DSM troubles, smoking car

[Alphahookups]

So I was driving to work today and notice there was an unusually high idle. I limp the car to work and right when I pull in I noticed smoke. I popped the hood and smoke was coming from the front, under the exhaust mani and also various parts from the front of the car(ie dipstick, smoke near timing belt...).

Anyway, I also noticed oil over near the air filter location. It seems oil spirted over there and it looks like everything over there is coated with a thin coat of oil. Im at work so I will trouble shoot at lunch, but it looks like its getting towed

Also it was so hot the timing belt upper cover was flimsy.

Well any ideas on what to do next?

Thanks guys

 

[DankDSM]

Sounds like a busted head gasket. When this brakes oil will be throwen everywhere and anything that is hot, like the exauhst manifold, will start to burn the oil and smoke.
Good luck and sorry to hear about your car

 

[Lunch_Box]

Was the dip stick pooped out of its hole?

 

[1g_tsi_awd]

If the dipstick popped out, new pcv valve...

 

[Alphahookups]

Dank,

Would a blow headgasket get oil on the outside of the motor? I thought it just got oil and coolant inside the motor.

The dipstick was still in its spot, but when I pulled it out, smoke came out of the dipstick hole.

 

[MyBeatGSX]

Any loss of power associated with this or any symptoms besides the high idle? How does the turbo oil feed line look? How much oil showed on the dipstick, was there any left at all? Is there oil in the coolant (take the pressure cap off, don't look in the overflow)? You said there was oil sprayed around the engine bay. How about coolant, any signs of that externally?

There's a chance the oil sprayed and caught fire and that's what melted your timing belt cover. It would have to get REALLY hot under the hood to make that thing mushy. So hot in fact, I would think that the motor would be toast at that point.

Where was your temp gauge at while driving? Where was the oil pressure gauge at? Was the idiot light on at any point.


And yes a blown headgasket can get oil/coolant on the outside of the motor, but it would REALLY have to BLOWN bad. Headgaskets usually blow between cylinders or between cylinders and coolant passages where there's very little gasket material separating open spaces. It would take a lot to blow straight through to the end of the block. I don't think this is likely with you just cruising on your merry way to work.

 

[Bmxr152]

I had the same problem, but i blew the dipstick out because i detonated in 1 cylinder and blew a hole through the piston and it was ####ing air into the oil and out the dipstick hole

 

[Alphahookups]

Any loss of power associated with this or any symptoms besides the high idle? How does the turbo oil feed line look? How much oil showed on the dipstick, was there any left at all? Is there oil in the coolant (take the pressure cap off, don't look in the overflow)? You said there was oil sprayed around the engine bay. How about coolant, any signs of that externally?

I didnt really romp on it, but I would say it felt a little laggy. There was maybe a half inch of oil on the dipstick. I'll check the coolant. Also, I didnt see coolant externally.

There's a chance the oil sprayed and caught fire and that's what melted your timing belt cover. It would have to get REALLY hot under the hood to make that thing mushy. So hot in fact, I would think that the motor would be toast at that point.

I dont think there was any fire. The lower timing belt cover was fine but the top was mushy.

Where was your temp gauge at while driving? Where was the oil pressure gauge at? Was the idiot light on at any point.

Temp ocillated a little but never hit anywhere close to red. Oil pressure was fine the whole way.

And yes a blown headgasket can get oil/coolant on the outside of the motor, but it would REALLY have to BLOWN bad. Headgaskets usually blow between cylinders or between cylinders and coolant passages where there's very little gasket material separating open spaces. It would take a lot to blow straight through to the end of the block. I don't think this is likely with you just cruising on your merry way to work.

Yeah, I was taking it pretty easy. I hope it was a busted oil line, but Im not sure why the engine got sooo damn hot.

 

[MyBeatGSX]

The temp gauge moving while driving isn't normal. That right there indicates an issue. Where exactly did it move between? Its not very accurate so it takes a significant amount of heat to move it up from the normal half way point. The up and down can be caused by the fact that the idiots put the temp sender at the highest point in the cooling system, so if you lose coolant it just reads air temperature.

So there was only a half inch on the dipstick? That must be near the lower mark, so you lost about a quart assuming it was full before.

I'd go against a catastrophically (sp?) blown headgasket seeing as how you have no coolant leaking externally.

Is there a distinguishable spray pattern to the oil around the engine bay? Any way to see at least the general area of where it originanted from? Is there still oil up in the valvetrain?


Give us as much additional information as you can to get things narrowed down. Especially about the previous condition of the car, anything you might have changed or done recently, and exactly what you were doing immediated before it happened etc. Then when you get it home you're going to have to drain the oil, check how much you have, its condition, and look for metal shavings etc. And you're going to have to locate exactly where it sprayed from.

Does the car still run? Start it in the parking lot at work and see if oil shoots out anywhere. Note if its idling correctly or missing a cylinder and note if the upper engine/valvetrain is getting oil. Also take that cover off and check your timing belt.

 

[Alphahookups]

The temp gauge moving while driving isn't normal. That right there indicates an issue. Where exactly did it move between? Its not very accurate so it takes a significant amount of heat to move it up from the normal half way point. The up and down can be caused by the fact that the idiots put the temp sender at the highest point in the cooling system, so if you lose coolant it just reads air temperature.

So there was only a half inch on the dipstick? That must be near the lower mark, so you lost about a quart assuming it was full before.

I'd go against a catastrophically (sp?) blown headgasket seeing as how you have no coolant leaking externally.

Is there a distinguishable spray pattern to the oil around the engine bay? Any way to see at least the general area of where it originanted from? Is there still oil up in the valvetrain?


Give us as much additional information as you can to get things narrowed down. Especially about the previous condition of the car, anything you might have changed or done recently, and exactly what you were doing immediated before it happened etc. Then when you get it home you're going to have to drain the oil, check how much you have, its condition, and look for metal shavings etc. And you're going to have to locate exactly where it sprayed from.

Does the car still run? Start it in the parking lot at work and see if oil shoots out anywhere. Note if its idling correctly or missing a cylinder and note if the upper engine/valvetrain is getting oil. Also take that cover off and check your timing belt.

The temp went a few degrees past center line. I cant tell where the spray started from but I will turn on the car in a few minutes to check. The motor appeared to be in good condition when I got it. 98k miles on a 91. The owner had all the reciepts. Passed smog with flying colors. I guess a few days ago the ac line sprung a leak and leaked out ac oil and depressurized...

 

[brute]

Try the simple stuff first.

Check your dipstick. When it pops out on you for the first time, it's a scary event.
Check your oil filter. It could have come off the mount.
Check your turbo's oil lines.
Check the line that goes from the PCV to the intake snorkel. It may have come off and due to a failed PCV, sprayed oil on your intake area.

 

[Alphahookups]

Well a water line broke and it was dead dry. I put water in and this is what I found.

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So now I am going to check if its seized. Im still not sure why there is oil all over the place though.

 

[Alphahookups]

So I started her up(just to see if it was seized) and she is running fine. I didnt see an oil leak though, so I will have to troubleshoot that when I get home. I cross my fingers she isnt too messed up.

 

[MyBeatGSX]

HAHA! That's the exact same place mine blew a leak in when I first bought it. Its leaking from that stupid, unnessesary rubber hose correct?

As already said, the fact that the temp gauge didn't go up had to do with the lack of coolant leaving it to read air temp. Your motor most likely got extremely hot, rediculously hot in fact if that timing belt cover started to melt. Who knows what this could have cracked or broke and caused the oil leak. Get it home, fix the coolant leak and start it up. See if there's an obvious and visible oil leak. Do compression and leak down tests if you can.


Can you get a picture of the oil spray?

 

[MyBeatGSX]

Sorry you posted that while I was still typing. Glad there's no huge oil leak.

 

[Alphahookups]

HAHA! That's the exact same place mine blew a leak in when I first bought it. Its leaking from that stupid, unnessesary rubber hose correct?

As already said, the fact that the temp gauge didn't go up had to do with the lack of coolant leaving it to read air temp. Your motor most likely got extremely hot, rediculously hot in fact if that timing belt cover started to melt. Who knows what this could have cracked or broke and caused the oil leak. Get it home, fix the coolant leak and start it up. See if there's an obvious and visible oil leak. Do compression and leak down tests if you can.


Can you get a picture of the oil spray?

Damnit, I knew I should have taken a picture of the oil spray. I'll have to take the other pictures when I get home. Yeah, its that stupid rubber hose.

My course of actions are

1) Tow this thing home
2) Get a new hose
3) Fill with water/coolant
4) Put in more generic oil
5) Start it up and try and find the oil leak
6) Do a Compression and Leak Down Test
7) Once all is dandy(assumming I dont need a new motor) complete oil change.

Sound Good?

 

[MyBeatGSX]

Sounds good to me, that's what I'd do. Except for the towing home. I'm too cheap for that, I'd stop every 500' and refill the water.

 

[Alphahookups]

Sounds good to me, that's what I'd do. Except for the towing home. I'm too cheap for that, I'd stop every 500' and refill the water.

Yeah, its gonna cost me 60 bucks

If it didnt have the oil leak, I would just duct tape it and drive home...

 

[boosted-dsm]

Well a water line broke and it was dead dry. I put water in and this is what I found.

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So now I am going to check if its seized. Im still not sure why there is oil all over the place though.

holy shit.. your car is freakin clean.. !!!! wow. mines dirty as hell.. got dried up oil n sludge all over under my car.. everthing is black or looks like dry tar...

anywayz....
may be a blow headgasket.. ever checked your exhaust mani gasket? when i blew my headgasket in my 2g i had to replace my exhuast mani gasket also.. i was sqirtin water out from there...
ALSO.... have you checked your oil? does it look like choclate milk? if so.. its your headgasket. mine looked like chocalte milk after mine went... hell mine when sittin in my driveway.. .. just startin droppin water while i was messin with the sparkplugs n wires.