turbo-back=white smoke

[pyschoslipknot]

I truly apologise for this question. I did a search on the topic, but none of them really seemed to answer my question. So here it goes.
I just got a turbo back yesterday , and I started noticing white smoke after the car was above 2,000 rpms, then went down to idle. At idle is when the smoke came out. My coolant level is a little low but nothing to be concerned about, so I don't know what else to do. The car is not overheating or loosing power, or anything of that nature. So really my only complaint is the cloud of white smoke when I role up to an intersection. One of my friends said it was just the break in period for the new exhaust, but I went through a whole tank of gas with it on and it's still doing it. I'm a little worried .
Another thing is that when the car is above 2,000 rpms and I press the clutch in and put it into nuetral (to stop for a stop light) the engine will completely die (while I'm still moving, and I turn it back on while I'm still moving), but that only happened for a while.
Thanks for any info.

 

[jccjr1982]

From reading other posts in the forums, white smoke usually indicate burning coolant.

You say "My coolant level is a little low but nothing to be concerned about"...

Maybe it is something now to be concerned about...

 

[Amazin' Wasian]

it could just be because you just put on a new exhaust system, all of the dirt and everything that got inside of it from shiping could just be burning out.....if your burning coolant you would know, it has a very distinctive smell....

-nick

 

[98eclipseRS]

Do you run synthetic oil? Synthetics burn white. However just like stated above me both coolant and oil have disticnt smells. Coolant will smell "sweet" and oil, well oil just smells nasty. Check your stock cat and see if it looks clogged or has exesive levels of oil residue in it.

 

[4BangR-x]

Oil smells M M Good. Both are distinct smells. However ive never had any smoke upon an exhaust install. Are you still using a cat or a test pipe?

 

[pyschoslipknot]

I've got a test pipe. And the smell is bad. I can't tell if it's burned oil or not.

 

[MrBoxx]

Do you run synthetic oil? Synthetics burn white.

Is that true? Huh... In that case, I think you may have answered a question that's been burning on my brain for a few years now. "Why is the smoke white when my turbo seals/bearings are shot?"

That said, to the OP, take off your intake pipe and check the turbo for shaft play. Try to wiggle the compressor wheel up and down, side to side, in and out. Noticeable play in any of these directions, especially in and out, indicates that your turbo may be failing. Examine your LICP for oil pooling in it. We're not talking a smear of oil residue on the walls; we mean like a quart or so.

A compression test wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

 

[98eclipseRS]

It is indeed true. I thought the same thing for the longest time untill it was finally confirmed when my last turbo took a shit on my and started pouring oil into my hot o2 housing creating a james bond smoke screen. Deffinately check the turbo as well, however, just checking the turbine side does not always show if the turbo is shot. I helped friend replace a blown t25. The turbine side had barely any shaft play. Slightly more than normal but nothing to be immediately concerned about, yet, when we took off the o2 housing the whole thing was covered in oil and you could see where the wheel had been hitting the housing.

 

[MrBoxx]

(Psst.... the side with the O2 housing IS the turbine side. The side with the intake is the compressor side. )

I agree though. Depending on which side fails, the compressor could have very little play, while the turbine could be wobbling around. It's just harder for most people to get the exhaust side off. On my T25, the turbine wheel was definitely rubbing the cap; there was a definite indentation from the fins. There's also what seems to be an actual hole in the cap, but I'm not sure what caused it. Possibly heat, possibly wear. I'm sure however it was caused, it deinitely contributed to the death of the turbo.

 

[98eclipseRS]

(Psst.... the side with the O2 housing IS the turbine side. The side with the intake is the compressor side. )

I agree though. Depending on which side fails, the compressor could have very little play, while the turbine could be wobbling around. It's just harder for most people to get the exhaust side off. On my T25, the turbine wheel was definitely rubbing the cap; there was a definite indentation from the fins. There's also what seems to be an actual hole in the cap, but I'm not sure what caused it. Possibly heat, possibly wear. I'm sure however it was caused, it deinitely contributed to the death of the turbo.

D'Oh!!! haha man I need to think before I type.

 

[pyschoslipknot]

I'll for sure try everything you guys said.
I've asked every self-proclaimed car guy I know and this is what they said
It's just the break in period- 4 days seems unlikey
I'm burning coolant- coolant is 75% full
I'm buring oil- does not smell like oil
The turbo-back messed up the air flow ratio so getting an intake will correct it- I hope that is the case because that will be the easiest to fix.
I'm buring gasoline-?
Someone help, everyone is confusing me!!!

 

[jayman77]

when you say smoke. is this truely smoke or like steam? does it smoke at idle? if its steams...like smokes and disapates quickly, then yes its coolant. will also smell like anifreeze, if you are using antifreeze. white smoke is oil. so do a little diagnosis and get back to us