Burning oil under boost + getting off idle

[Zenja]

I know that I have problems with valve stem seals or guides because I always get blue smoke when I rev the engine off idle, like when I start the car up or off a red light.

However, I'm also consistently spewing blue smoke under WOT. When I just cruise around, there's no smoke, but when I go under boost in WOT it just keeps coming out until I let off. What causes this? Is this a separate problem from the steam seals/guides? All the other instances of this problem I've heard of have had coolant burning, not oil. What could cause me to burn oil under boost?

 

[doodie]

hm... Sounds like your turbo just took a dump on you... Check your turbo to see if you have any shaftplay. Take off the Jpipe from the turbo to see if you see oil around there.

 

[Zenja]

As far as I know, the turbo is stock at 180000km, but there's no shaft play at all and no oil in the compressor housing. There is oil in some of the intake piping though, but I thought that was normal. From what I can see the turbo is in great shape unless it's an internal seal which it very well could be.

Valve guides or seals couldn't cause this, could they?

 

[SilverJester]

I jus thad the same problem, check your spark plugs they will have oil on them if the valve seals are broken. Might be a headgasket but most likely not because you say it doesn't smoke at idle (although it's simple to check for this just do a commpression test). I would say it is most likely your turbo (I just had the same thing happen to me in fact) you can take off your intake pipe and check to see if it was a seal on the commpressor side of the turbo....oil will drip out of your turbo then. A little oil is normal in your intake if you still have all your stock vaccum lines and egr. Otherwise it is a seal on the turbine side of your turbo and it is leaking, and the only place the oil has to go is out your exhuast. Check for shaft play, or better yet take the turbo off and see if it looks really black in the turbine housing.

Alex

 

[Zenja]

I guess I might as well answer my question for future reference. I replaced my valve stem seals earlier this year and there's no oil burning at all anymore, including under boost. It would burn a LOT of oil under boost before, and not a bit anymore. Most people wouldn't think of valve stem seals when burning oil under boost, but it's possible as was in my case.