My felicia 1.3 mpi with 75k on the clock has smoke on startup and it continues slightly abated till my journey ends; in short, all the time. Car sometimes misses from cold but fine after a minute or so. When I disengage clutch st lights, say, it feels like it's going to stall but picks up fine most of the time.

The smoke is grey white, but could be bluish for all I know. Any ideas? Is it a scrapper? Faulty injectors maybe or valve stems, rings - or all of that? )

Thank you, folks

The colour and smell of the smoke is critical here.

 

If it's blue-grey and acrid smelling, the problem is oil getting into the cylinders. This could be valve stem seals or piston rings as you speculate, or a problem with the oil vapour re-circulation. The first thing I'd do (because it's cheap to do) is clean the re-circulation pipework. If that doesn't cure it, the next thing is a dry and wet compression test. If the compression rises significantly on the wet test, it's piston rings; if not, probably valve stem seals.

 

If the smoke is white and sweet smelling, this is probably head gasket failure. Is the coolant level falling, and/or the oil level rising? Do you see signs of oil in the coolant and/or coolant in the oil? Anyway, I'd get a coolant gas analysis done (about GB£15).

 

For completionism (Ricardo, I'm well aware this doesn't apply to the 1.3 or 1.6 petrol). If you have coal black smoke that smells of diesel fuel on a diesel engine, this is almost certainly over-fuelling caused by worn injectors or someone fiddling with the maximum delivery setting on a mechanical injection pump.

Where is the oil vapour recirculation pipework?

I haven't lost any coolant. The coolant does not show any discernible contamination. The smoke is white, and not thick but more wispy and easily scattered. It smells fairly sweet and thus not unpleasant, so not acrid.

Oil filler cap is a bit cruddy but looks okay to me ( no mayonnaise ).

4 hours ago, Cappy65 said:

Where is the oil vapour recirculation pipework?

Follow the marked hose all the way through, unplug it, clean it then clean the holes of the fittings the hose plugs into. But I doubt it's clogged.

 

The photos don't show evidence (yet) of a head gasket failure. It's condensation of blow-by gases and worn valve stem seals. Nothing major yet but I'm expecting the oil level to drop faster than usual.

 

Is it a job I could do easily enough myself, do you think, Ricardo? I'm no expert but I'll have a go at most things.

Just started it up and took a short video. No smoke for 2 minutes then water out of tailpipe and smoke.

 

Link:

 

 

Got a better video of the smoke as I pulled up to the mot place. Thanks for all your advice; you've genuinely been a great help. Steve.

 

 

12 hours ago, Cappy65 said:

Is it a job I could do easily enough myself, do you think, Ricardo? I'm no expert but I'll have a go at most things.

Of course. It's a hose. No inner valves. Then the fittings, poke the holes with a wire. No big deal.

But if you're asking about valve stem seals replacement, I advice you to let a mechanic do it.

 

Based on the videos, I see oil smoke. More smoke when cold engine then less and less smoke indicates worn valve stem seals. As I said, watch the engine oil level.

Took the car for mot. Excessive play in front offside strut top mount, failed emissions test and outer cv boot perished. £480. Sourced the parts myself. They come to 80 pounds.bought a compression tool in that figure as well and will do myself. Also sourced a new cat for 41 in that amount. For the smoke, I'll get some additive for valve seals, replace oil and filter and get it retested. I can't afford 480 - and I'll do it myself as paying someone else is plain lazy when it's just my labour.

At the end of it at least I'll have a sound car and save 400 quid.

Edited 1 February, 20179 yr by Cappy65

What are your failed emissions figures? They may or may not point towards specific work that needs doing.

5 hours ago, Cappy65 said:

I'll get some additive for valve seals...

Oh no... additive for valve seals? Did they invent such BS too? I guess their marketing motto says "Bring new life to your seals. Old crusty worn rubber gets new elasticity. The additive bonds new rubber exactly where it's worn. All that effortless with our nano-particles revolutionary wonder additive." 

1 hour ago, RicardoM said:

Oh no... additive for valve seals? Did they invent such BS too? I guess their marketing motto says "Bring new life to your seals. Old crusty worn rubber gets new elasticity. The additive bonds new rubber exactly where it's worn. All that effortless with our nano-particles revolutionary wonder additive." 

Took the car for mot. Excessive play in front offside strut top mount, failed emissions testand outer cv boot perished. £480. Sourced the parts myself. They come to 80 pounds.bought a compression tool in that figure as well and will do myself. Also sourced a new cat for 41 in that amount. For the smoke, I'll get some additive for valve seals, replace oil and filter and get it retested. I can't afford 480 - and I'll do it myself as paying someone else is plain lazy when it's just my labour.

At the end of it at least I'll have a sound car and save 400 quid.

23 hours ago, RicardoM said:

Oh no... additive for valve seals? Did they invent such BS too? I guess their marketing motto says "Bring new life to your seals. Old crusty worn rubber gets new elasticity. The additive bonds new rubber exactly where it's worn. All that effortless with our nano-particles revolutionary wonder additive." 

Took the car for mot. Excessive play in front offside strut top mount, failed emissions testand outer cv boot perished. £480. Sourced the parts myself. They come to 80 pounds.bought a compression tool in that figure as well and will do myself. Also sourced a new cat for 41 in that amount. For the smoke, I'll get some additive for valve seals, replace oil and filter and get it retested. I can't afford 480 - and I'll do it myself as paying someone else is plain lazy when it's just my labour.

At the end of it at least I'll have a sound car and save 400 quid.

 

 

 

I am in a quandary. The additive I mention is a waste of money and won't work; I should know better.

My mot fails ( new cat, front strut topmount, and outer cv gaiter ) I can do for 90 pounds including a spring compression tool, I'm going to do myself, but I don't know if it's worth it as I'll still have worn stem seals, and I'm largely broke.

54 minutes ago, Cappy65 said:

...and I'm largely broke.

Welcome to the club!

Edited 2 February, 20179 yr by RicardoM

If I did the stem seals myself, do I have to take the head off? Can I prise the old seals off and push new ones in? I'm a bit confused. I know I'd need a spring compressor but before I consider doing it. 

Looks like I'd have to remove it. Just searched on that internet. Bloody big groan ensues.

Thanks, Ricardo et al.

Edited 2 February, 20179 yr by Cappy65
Additional info.

On 01/02/2017 at 15:28, KenONeill said:

What are your failed emissions figures? They may or may not point towards specific work that needs doing.

The garage, when I queried about resolving, said the cat was knackered. I can't remember the figure..

7 hours ago, Cappy65 said:

If I did the stem seals myself, do I have to take the head off?

No, you don't. I did it on several Felicias and Favorits. The secret is to provide a 'cushion' between the valves and the piston while taking out the valve springs. To do that, you lower the piston, feed some 3-4 feet of thick textile thread/rope into the combustion chamber through the hole of the spark plug (see photo) then raise the piston until it's locked.

 

12 hours ago, Cappy65 said:

The garage, when I queried about resolving, said the cat was knackered. I can't remember the figure..

That may well be the case, but I'd rather have seen the actual figures, in case it's "just" the lambda sensor rather than a poisoned cat (although the oil burning theory would strongly indicate the cat is poisoned).