Occasional white smoke and CEL

[fallenauthority]

Ok, i just bought my 95 Eagle talon TSI today, as i was driving home i look back and see clouds of white smoke coming from the exhaust, few seconds and it went away, then about 10 more minutes later it did it again this time the CEL came on, once again a few seconds later it stopped. It did this all the way home, not too often but still, not normal. The car drives perfectly fine, it boosts fine, pulls hard and everything, no abnormal noises. What could it be? I was told it was probably a bad PCV valve letting oil get sucked into the motor and burned up, and that the CEL came on due to the smoke affecting the oxygen sensor. Another possibility I thought was maybe my turbo is going bad? But I doubt its the turbo cause wouldnt just do it every once in a while it would do it all the time. Am I right? Is it the PCV valve? Thanks in advance.

 

[Game Over]

Change the PCV valve and check the shaft play on the turbo. I don't see why it would cause a CEL though. Is the CEL constant or intermittent? If you read it, what was the code?

 

[fallenauthority]

Its intermittent. I will replace the pcv today and check shaft play on the turbo. I couldnt get it read because autozone didnt have the reader for OBD1 cars. Im going to get it read at work today. Ill update when i get home.

 

[ddavisaf]

95's are OBD2.... Or at least every single 95 I've ever seen, heard, or thought about concerning DSM's.

 

[Game Over]

It's set up for OBD2, they just test it as OBD1 because it's a '95, but the OBD2 reader will work in it.

 

[fallenauthority]

Ok, update time, today at work i had the code read, the code was an emissions code. I replaced the pcv valve at work too and it still smoked on the way home, So i decided to start checking things on the motor, i checked the plugs, and they were screwed up so i put in new ones. I was talking to the guy at advance auto parts and he told me i should use "Restore" that engine restore stuff in a silver can, i bought it put it in my oil and drove for car for a bit, it still smokes but not as bad, so i guess its starting to work a little? I am also in the process of taking off the intercooler to clean it out and see if any oil is in it. Most of the people i have talked to said its probably valve seals, what do you guys think?

 

[Game Over]

When does it smoke? Valve seals is a little blue puff out the exhaust on take off from a stop. If it smokes intermittently during regular driving, I think it's your turbo. Have a leak down test, or at least a compression test done on it.

 

[fallenauthority]

Ok guys another update, Its still smoking a decent amount, not as bad as before but still bad. I did a compression check today and it was
1- 180
2- 180
3- 178
4- 150

WTF? 1,2,3 looked good then 4 is like horrible. What gives? Plugs are nice and clean, i just put new ones in last night, I put some coolant in the resevoir cause the coolant light was on since i got it, but the level in the system wasnt low, just in the resevoir. still burning a decent amount of oil. So now it most definitely appears to be the turbo. Correct?

 

[Game Over]

If it is burning oil, with white smoke, I would say it is the turbo. But your compression sucks on number 4, did you dry a wet and dry compression test? Doing that will rule out you toasting the ring on number 4.

If it sarts butning coolant, or mixing coolant and oil, it is your headgasket.

 

[fallenauthority]

But remember the smoke is only occasional, not all the time, and its usually after boost. if i putter around granny shifting the car is fine.

 

[ddavisaf]

But remember the smoke is only occasional, not all the time, and its usually after boost. if i putter around granny shifting the car is fine.

No, the car isn't fine. Cylinder 4 has an issue. It's losing compression and is out of the service range. Either the piston rings are fried or the headgasket is done in. Just as GameOver said. Good job, GameOver. Keep it up
Make sure you run the wet test as he said and post your results.

 

[fallenauthority]

Well i started taking apart the car today to completely diagnose the problem, here is a video of what the turbo sounds like when u rotate it so horrible. Im gonna do a wet test after i reassemble the car. results with be up tonight.

http://home.comcast.net/~fallenauthority/blownturbo.wmv

 

[Ultimatedsm]

Well your T-25 gave up. It is pretty common for those turbos to go. Put a little bit of oil in cylinder 4 and tell us the compression.

 

[munguiaoh]

if it is white smoke, it could be a small leak on the head gasket shooting radiator fluid into the cylinder, and you mentioned about having to add coolant. those compression numbers dont look bad either.

 

[fallenauthority]

I ran another compression check tonight and numbers changed drastically....for the better,
1- 185
2- 185
3- 180
4- 180

Remember, I used that restore stuff earlier this week, I guess it really does work. And my coolant levels are still fine, even after i took it to get it inspected and the idiot who inspected it dogged it even after I told him I had a blown turbo, so no coolant is being burned, just simply my poor old t25 is going out.