white smoke everywhere, diagnose anyone?
 

Was high end of 4th gear, happened all of a sudden. Lost power, so pulled over and let it idle, was idling at usual rpm but engine was moving more than usual in the bay. White smoke coming from exhaust and from down below the turbo area... Turbo gone? Head gasket? Piston melt?

white smoke is coolant & oil mixing. see if you have coolant in yer oil by checking for mayo on dipstick, if so then headgasket

Yea checked that after it happened. No mayo on dipstick nor on the oil filler cap. Oil isnt watery at the bottom of dipstick either

94 wrx by the way, remapped to 317bhp.

I would have said turbo gone, but the white smoke is throwing me as that is usually associated with water contamination, best getting local garage to look at it, or even better a specialist.

How's your temp gauge?
I'm wondering if you've just split a hose and the coolant has just sprayed all over the turbo and down pipe.

Danny.

Ps sorry I just re read your post.When you said smoke from the exhaust did you mean out of the exhaust or from around the down pipe?

Its deffinatly something more serious that a split coolant hose. Engine is moving a hell of alot in the engine bay on idle. White smoke comes out the exhaust at the backbox, and comes from underneath turbo. Im thinkin its melted piston on cylinder 3, or head gaskets gone on the head where the turbo sits

if its idling like a bag of spanners then its engine. if its idling normally then its turbo related

Its idling at its usual 1krpm (or just under), no fluctuation in rpm at all... But like i say the engine is moving lots within its mounts compared to usual

You could pull the plug lead off number 3 and see if it runs any different.
Are there any noises that weren't there before?

Nah no other noises at all, im gunna have a tinker about with it after work. Get the borescope down cylinder 3 and inspect! Hope its the turbo though :D

If it's white smoke everywhere and it still runs fine, it sure for **** aint the piston!

it sounds like turbo mate dont worry i would put my scooby on the fact that it is NOT your engine (by what you have said)

Either turbo leaking coolant or coolant is getting into one cylinder, the coolant getting into one cylinder would cause the greater movement. If you can take the spark plugs out as you should find one is cleaner than the rest if water is getting into that cylinder. If this is the case then a headgasket change at best.

well im gettin hold of a comp tester tomorrow. But tonight all i done was whip the 2 plugs out on the drivers side, both were black, and put the borecam down and theres no `ugly` markings on either of the cylinders on the drivers side.

Im going to comp test tomorrow, if that comes back as ok, im going to bridge the inlet water hoe into the turbo, to the outlet so its one continuous flow and start her up to see if white smoke clears... and i`ll go from there etc

happened on my newage white smoke coming out of exhaust had a look at the intercooler inside had lots of oil in it thought it was turbo had it rebulit put it back on to find 3 miles down the road same thing had engine looked at to find burnt out pitsons but it run as normal good luck:wonder:

well like i say ive had the bore scope down and spent around 20 minutes on each cylinder checking and double checking etc, they both seem good working order from my point of view, and the other mechanic at hand. We`ll find out from the comp test results i guess

Done compression test before, front passenger cylinder had 0 compression, other 3 come up 11.

Melted piston ?

hopefully just a head gasket though :confused:

have you not had the bore scope down the cylinder with zero compression?

I havent mate. The lad who has the bore scope couldnt make it tonight. I'll ask him 2moro to pop down and see what the crack is then

hi there i would say melted pison just like mine

can some one answer this quesiton please....

.... how come ive got no compression at all in one cylinder, yet it will idle at its usual 1krpm ? :wonder:

No idea and if it's running on all four cylinders (which you have never said it is not), I would double question your compression testing.

hi there right this is what happed to my car it idle all ok no compression in one cylinder but run all ok i was told because its a boxer engine ie because the pistons run out the side you would not tell just got lots and lots of white smoke and burn all the oil
the engine builder showed me the piston and it had melted i would say piston
the thing i had were
lots of white smoke
intercooler filling up with oil
take the oil cooler off look at the turbo started the car up with no intercooler and the oil came out the turbo lots of it
as i had just had turbo rebuilt it was not that phoned a engine rebulider and he said piston and these are pron for burning pistons out

Thanks for the replys lads. I will do another comp test and see what happens.