Yesterday my Y Reg Skoda Octavia 1.9Tdi elegance lost all its oil due to a cross threaded sump plug which fell out while driving.. I tried to stop in time to save the engine

I found a universal sump plug in Halfords which would temporarily replace the actual plug. Filled it with fresh oil and tried to run it

The engine hadn't seized and turned over as normal but it is smoking very badly

A breakdown mechanic who brought us to our destination said the smoke didn't smell like oil but more like diesel

The car drives but the smoke is so bad we wouldn't get far without getting pulled over by the police

With this information can anyone advise us of the possible cause and likelihood of some kind of repair

I'm hoping that this won't be a write off

Thanks

If you've got a persistent smell of unburnt diesel, that suggests a fuel leak.

 

Also, what colour is the smoke? That can make a difference.

 

3rd question. Have you cleaned up the undertray, and the exhaust from downpipe to about the B-post?

Not so much a persistent smell but noticeable with the smoke. Smoke is not black or blue as one might expect. More white, or dirty white. It is losing power and there's intermittent screeching from the turbo. There is no undertray

Dirty white smoke is usually one of 3 things:-

1. Incomplete combustion on a cold engine, but this should go away within seconds of start up as a rule.
2. Heavy oil consumption. Check to see if the level has dropped off the top mark faster than you expect.
3. Head gasket failure. There is a test for this but given your OP and #3 I've a nasty feeling...

Specifically, I've a nasty feeling that, however fast you think you were in shutting down, you weren't fast enough to stop the turbo spinning at 100_000rpm on dry bearings. This does make the car pretty much undrivable, not least because you'll soon get to oil consumption in letres per mile, and a "James Bond smokescreen".

Dirty white smoke is usually one of 3 things:-

• Incomplete combustion on a cold engine, but this should go away within seconds of start up as a rule.
• Heavy oil consumption. Check to see if the level has dropped off the top mark faster than you expect.
• Head gasket failure. There is a test for this but given your OP and #3 I've a nasty feeling...

Specifically, I've a nasty feeling that, however fast you think you were in shutting down, you weren't fast enough to stop the turbo spinning at 100_000rpm on dry bearings. This does make the car pretty much undrivable, not least because you'll soon get to oil consumption in letres per mile, and a "James Bond smokescreen".

Thanks for your helpful advice.

I guess you have confirmed my worst fears.

Seems a shame to scrap it. If I can get it home I'd keep it for spares but that's quite a treck. Kent to north of Derbyshire

Anyone with a truck going that way?

Thanks for your helpful advice.

I guess you have confirmed my worst fears.

Seems a shame to scrap it. If I can get it home I'd keep it for spares but that's quite a trek. Kent to north of Derbyshire

Anyone with a truck going that way?

I really wish it was better news, particularly this time of year.

Hi again

We've just been running it to see if it would burn out any excess oil but it continues billowing our thick white smoke. (not dirty white as I'd assumed

We noticed quite a bit of oil dripping from the exhaust.

My son thinks it's the turbo seal thats gone

Please let me know what you think

We made a short video just to show how it looks and sounds

https://youtu.be/PiiyO9wilXw

 

Hi again

We've just been running it to see if it would burn out any excess oil but it continues billowing our thick white smoke. (not dirty white as I'd assumed

We noticed quite a bit of oil dripping from the exhaust.

My son thinks it's the turbo seal thats gone

Please let me know what you think

We made a short video just to show how it looks and sounds

https://youtu.be/PiiyO9wilXw

The name's Bond, James Bond. Order a vodka martini, shaken, not stirred, then go and break into Enterprises Auric AG, near Geneva, Switzerland.

 

Seriously, your son's right, and I've seen several of these before.