Smoking 14b

[Benbon]

I just purchased a 95 tsi awd with a 6bolt swap/injen intake/random 3" exhaust. On the way home a warning light came on which I found to be the low coolant light. As I was parking the car I noticed white smoking coming from underneath the hood. After closer inspection I noticed white smoke coming from the turbo. I let her cool down and put in anti freeze solving the warning light issue and I checked the oil level which is fine. I started the car and let it idle for a solid 10 minutes and did not have anymore smoke coming from the general location I mentioned above so I took her for a ride. Everything went smooth on the quick ride around so I brought her back home and parked it. I noticed smoke coming from the turbo again!! I have searched and all I can find is members talking about a blown head gasket but if that was the case it would be smoking from the valve cover area (I'm assuming). I'm going to take the intake pipe off and check for shaft play in a few hours. Any suggestions? If the 14b has no shaft play, what should I check next?

 

[marcmsj]

Can you be more specific where the smoke is actually coming from? Is there an exhaust leak and that's where the smoke is coming from? Make sure nothing is touching the turbo or that you didn't spill anything on it, which would make it smoke. If it's due to your exhaust, then it would be pretty safe to say that it's also coming out of your tailpipe. Is that the case?

 

[Tsi_User]

so was it coolant that was burning then? Check your coolant lines to the turbo when you pull it and make sure the thread/casing isnt' cracked. Were you getting white smoke out of your exhaust also?

 

[Benbon]

I pulled the intake off and checked for shaft play and everything is tight. The exhaust does have a small leak but nothing serious. The car runs great and does not smoke at all from the exhaust. No liquids (coolant, oil, etc) came in contact with the outside surface of the turbine.
The car runs rich and idles a little high here and there due to a bov that vents to the atmosphere. How many coolant lines connect to the turbine? Its pretty tight and tough to get a good view, plus it doesn't help that I'm a noob to the dsm world. The car pulls hard from 3-4.5k but then falls off really early almost like something is holding back the turbine. I noticed when the car was idling, i could feel pressurized heat blowing out in a general direction below the front of the valve cover but slightly above the j pipe/intercooler piping and before I could locate the area it was coming from it just stopped...I have stock 1g piping and in need of a boost leak test...I've only owned her for 10 hours now and it was the gf's b-day so I haven't had time to do half the things I want to...sorry for the long writeup, I just wanted to be descriptive.

 

[Benbon]

Can you be more specific where the smoke is actually coming from? Is there an exhaust leak and that's where the smoke is coming from? Make sure nothing is touching the turbo or that you didn't spill anything on it, which would make it smoke. If it's due to your exhaust, then it would be pretty safe to say that it's also coming out of your tailpipe. Is that the case?

The exhaust leak is not the source of the smoke. From what I saw, the smoke was coming from the 14b but there was a little bit of smoke coming from underneath the I.M. I know it wasn't the I.M. itself smoking, but it was coming from underneath it..like I said it was only a little bit of smoking rising from underneath the I.M. so I'm assuming it was all from the 14b and just rising in a different location other than the turbine. Tomorrow I also plan on doing a compression test and a boost leak test but I can not find a descriptive article with enough pictures to show how to properly perform a boost leak test. The car does not smoke when idling no matter how long I let it sit but right after a 5 minute test drive, it smokes from the turbine which makes me think the 14b is shot. Assuming my thermostat is working properly, the car does not overheat from what the gauge reads and if it doesn't smoke whiling idling, It can't be the head gasket..right? I'm just so worried of blowing my motor. I want to get this situated so I can move on to basic maintenance before I go through with my winter upgrades.

 

[adidalax]

My guess is that the coolant lines going to the turbo are leeking a little and just ended up leaking out enough to trip the low coolant sensor. If they are leaking and spraying onto the hot manifold / turbo, it'll burn off and steam causing the white smoke......

 

[Tsi_User]

My guess is that the coolant lines going to the turbo are leeking a little and just ended up leaking out enough to trip the low coolant sensor. If they are leaking and spraying onto the hot manifold / turbo, it'll burn off and steam causing the white smoke......

x2, if you get any small amount of coolant hitting a hot manifold it will smoke and you'll smell it.

 

[Benbon]

Any oppinions on the heated pressurized air blowing out above the j pipe/ic piping but below the valve cover on idle? Bad boost leak? Last night I added a quart of oil until I can change it next weekend. I took it for a ride today and had no smoking problems after a 5 min drive around...it just randomly stopped but I'm sure it was related to some type of small coolant leak. Like I said, she pulls good from 3k-4.5k and then falls off and hesitates.I know I'm running a little rich but something is holding back that 14b. Can anyone guide me to a boost leak test article? All articles I find are just writeups and I need one with a few pictures so I can use it as reference material..being a noob sucks...big 16g evo 3 soon to come.

 

[CrazyM]

This would be the cheapest way to make one.... with some info on how to perform it Boost Leak Tester

EDIT: The little diagram approx. half way down this page may be of some help as well. Diagram

 

[Benbon]

Thanks CrazyM, I really appreciate it!