Help guys! car smoking on startup
 

Hi guys
Well iv had my sti classic shape a week now, and today i started it and a cloud of smoke come out (smelt like oil) there is no smoke on/off boost when driving around, iv coasted down a hill and put my foot on the throttle and no smoke its only when i turn it off and start it up??

It just does it every time i start it few a few seconds, it has only started doing this today not a drop before, iv had a look on google and some are saying piston rings?:cry:

Any info or advise would be great.

Regards steve

sounds like valve stem seals, if it was piston rings it be smoking on overrun start it cold and take oil cap off, is there much back pressure?
Jay

Do a compression test. If its rings it will show a low reading. If that's ok then its more than likely valve stem seals.

Don't assume worst case scenario just yet made as it's more than likely something like turbo seal or even just steam and you are over reacting.

Thanks for the replys guys, I've just started it and there was no smoke, I took the oil cap off and I can feel air coming threw it no smoke.
Can valve steam seals just go that quick with no sings?

I just feared the worse as my luck has been terrible a the min with cars, iv not taken it over 4500rpm since iv had it.

These cars seem to make us all paranoid at times mate lol. As you have only just bought the car I would suggest that you give the car a full service and get the cambelt changed for piece of mind. Also has the car been mapped for uk fuel?

as already said ! turbo seal or valve stem seals , although in my experence only valve stem seals when cold,
chris.

Iv had the crank seal and cambelt done the other day, iv run the car threw the day and no smoke on start up! So it looks like its only going do it from cold? Can valve seals just go that quick?
Going have it mapped in the next couple of weeks the said it had been but the boost seems a bit all over the place for me as some times it's 0.6 bar then 1 bar, what is the best boost controller or can the ecu controlle the boost on the sti
Regards

boost all over , could be your gauge , not all gauges are correct! ecu should control set boost,is timing set correctly?
chris :thumb:

+1 these cars do make you paranoid ( always) :lol1:

Could be just to much oil in it. As in over filled.

oil breathers blocked????

Hi guy's
Thanks for all the comments, started it this morning and not a drop of smoke came out the exhaust??
The only thing different is how it was parked on my drive, as yesterday the car was sloping down a bit as i reversed it on my drive, and i normally just pull straight on it? could this have a affect on anything?

Regards steve

sounds like you have nothing to worry about, just keep a good eye on the oil level, take a reading a few times on level ground when cold they can be a pain to get a correct level reading.
Jay

why does he have nothing to worry about ? please tell me what problem he had , as im confused,:wonder:
chris.:thumb:

Sounds like stem seals, they leak when car is not used and a little oil escapes into cylinders, when you start up - smoky engine, if its not losing a lot of oil I wouldn't worry too much.

but ours are a flat four , how does oil leak sideways when not used ??
i do know where your coming from though , if its not losing oil etc ,if it is valve seals , it will only get worse surely?
chris.

Start with the simple things and make sure its not over filled........

I would personally suggest taking it to a specialists as without seeing it themselves, you'll get a dozen different opinions on here :)

because he noticed a slight bit smoke when it was started from cold, no smoke on or off boost or overrun and now its stopped, we all get a bit paranoid with these cars at times, most probably slightly overfilled with oil would get a specialist to have a look just too make sure to be 100% though.
Jay

I had some white smoke a while back, just on start up. I had the breathers connected up wrongly to the catch tank. Found a load of white sludge in the thick breather hose to the catch tank.

May be worth a quick check on the breather pipes of the top off the block and see if they are clear.

Once removed and cleaned there has been no smoke since.

Could this not just be condensation?

Well took the car to my local "specialist" and they looked at me blank when i explained.. think i need find a new garage! or investergate myself, it still does it now and then prob once or twice a week,
Also guys i still have a oil leak from drivers side i had the rocker seal done last week but it still smells, what else is that side that i could have a look at.

Regards

Turbo oil feed and drain connections................
Power steering............

Are you sure its not just condensation in the exhaust? Mine always smokes on cold or wet mornings

A simple guide that is not set in stone is - white smoke is water/ condensation, blue is oil, brown is unburnt fuel and black is over rich fuelling.

No its defo 100% blue smoke as soon as the engine fires in then clears after a few seconds..
But like i say only does it about twice a week , i am going clear the breather pipes see if that helps, iv also been told the turbo oil seal can cause this?? there is not a drop of smoke after start up nothing on/off boost or over run, no real loss in oil, water does not loose a drop.
Long as it does not get worse i dont mind just i hate any smoke coming from my car's, although my dads cossie smokes like good un haha, its been like that for as long as i can remember.
Im also going to try and sort the oil smell as its been the garage 2 times and after a few hundred quid it aint much different!
Is there any good garage's in stoke/staffordshire/midlands??

Do you get any piston slap when cold?

My old MY98 did this on cold start, was also a beatch with piston slap, didn't use a noticable amount of oil though.......did 40000 hard miles with the car like that and it never missed a beat!

Just condensation my Greenwagon gets started once a week and my towns carbon footprint doubles
Done it for years

It's probably your turbo but these cars do put oil into the intercooler when driven hard from the breather system. Why don't you fit an oil catch tank & blanc your PCV & see how it goes. Does your oil level go down?