Oil leaking from Turbo pipe, smokey

[DarrenJ]

Hi,

I have just got the de-cat on one week and I'm still waiting for it to 'bed in'.

The last few mornings when I start her I get out and check out the exhaust fumes - pure blue smoke that stings the eyes - oil undoubtedely.

I put her up on a lift and took a good look from underneath - there is oil to be seen, not much though, around the pipe coming from the turbo down towards the front bumper (to the intercooler?). I'm able to rock this pipe back and forward a bit.

Would it be worth getting this sorted or buying a better pipe.

After the engine heats up it seems to be running clean enough, the emissions do smell a little more volatile than the pre-de-cat emissions (naturally) but this blue smoke definitely wasn't there before.

I checked the oil as I put in a small drop last week.

The oile level showed oil 1/4 inch above the mark on the dipstik, so maybe could the engine be burning this off?

I think nearly all the turbos in these enginges leak a msall drop of oil into the turbo anyway.

 

[DarrenJ]

I took a look into the EGR last night and it didn't look too bad at all.

I cleaned it out as much as I could leaving it on the car, just removing the pipe attached to it.

After I cleaned it with kerosene and a toothbrush I started her up --

PUFFFFF!! A huge cloud of blue smoke came out of it and when it cleared it ran clearer. I added Millers then. I plan to remove this when I can.

At least I can see now one of the factors in this smoke issue.

I have the temp sensor in the post too so I'll fit that when it arrives.

I'm going to try sort out the bottom pipe going into the intercooler as it's weeping oil slightly, which means it has a slight boost leak.

What would be the best way of fixing this leak?

Would buying a new clamp work or would I be better off getting an aftermarket modified pipe?

 

[Muttley]

The blue smoke would be from the paraffin in the inlet.

The oil in the intake system is coming from the crankcase breather. Having the engine overfull with oil is making this worse.

 

[DarrenJ]

Yeah the paraffin does that, no harm anyway. I'll give it a better cleaning soon when I have more time free.

Since I let out a pint of oil which brought it down to the 3/4 level the smoke is decreasing slowly.

The oil that's seeping from the lower passenger's side pipe going in to the intercooler could have been from the breather too. But I may sort out wee leak. The pipe moves in and out a little showing wear and tear.

With how low the car is I need her up on a lift to do anything down in this area but I have a friend wiht a lift.

It would be great if it was just a case of replacing the clamp, but I don't mind upgrading the pipe.

 

[DarrenJ]

Ok,

Yesterday I set about cleaning out the intercooler and pipes and check the air filter etc.

I used kerosene to wash things out.

The car, yesterday morning was struggling to keep going after start-up with the amount of blue smoke coming out of it so I then set about making an effort to see what's causing this, considering it had very very low emmissions in car test last Oct.

I changed the fuel filter, and I cleaned the MAF. After putting the car back together I started it, it sounded sweeter than ever and didn't blow out much smoke. I took it for a razz on the motorway - the turbo sounded healthier than ever, performance improved etc. very happy.

But this morning I then started it up - worst ever - absolutely belching out blue smoke like an old tractor! When I warmed her up after bringing her for a spin it seemed a lot better.

Question is - 1. Could this be still sucking in oily residue and maybe kerosene (which does burn blue) and that when this burns off it should improve?

2. - Does this sound like a typical case of turbo seals gone. Cars done 63K miles.

Thanks lads, I'm just bloody confused, as it was markedly low on emmissions the tester said just a few months ago.

Could turbo seals 'all of sudden'?

 

[DarrenJ]

Spoke to one of the top turbo specialists today.

He said that these don't have turbo seals, per se but that they have a metal ring.

He said that the de-cat could be removing some of the restriction on the turbo causing it to draw oil through this.

He then said that not much goes wrong with these turbo's and that if I remove the pipe going from the air intake to the turbo and check her for freeplay over and back and up and down that this is the more critical sign of wear.

Over here in Ireland I have been met with a lot of rude and ignorant tradesmen that grunt and get angry when you ask questions. I'm just confused as to what to do!

One person telling me that these turbos have no seals and the majority saying they do.

I'm thinking of putting the cat back on and see if that helps.

 

[DarrenJ]

Scanned with VAGcom - MAF and EGR (excessive flow)

SO replaced MAf and cleaned EGR:

This could have been the 'phantom' turbo probs I was worrying about. Car emissions still stink yet but the blue smoke seems to have lessened

 

[Nam-uk]

i checked my Egr the other week , it does have some black carbon but nothing like that very well cleaned though what did you use and what miles you on? 50k here.

 

[smiff]

I had this on my ibiza i went through two turbo's trying to sort it in the end i went to a hybrid set up and but still had it. One day i was running low on fuel and was no where near a shell station for my usual vpower deisel so filled up with bp ultimate instead within a couple of days the problem had gone i tried vpower again and the problem returned so just use bp now. I also had eye watering blue smoke.

 

[DarrenJ]

i checked my Egr the other week , it does have some black carbon but nothing like that very well cleaned though what did you use and what miles you on? 50k here.

Polisher

63k miles

It's still smokey on start up until it heats up, but smells all the time, prob just because the cat is removed

 

[DarrenJ]

I had this on my ibiza i went through two turbo's trying to sort it in the end i went to a hybrid set up and but still had it. One day i was running low on fuel and was no where near a shell station for my usual vpower deisel so filled up with bp ultimate instead within a couple of days the problem had gone i tried vpower again and the problem returned so just use bp now. I also had eye watering blue smoke.

Yes exactly - eye watering blue smoke!

Did you clean out the EGR on the Beeza?

I think it's because the valve stays stuck open sitting on a seat of soot from the exhaust mani and is the whole time open, even on tick over, sending used emissions into the inlet mani and burning this stuff again, I think this could be the smell I'm getting too, along with the fact that the cat isn't burning out those sooty burnt diesel particles.

You running a de-cat too?

 

[Nam-uk]

I had this on my ibiza i went through two turbo's trying to sort it in the end i went to a hybrid set up and but still had it. One day i was running low on fuel and was no where near a shell station for my usual vpower deisel so filled up with bp ultimate instead within a couple of days the problem had gone i tried vpower again and the problem returned so just use bp now. I also had eye watering blue smoke.

Very costly i do use Millers eco max myself, but that problem can not be due to lower octane fuel it's self.

Polisher

63k miles

It's still smokey on start up until it heats up, but smells all the time, prob just because the cat is removed

that will do the trick , your gettign smoke due to the crankcase will be the same i.e caked in carbon, try that Millers eco max it is around £8.50 on the bay delivered.

 

[DarrenJ]

Is the crankcase and the sump the same thing? If not, where is the crankcase and would it be hard to remove and clean? (We speak a wee bit differently in Éire!)

 

[Nam-uk]

Is the crankcase and the sump the same thing? If not, where is the crankcase and would it be hard to remove and clean? (We speak a wee bit differently in Éire!)

i mean the air intake system were you pulled the Egr off , not sure how to clean that mate as it is internal i have seen them egr cleaners though this may help the air intake system were the egr is connected http://www.wynnoil.co.uk/products-wynns-featured-egr3.htm i have some of that High pressure 3 not used it yet due still useing millers.

Egr's are Evil things mate one reason i want to delete mine before it gets that bad, you should be less smokey once removing the cat if you had better conditions.

Try that Eco max , what oil are you using as well? as Low ash oil is the best i am using Castrol edge 5-30

 

[DarrenJ]

The inlet manifold is where it's connected right?

Yeah i'd love to remove that and clean it and polish it but it looks a difficult part to remove and I always am using the car so can only really do quick fixes but feck it I'm going to remove this, clean and polish it and put back on with a new gasket.
Yeah I couldn't believe it when I removed it, pure sad is what it was!

I use mobil 1 esp 5w 30, (67 bob over here)

Yeah you're right about the conditions - they aren't ideal at the mo with the dirty manifold.... next on checklist!

 

[Nam-uk]

nope you sort it another thing that can cause smoke that will not help the egr ect is a Clogged Fuel filter might be worth looking into that as you may of picked up some crap fuel.

you can get a Bosch one off ebay for the Arl engine for £!5 posted, the Oe filter Seat use now is a UFI type but they use to use Bosch thats the make i pulled out off mine, must of been never changed and the filter inside was black, Mine smoked a hell of allot less after changing it.

 

[DarrenJ]

nope you sort it another thing that can cause smoke that will not help the egr ect is a Clogged Fuel filter might be worth looking into that as you may of picked up some crap fuel.

you can get a Bosch one off ebay for the Arl engine for £!5 posted, the Oe filter Seat use now is a UFI type but they use to use Bosch thats the make i pulled out off mine, must of been never changed and the filter inside was black, Mine smoked a hell of allot less after changing it.

Yeah I got a Bosch one, it did seem to help alright almost immediately a month ago when I changed it but I do suspect it might even need another one due to crap diesel in a dodgy rural garage that I thought was 'good value'!!