The Top DSM Community on the Web

For 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, and Galant VR-4 Owners. Log in to remove most ads.

Please Support RTM Racing
Please Support STM Tuned

2G Blowing smoke while idling

This site may earn a commission from merchant
affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

natedog831

Probationary Member
18
0
Dec 24, 2016
Salinas, California
Hello everyone, I'm new to dsmtuners and new to DSMs as well. Just bought my first dsm, 96 eclipse GSX with a rebuilt motor, 16g turbo, and other goodies.

Problem is I blow a ton of white/slightly blue (maybe slight gray, I'm a bit colorblind) smoke when I come to stop. I was sitting at a stoplight last night and smoked out the whole street. Don't blow to much when I first start the car. Don't blow smoke either I get on the gas or get into boost. But blow a ton when I idle for a while.

Did some research and it seems it could be a blown head gasket or something wrong with the turbo. Problem is motor was just rebuilt (6 bolt block) and the turbo spool up just fine. Running stock boost on the 16g, no boost controller anyways.

Previous owner said it needs a tune, which is why is blows so much smoke but it has basicly stock black top injectors(450cc I believe) and it's at stock boost. It doesn't add up to me.

Take a look at the list of mods below, it should help. Still learning the ropes to these cars but any assistance is greatly appreciated !!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0004.PNG
    IMG_0004.PNG
    224 KB · Views: 90
  • IMG_0052.JPG
    IMG_0052.JPG
    348.6 KB · Views: 87
  • IMG_0049.JPG
    IMG_0049.JPG
    385.8 KB · Views: 101
Last edited:
Btw the previous own said this was the Map wire(pic below). Turn the screw to the left and it drops the idle and leans it out and to the right it raises the idle a little, etc. I was fiddling with it a bit, and found a sweet spot(i think) helps with the smoke a tiny bit but not a lot.

Anyways thought I throw that in there if it was any help. Pic below
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0071.JPG
    IMG_0071.JPG
    380.9 KB · Views: 101
Sounds like bad valve seals/guides if its only at idle. High vacuum pulling oil through.
Could also check the intercooler piping for oil residue, then I'd suspect the turbos shaft seals.
 
Sounds like bad valve seals/guides if its only at idle. High vacuum pulling oil through.
Could also check the intercooler piping for oil residue, then I'd suspect the turbos shaft seals.
Yeah there's oil residue in the inter cooler piping just checked
 
Yeah looking like my turbo is shot. If anyone has an evo 3 16g turbo or knows anyone who does rebuilds let me know
 
Smoke during extended idling is typically indicative of exhaust valve seals leaking. If the head's never been off the car or rebuilt, I'm sure the valve seals are hard as bricks at this point anyway just from age- I've never removed a stock DSM head that didn't have some sign of valve seal leakage due to age or mileage.

Oil in the intercooler piping is a bit normal for a car that still has the stock PCV system hooked up with the lines routed to the intake pipe. That doesn't automatically mean the turbo is bad.
 
Thank you for the replies , I'm getting around to doing a check for boost leak but more thank likely my turbo shot. I'm going to check for play
 
Blue smoke is oil. It sounds like a seal in your turbo is in the process of failing. When my 14b started to go, it would smoke sometimes and not others. It was OK at cruise but definitely smoked when you were on the throttle very much. When the seal finally let loose it started dumping oil right into the hot exhaust side of the turbo and smoked like no car I've ever seen before. Check your turbo for shaft play when you do that boost leak test!
 
I have a friend whose car suffered the same thing. He had it checked and the mechanic said
there are small cracks on the head gasket. If it wasn't fixed in time, it will grow bigger resulting to a blown head gasket.
 
Smoke during extended idling is typically indicative of exhaust valve seals leaking. If the head's never been off the car or rebuilt, I'm sure the valve seals are hard as bricks at this point anyway just from age- I've never removed a stock DSM head that didn't have some sign of valve seal leakage due to age or mileage.

Oil in the intercooler piping is a bit normal for a car that still has the stock PCV system hooked up with the lines routed to the intake pipe. That doesn't automatically mean the turbo is bad.

I wouldn't ignore Justin's post here guys. There is major insight here. Oil in the intercooler piping is NORMAL for our cars with the stock PCV and not so much an indication of turbo failure.

I put a brand new FP turbo on my car at 160,000 miles on the stock engine and replaced the PCV system with a catch can. The car would not smoke at all under boost and even idling for short periods of time it would not smoke. However if you let it sit idling for more than a minute or so it would start to blow white/blue smoke just like OP is describing. It was the 160,000 mile valve seals and guides letting oil in under vacuum. Rebuilt the head and completely solved the issue.
 
I wouldn't ignore Justin's post here guys. There is major insight here. Oil in the intercooler piping is NORMAL for our cars with the stock PCV and not so much an indication of turbo failure.

I put a brand new FP turbo on my car at 160,000 miles on the stock engine and replaced the PCV system with a catch can. The car would not smoke at all under boost and even idling for short periods of time it would not smoke. However if you let it sit idling for more than a minute or so it would start to blow white/blue smoke just like OP is describing. It was the 160,000 mile valve seals and guides letting oil in under vacuum. Rebuilt the head and completely solved the issue.
Thank you for the responses guys. The problem is the heads were all ready rebuilt before I bought the car
 
My guess. Valve guides or turbo oil seal.
I've had smoking like that twice now in my colts.
Same with wife's subaru forester. It smoked after prolonged idling. I replaced the tdo4 stock turbo with a rebuilt unit. Hasnt smoked again.
 
Check the turbo for shaft play then go from there, one thing at a time and if you could, bring it to a reputable shop instead of just blindly diagnose it unless youre mechanically inclined
 
Thank you for the responses guys. The problem is the heads were all ready rebuilt before I bought the car
Doesn't mean all of the guides were installed perfectly-straight and to the correct point, and none of the seals got damaged during installation. With a 16 valve head you have 16 chances to screw something up- and even experienced shops can screw up rebuilding a head....ask me how I know.

Pull the manifold away from the head- if any of the ports are wet, the turbo is not the reason you're seeing smoke.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Like Justin said above, Shops can mess up replacing the valve guides or the stem seals, oftentimes shops leave a small piece of material from the old valve stem seals, it gets hidden in the groove of the valve guides, and they put the new seals over the old material, which can cause your car to burn oil.
 
Oil burning, pull and check your plugs also could be seals there.
Only if it's an intake valve seal or rings- exhaust valve seal oil burning is post-combustion so it won't show up on the plugs.

I had a daily-driver Sunfire about 15 years ago that used a quart of oil every 200 miles from a bad guide which ruined the exhaust valve seal in cylinder #2...drove it like that for years and never changed the plugs until I gave the car to my ex to drive in and out of the city every day and wanted to make it reliable, so I bought a head core at a scrap yard, rebuilt it, and put it on for her. Oil consumption ceased immediately.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Support Vendors who Support the DSM Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Innovation Products Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications MyMitsubishiStore.com RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Latest posts

Build Thread Updates

Vendor Updates

Latest Classifieds

Back
Top