I have just replaced the oil and filter, with Carlube triple R 5W40 fully synthetic, but there is a lot of blue smoke coming out especially under hard acceleration, I know I can cure it with the stop smoke liquid, but just wondering how bad is this, I'm sure it not the turbo, but suspected rings. What sort of price are we talking here to get the rings and labour? Is it safe to drive her as it is! I am also planning to go Santa Pod again, is this likely to deteriorate things further!
Blue smoke when accelerating!
- Thread starter S3KO4
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Has this only been happening after the oil change or has it always been a problem? The piston rings are usually very durable and blue smoke is normally because of turbo related problems. It could simply be a case of overfilled oil.
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![[Dave B]](/xf/data/avatars/m/0/100.jpg?1478806902){kind=avatar}
Thank you all for the inputs, I have put 4.5L it was a bit of a problem before, but it went away. the dip stick shows spot on, at the top mark! could it be just be over filled! what would happen to the engine if I drive as it is?
ALPINE
Yes its diesel, now cry u lost
You'll probably get a little smoke at first but should go pretty quick, is the car boosting ok, hope it's not the turbo
Removed 1.5L to be on the safe side, went down below minimum line, then placed about 1/2 L and drove around, there was some smoke initially then, I gave it the beans and stopped smoking, I put a bit more to bring it to half on the dip stick. just to be safe, I think that’s how she likes it! thank you all, I hope it wont come back.
have you checked your breather system etc that could be dumping oil back into the intake
do a compression test before you even touch the head
do a compression test before you even touch the head
Agreed. Don't just accept that it's the rings and go for that. Check all other possibilities first.
Compression test first!
Thats a pretty belt and braces way of finding out what is happening inside the cylinders:icon_thumright:
Shouldn't be too much. I haven't ever paid for one myself as I have a compression tester, so I don't really know!
An hours labour should cover it I would think.
if they charge you an hour to do a compression test then make sure you bring plenty of vaseline when they give you the bill for the engine rebuild!
I may add the smoke does not come out when pushing the accelerator but when you come off it, normaly above 3k rpm mainly when the engine has load on it. But it is big enough to notice at 70mph not a nice look for Audi.
LOL, I was thinking about all the faffing with taking off the N249 and bracket etc... coils out, test, then refit.
OK OK, an hour if the YTS kiddie does it.....
This is taken from another thread here: http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?71712-BLUE-SMOKE-S3
"If its puffing blue smoke until it warms up then it is something to worry about.
Valve stem seals could be your problem, when the car is turned off in the night the oil left in the crankcase is left there to drain, some of this oil can seep past the valve stem seals down the valve stems and into the cylinders over night, as the engine warms up the next day this oil will be burned and expelled as blue smoke from the exhaust.
Turbo smoke is normally most apparant when the engine and oil is warm after a drive let the car tick over for a few minutes then give it a rev, if you get blue smoke then its more than likely that the oil control rings/seals on the exhaust side of the turbo are leaking which will seep oil into the hot exhaust housing and when you rev it the smoke will be blown through the exhaust.
If you get smoke on gear changes this can be caused by the thrust bearings in the turbo being damaged and allowing vertical play through the core of the turbo, this is most apparant when you change gear or leave off the throttle and put it back down because the change from boost to vacuum puts strain on the shaft which will move if the bearings are damaged, seep oil and give you smoke.
Piston ring smoke is mostly seen on a warm engine and under load up a hill for example on constant throttle. It can also be seen after a long over-run down a hill letting the car coast in 4th for example and then revving it at the bottom of the hill, the vacuum in the engine can cause oil to be sucked past the piston rings. Worn piston rings can also cause heavy breathing and can push oil out of the crankcase breather.
Hope this helps."
Sorry for the copy and paste - typing all that myself on a Tuesday (Monday) morning didn't grab me...
"If its puffing blue smoke until it warms up then it is something to worry about.
Valve stem seals could be your problem, when the car is turned off in the night the oil left in the crankcase is left there to drain, some of this oil can seep past the valve stem seals down the valve stems and into the cylinders over night, as the engine warms up the next day this oil will be burned and expelled as blue smoke from the exhaust.
Turbo smoke is normally most apparant when the engine and oil is warm after a drive let the car tick over for a few minutes then give it a rev, if you get blue smoke then its more than likely that the oil control rings/seals on the exhaust side of the turbo are leaking which will seep oil into the hot exhaust housing and when you rev it the smoke will be blown through the exhaust.
If you get smoke on gear changes this can be caused by the thrust bearings in the turbo being damaged and allowing vertical play through the core of the turbo, this is most apparant when you change gear or leave off the throttle and put it back down because the change from boost to vacuum puts strain on the shaft which will move if the bearings are damaged, seep oil and give you smoke.
Piston ring smoke is mostly seen on a warm engine and under load up a hill for example on constant throttle. It can also be seen after a long over-run down a hill letting the car coast in 4th for example and then revving it at the bottom of the hill, the vacuum in the engine can cause oil to be sucked past the piston rings. Worn piston rings can also cause heavy breathing and can push oil out of the crankcase breather.
Hope this helps."
Sorry for the copy and paste - typing all that myself on a Tuesday (Monday) morning didn't grab me...
Ahhh yes, but there is a bunch of stuff in the way which has to be removed, before you can remove coils 2 and 3 and get to the plugs to remove them.
And ultimately, what has to be removed, must be refitted.
Oh no reading this
"The thrust bearings in the turbo being damaged and allowing vertical play through the core of the turbo, this is most apparant when you change gear or leave off the throttle and put it back down because the change from boost to vacuum puts strain on the shaft which will move if the bearings are damaged, seep oil and give you smoke."
sounds a bit like my problem
"The thrust bearings in the turbo being damaged and allowing vertical play through the core of the turbo, this is most apparant when you change gear or leave off the throttle and put it back down because the change from boost to vacuum puts strain on the shaft which will move if the bearings are damaged, seep oil and give you smoke."
sounds a bit like my problem
Oh no reading this
"The thrust bearings in the turbo being damaged and allowing vertical play through the core of the turbo, this is most apparant when you change gear or leave off the throttle and put it back down because the change from boost to vacuum puts strain on the shaft which will move if the bearings are damaged, seep oil and give you smoke."
sounds a bit like my problem
I would of thought it was the turbo myself. Piston ring wear, even at that mileage is a bit unusual. Mine came out of the APY at 125,000 looking top notch.
Hard to say mate. I believe stop smoke treatment is designed to thicken up rubber seals and stop them leaking oil.
This means that, if it works, it could be stem seals or turbo seals.
Stem seals is unlikely due to no smoke on cold start.
Have a look inside your charge pipe coming off the turbo. How much oil residue is in there? Also check the pipe which goes to the throttle body for oil.
A little oil is normal. A lot of oil is bad.
I reckon it's your turbo. My A4 turbo was smoking when warm and at idle. It was boosting normally and didn't even make the 'dentist drill' noise. Spent weeks faffing about changing bits and bobs in the hope it would be something minor, but in the end changed turbo and no more blue smoke.
Thanks everyone, I have added stop smoke, and it has gone away for now, I hope it wont come back, if it becomes unbearable I would go for bigger turbo that would need little modification to the rest of the car, i.e. injectors, manifold etc.
this has been an interesting read!
my S3 is doing basically the same but the engine was apparently rebuilt with forged pistons etc 6000 miles ago. Been trying to find out what has been going wrong so have a few things to check tomorrow. My thoughts have gone from rings to turbo.....hmmmm
my S3 is doing basically the same but the engine was apparently rebuilt with forged pistons etc 6000 miles ago. Been trying to find out what has been going wrong so have a few things to check tomorrow. My thoughts have gone from rings to turbo.....hmmmm
