First scooby, smoke from the engine bay... Advice please.
 

Hello to everyone :)

I just purchased a UK Impreza off a member here and need some advice please.

Once the engine runs for a bit there is smoke coming from under the bonnet, driver's side. It smells really bad inside the car and on traffic lights, lol.

Engine oil level is ok, if there's a leak it's not THAT massive. I've done only 200m on this car.

The area where smoke is coming from seems dry but there's too many hoses to see anything properly.

Any ideas? Hope nothing too serious.

Thanks :)

sounds same as mine mate, the rocker cover gasket or half moon bit leaks a little of which drips down on top of the turbo or exhaust etc then when its hot enough burns it off causing smoke mate. :D

as above , common problem , dont buy cheapo gaskets and use sealant aswell to make sure

Great. Thanks for the advice guys! :)

Is half-moon bit a part of a gasket?

It could also be the power steering res is leaking it has an O Ring type gasket at the bottom of it that corrodes.... Leave the car for a little bit and check under the res as it puddles up and then burns off when the engine warms up, my first classic did this and smelt bloody awful!

i think its more likely the gaskets though - look underneath and see if you can see the bottom of the heads and look for oil or feel for it. the half moons are a bout an inch across and half moon shape -obviously, they are on the head - dont know why they are there, they are just there to fill in a gap in the heads, i think there 2 of them on each head, where the rocker cover fits onto the head they are black btw so you can see them.

Will do some checking tomorrow ;)

Could also be a downpipe wrapped in cheap heat shield tape or an engine bay cleaned with WD40. Saw both whilst looking around Imprezas to buy

Very standard example, nothing seems to be heat-wrapped. It smells like a burning oil. But thanks for more ideas ;)

Guys, one more thing. Gaskets go on eBay from £15 to £85! Any suggestion which to get?

Thanks :)

Approach a dealer and buy a genuine set.

might be an overlooked problem, he hasnt recently done any heat rapping has he? have a check under there because alot of that smells especially if its self adhesive stuff.. and that will smoke when wet.

I bought my rocker gasket from Mark at Lateral Performance. Top guy and very helpful was pretty reasonably priced as well :thumb:

Will get in touch with Mark soon, tnx! :) Just wish I had more time to spare looking into this issue sooner! Grrrr...

Smoke around the turbo in the engine bay
 

Hi All / Felix

Did you solve your problem with the smoke around the turbo in the engine bay? My MY98 STi is also doing this and appears to be getting worse..

Any advice about this would be appreciated.

Thanks :)

Remove the undertray and feel along the bottom of the join between the rocker cover and the head on the driver's side. If there is oil there, that's your problem.

And a VERY common one it is. Would seem to be yet another Scoob week spot:rolleyes:

Still didn't get around looking at this, smell is getting worse :( No free time as in a process of opening a garage, will defo check it out once the ramp is in :)

Defo rocker cover gasket oil leaks on to exhaust/engine so when it gets hot it burns off.
Get a genuine gasket set.
Always drivers side.

I agree get done ASAP

I'm confused. Known risk of combustion, and you're too busy opening a garage to even look at it? What if it goes up before the ramp is in?

It's hardly the ideal way to manage potential risk. If you have an enclosed space to work in, but no ramp right now, why not just pull the car in and stick it on some axle stands while you ID the source of the leak? :confused:

Thats to much like hard work splitpin, This guys openin a garage, hes not goin to lie under a car.:D

I can't afford much time to do food shopping these days... Appreciate your concern though guys :) If it does go up in flames I'll post a time-frame from when it starts smoking until when it catches fire. Could be useful for some ;)

The timeframe would be about as useful as a chocolate teapot, but some photos of the burnt out, smoking wreck would form a powerful precautionary note for anyone facing a similar situation in future.

hes opening a garage but dont know where an oil leak is coming from!! lets hope he aint the mechanic working there :O

Oh yeah, let's now go from giving a helpful advice to mocking down forum's newbie. What I do and how I do it is my concern. Thanks again for the help.

Chap, reality check: You have received copious helpful advice. You've been advised both of the likely source of this leak and also, by multiple individuals, that the proximity to hot engine parts constitutes a potential fire risk (that others have discovered to their cost in the past).

If you are too busy, stupid, or irresponsible to heed that advice, and are stupid enough to tell us you're going to ignore it, and are moreover happy enough to make lighthearted comments about what you're going to do if "it does go up in flames", you are clearly going to receive comments of the sort you have.

If you are prepared to ignore the advice folk have taken the time and trouble to write, and in the process demonstrate a propensity to behave like a bit of an eejut, don't be too surprised if people start to treat you like one. The words "reap what you sow" come to mind.

It isn't the fact that you're new here that has caused the response, it's the attitude you've demonstrated. You can either learn from that, or not, I doubt anyone round here will notice either way.