuff' is emitted?

 

[Millwas]

Hey guys! Just to let you all know had the heater matrix changed for a new one and touch wood since had no problems at all! Car is running fine with no issues what so ever!

mom another subject I changed my own pollen filter today as it was absolute grim. ( sorry small win for me!)

 

[mykro]

and how coolant get into combustion chamber and causes white smoke, if it was problem with heater matrix? dont get it.... somebody here says that if h.mtrx. is blocked, coolant will go out through safety hole in expansion tank not into combustion chamber...? @Millwas

 

[Millwas]

Not entirely sure what was happen with it, however I had the heater matrix replaced as it was blocked and ever since the issue has stopped. The car still uses a bit of oil and water every now and again but nothing major.