Hello all, 

 

New here but this can’t be normal right? 
 

My battery went flat and after getting the AA to restart me the mechanic noticed this when removing the dipstick and oil cap. 
 

I’ve read about some blowback being normal with these engines but this is too much surely? I’ve not found another example online as bad as this one. 
 

pistons? Turbo? Injectors? 
 

Any help very welcome. 

Should be said that’s it’s a 67 plate Skoda Octavia with about 120k miles on the clock. 
 

Recent service and oil change. 

Lots of short journeys?

Just now, Breezy_Pete said:

Lots of short journeys?

recently yes, but normally mostly motorway miles. 
 

This car has definitely been used less that my previous diesels. 
 

normally I do about 40,000 a year. 

@lew1232  Welcome.

 

So is 'this engine'  a TDI.  

 

EDIT.

I see yes.

And was the oil level correct after the service, checked cold and checked @ operating temperature?

 

The level was not rising as it got diluted with diesel was it?

 

Was it VW504 00 / 507 00 used at the service.  5w 30 FS III

1 minute ago, Ootohere said:

And was the oil level correct after the service, checked cold and checked @ operating temperature?

 

The level was not rising as it got diluted with diesel was it?

 

Was it VW504 00 / 507 00 used at the service.  5w 30 FS III

I can check with my mechanic who has serviced all my cars for years and get back to you. 
 

my father in law has checked the oil (he was originally looking for milkyness in the oil as he thought head gasket) but has since ruled that out as he said the oil looked fine. 
 

Oil level checked and seemed fine at both cold and operating temp. 

Where was that. Top of the cross hatch area?

 

What is it a 1.6 TDI?

1 minute ago, Ootohere said:

Where was that. Top of the cross hatch area?

 

What is it a 1.6 TDI?

I haven’t personally checked it but I can now if it helps? I can only test it cold though as the battery is still flat and is being changed tomorrow. 
 

I’ve been advised not to drive it beyond getting it to the garage for the battery change and for them to run tests but people are already mentioning engine rebuilds/re conditioned engines. 
 

I drove it last night after the AA man left for about 15 minutes and it drives fine. 
 

and yes 1.6tdi 

Will just be condensation caused during those recent short trips. Irrelevant. 

2 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Will just be condensation caused during those recent short trips. Irrelevant. 

Even at those levels? Are you sure? 
 

I had one mechanic today say exactly that too.

 

The AA guy thought it pistons. Someone said turbo. One mechanic told me to immediately turn the engine off and don’t start it again. One mechanic said it could be injectors. 
 

Confusing. 

They all wheeze like a smoker when the oil filler cap or dipstick is removed, its the PCV system in operation and the dipstick or oil filler should not be removed with the engine running, the condensation will be from the short journeys, don't be led astray by people with a penchant for oil grades and dipstick levels.

10 minutes ago, J.R. said:

They all wheeze like a smoker when the oil filler cap or dipstick is removed, its the PCV system in operation and the dipstick or oil filler should not be removed with the engine running, the condensation will be from the short journeys, don't be led astray by people with a penchant for oil grades and dipstick levels.

So even with smoke at this level you think it’s normal and fine? 

 

Just had so many conflicting messages today after showing several people the video and can’t really afford to have someone strip out the engine to look for issues that might not exist. 
 

thanks for your reply 

@J.R.  Costs nothing to ask someone about the oil in the engine and be sure it is not overfilled or getting diluted with diesel.

 

As it is the OP never even said what engine they had and you needed to download a video to see what it was and what was going on.

 

We are not all Derren Brown. 

1 hour ago, lew1232 said:

So even with smoke at this level you think it’s normal and fine? 

 

Difficult to see what colour it is from the video, can't smell it either 😄

 

Does the vehicle consume oil? Would you say the colour of the smoke is blue? Does it make blue smoke from the exhaust?

 

Unless you can answer yes to all or most of them then what you are seeing is water vapour from condensation build up on short journeys, it is intended to be introduced into the combustion chamber under high vacuum conditions, removing the dipstick prevents that from happening and allows the vapour to escape.

 

Try removing the oil cap while the engine is running, you might be able to see the colour of the vapour more easily that way, dont be alarmed by the huffing and chuffing, it will do that and its not a bad sign.

8 hours ago, J.R. said:

 

Difficult to see what colour it is from the video, can't smell it either 😄

 

Does the vehicle consume oil? Would you say the colour of the smoke is blue? Does it make blue smoke from the exhaust?

 

Unless you can answer yes to all or most of them then what you are seeing is water vapour from condensation build up on short journeys, it is intended to be introduced into the combustion chamber under high vacuum conditions, removing the dipstick prevents that from happening and allows the vapour to escape.

 

Try removing the oil cap while the engine is running, you might be able to see the colour of the vapour more easily that way, dont be alarmed by the huffing and chuffing, it will do that and its not a bad sign.

Not consuming oil to my knowledge and smoke is white and non existent out of the exhaust. 
 

The vapour smells stronger than what I’d expect water vapour to smell like. 
 

It’s off the garage today for a new battery and a diagnostic check anyway. 

Yes it will smell of hydrocarbons, there will be combustion gases and oil fumes.

 

White smoke and the other responses are very very very good news.

 

Don't let any garage on the make frighten you into unnecessary work, if there continues to be no oil consumption you have nothing to worry about.

52 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Yes it will smell of hydrocarbons, there will be combustion gases and oil fumes.

 

White smoke and the other responses are very very very good news.

 

Don't let any garage on the make frighten you into unnecessary work, if there continues to be no oil consumption you have nothing to worry about.

Okay this is music to my ears people are basically talking about stripping the engine down or buying a reconditioned unit. 

I understand that you are getting conflicting opinions, I am not there to see and smell the smoke but am of the same opinion as Breezy Pete, to put your mind at rest you could ask a trusted garage perhaps recommended by someone else and certainly not either of those quoting for big work, to do a compression test or better still a cylinder leakdown test, this will reveal if there are any piston/bore problems but with zero oil consumption I very much doubt it.

 

These are tests that any decent garage would do before concluding an engine rebuild is required and to justify their quote.

1 hour ago, lew1232 said:

Okay this is music to my ears people are basically talking about stripping the engine down or buying a reconditioned unit. 

Not that I'm any kind of expert, but what exactly is the problem you have that you are trying to solve?

 

So far your problem seems to be "Oo-er! I don't like the look of that!".

Am I correct is summarising that as the issue that you are looking to "solve"?

More like a sharp intake of breath from mechanics hoping for a payday.

 

The AA man to his credit was not one of them but he started the ball rolling, he had no reason nor need to remove a dipstick and oil cap while the engine was running when called out to a discharged battery.

12 hours ago, J.R. said:

I understand that you are getting conflicting opinions, I am not there to see and smell the smoke but am of the same opinion as Breezy Pete, to put your mind at rest you could ask a trusted garage perhaps recommended by someone else and certainly not either of those quoting for big work, to do a compression test or better still a cylinder leakdown test, this will reveal if there are any piston/bore problems but with zero oil consumption I very much doubt it.

 

These are tests that any decent garage would do before concluding an engine rebuild is required and to justify their quote.

Thanks for this. 
 

Took it to two separate garages today (one id previously had work done with on this car) and both independently played the issue down and said they’d have the injector seals changed. Both said the car is fine to continue to drive but to get the work done when I can. 
 

so much more inline with what you guys have been saying. 

8 hours ago, lew1232 said:

Thanks for this. 
 

Took it to two separate garages today (one id previously had work done with on this car) and both independently played the issue down and said they’d have the injector seals changed. Both said the car is fine to continue to drive but to get the work done when I can. 
 

so much more inline with what you guys have been saying. 

But they're saying get the injector seals done? No one has has said this as far as I can see.

17 minutes ago, ords said:

But they're saying get the injector seals done? No one has has said this as far as I can see.

Well the two mechanics have looked at it and smelt it and have both independently come to the conclusion the injector seals could do with being changed. 
 

considering I spent yesterday googling reconned engines as I was initially told it would be cheaper to put a new engine in rather than strip it down to see what was wrong, forgive me for taking getting the injector seals changed at my own leisure but continue to drive the car as normal as a win. 

Have an oil change straight away, then get accustomed to the smell of the fresh oil, keep a close eye on the dipstick level,if you start to smell diesel in the oil then its the first indication if it climbs then you have diesel entering the oil either from leaking injectors or constant DPF regeneration and will require diagnosis or action.