So before I had a smoky car when on idle after some welly but now I've just done a oil change and now I'm finding that the smoke is there without any driving..... Can anyone help with this as I don't no what could be.....

Could it be the turbo oil seals that are leaking and allowing oil to pass through to the exhaust side of the turbo?

Is there a way to test this or prove it?

Is there a way to test this or prove it?

Telling us what colour the smoke is will help.

ha ha good one Ken, I'd say extremely light blue/ white but not the head gasket as that's being checked

ha ha good one Ken, I'd say extremely light blue/ white but not the head gasket as that's being checked ;y)

Light blue suggests engine oil loss somewhere, but not turbo because that tends to be a white James Bond smokescreen. So bore wear or valve guide seals seem most likely, but it could still be just noticing the turbo seals as they start to give up.

 

I have seen petrols (I suspect remapped by just adding fuel) do black smoke as well.

Hi Ken,

What do you think in gonna be looking at to get repaired?

I found this maybe save cost but is this true and possible to do without removing head??

http://workshop-manuals.com/audi/a5/power_unit/4-cylinder_direct_injection_engine_(1.8_2.0_ltr._4-valve_tfsi_generation_iii)_mechanics/engine_cylinder_head_valve_gear/valve_gear/renewing_valve_stem_oil_seals/renewing_valve_stem_oil_seals_with_cylinder_head_installed/

I think you need to isolate the diagnosis a bit more.  I know that is what you asked for originally and you've got some suggestions based on exhaust gas colour but you need to test to confirm / exclude suspect items and component parts before spending ££.

 

How much oil compsumption are you seeing?

 

All that said, to me,  it does sound like it [could] be stem seals or guides.  There will be others who are more experienced at this than me.

 

This list may help as a start:

 

1. Confirm the amount of oil usage over set mileage.

2. Inspect spark plug for all cylinders  - could photograph closely and post if you are unsure - determine the amount of oil fouling

3. Confirm piston ring condition by compression testing all cylinders.

4. Confirm operation of PCV valve / oil separator.

5. Anything else that could be a likely cause burning oil.

 

Then take a view on what needs renewing.  An experienced garage I would expect to be able to do this quite quickly and give you a view. Especially, if you are likely to need a garage for the renewal work anyway this wouldn't be likely to cost much or any extra. If you didn't do the work they may want to charge for diagnosis.

AS @TheClient says, you need to actually confirm the diagnosis first. I've said what I think are more or less likely issues, not least because the more likely ones are cheaper to fix if they're right.

Ok so little update of my stress at this....

Oil usage not checked yet but not done 1k since oil change will be checking tomorrow.

New spark plugs have arrived so they will be checked and pictures attached.

Compression check done and all good no issues

Pcv has being changed for Forge PCV.

Now speaking to a couple company's about doing valve stem seals and they have said it won't be them that it will be the piston rings.

Now I feel I'm getting mixed msgs from all party's away from here.

Can anyone give me any other ideas is a engine rebuild is. It gonna be cheap :(

When you say compression was good - what was it on each of the Cylinders?

 

There ought to be separate compression and oil control rings, so a compression test is not totally conclusive, but is usually a good indication.

 

Your oil consumption figures might shed some light on whether it could conceivably be stem seals. Guides could also be shot but that would be a head off job.

 

Have any of the Garages you have contacted offered a guaranteed sure fire way of of them pin pointing the cause and therefore quoting for remedial, other than the procedures suggested in this thread so far?

Also, just read you opening thread #1 and you said it is worse since the change of oil.  What oil did you change from and to?  It will not fix the underlying problem but a switch to fixed regime oil that is vw approved and 5w-40 viscosity like Quantum Platinum or similar may offer some improvement from a 5W-30, if that is what you are running.

So I changed the oil @ 101866 miles for 5w30 from opie oils was a suggested one.

I checked oil today cold and looks like I have used around half @ 102401 miles.

I don't have the compression results to hand sorry.

You mean half way between min and max on the dip stick. So about 0.5L in 535 miles, so 1.0L / 1,000 Miles?

 

On the information provided so far, it is hard to say conclusively, but it may be a bit high to be stem seals alone.

 

Someone else reading this may be able to offer a different insight.

 

A VW approved long life oil 5W30 will be a suitable oil but it gets pretty thin at operating temp, especially higher load operating temps.  You may wish to try a fixed regime oil VW 502.00 in 5W40 (like Quantum Platinum) and see if it improves much, may make it less visibly smokey for a while and/or reduce consumption but as stated, it will not fix the underlying problem.

 

I suppose you could try the stem seals if it was fairly small outlay.  Are you going to get a mechanic to do the work - if so have you asked them can they diagnose more fully. I know you said on the phone they suggested rings and it may well be but they haven't inspected the car have they?

 

Do you know what oil you were running before the last oil change?

Yeah, if you've had a compression test done, seeing figures, and, if they were low, knowing if there was a second "wet test" done, and the results of that, will all help.

Sorry. Wing away daughter very poorly.

So yes half way down dip stick. I'll add pictures of the spark plugs just being changed and they look bad...

Also little update I found oil coming though intercooler and entering the inlet so am I thinking turbo?????

t

#19 does not look like oil fouling (if it did, the insulator would look oily).

 

I'd say it's somewhere between normal and "heavy deposits", which since we're chasing a cause of heavy oil consumption suggests either the use of upper cylinder lubricants to free seized piston rings, or valve seal and guide wear.

Sorry to hear family has been unwell.

 

To me, the left hand plug in the photo of 4 together does not look great. Assume that is the first close up photo as well.  It is noticeably oilier than the other 3.  There are only 3 close ups, the Bosch is missing.

 

FWIW, I've personally never seen Champion Eons recommended by anyone on any VAG forums.  It seems one has failed and been replaced by a Bosch.  They all appear fairly aged. I wonder what the gapping was like?

 

If you've replaced with after market engine specific  Bosch, NGK, Denso or Genuine items, I would expect the engine would feels a bit better ? (Oil consumption clearly will not have changed  due to that though).

 

Oil in the intake ducting and intercooler is expected as I understand things. There is the engine breather pipes that carry oil vapour.  I would expect in some lower sections some oil may even collect.  If it is excessive it would indicate a possible problem with Turbo though.

Edited 7 October, 20169 yr by TheClient

That's another thing; I've never used "Champion" plugs since Bosch and NGK became readily available in the UK. Oh and I've always changed plugs as matched sets except for the one time I suspected a single bad plug after a service and proved it by putting the old one back in (when running petrols I always keep the last set of plugs for emergency/diagnostic replacement).

It often amazes people how well after a Service vehicles can perform.

Not just a Oil & Filter Service.

New Spark Plugs with the Correct Gap, New Air, Fuel Filter and a software update if one is available.

When I bought her in march it was told that it had a full service. Looking at them I was done over .....

NGK just gone in