Starting to see Smoke!
 

Alright, yet another smoking thread. I have cycled through the searches but I'm still at a bit of a loss.


I've got a 1992 (120xxx miles) with a custom Greddy kit, and I am starting to see smoke out of the exhaust.


It Smokes a bit on start-up for about a minute, but clears up leaving me to believe its mostly condensation on cold-start. However, when driving it while not fully warm I can see small puffs/clouds of whiteish smoke.

A 1st gear pull into boost (hard accelleration) also blows some smoke out, and I have seen little clouds left behind at lights. It isn't too extreme, but its visible from mirror.

It also smokes a bit in a second gear pull, but in much smaller amounts and after 2nd gear it seems to dissapear.

I should also add that it seems to smoke mostly in boost, and not so much, other than on cold start, while in vacuum.

I ran a home compression test using my $25 ACTRON tester (plugs/coils disconnected, FUEL Inj fuse pulled, cranked ~10 times) and here is what I got:

(from bumper)
1: 210
2: 205
3: 200
4: 205

Here are my plugs as well.

Attachment 200137


Any suggestions on where to look now? I am losing a tiny bit of oil but I have a known CAS o-ring issue I need to fix. I haven't noticed any significant coolant loss or discolored coolant.

When dipstick is pulled, I get no vapors/blowby while idling as well.
I checked intake piping after turbo, and there is a bit of dry oil lining the bottom. I am not blowing oil out of BOV either. I will try and check intercooler for oil, and check turbo for shaft play too.

Thanks for suggestions/tips!!

Pull your downpipe. I bet it will be nasty oily. My guess is that you blew out a seal on the turbo and are leaking oil (under pressure) out the exhaust.

So mostly only white smoke no real blue smoke? Are you running coolant lines to your turbo? I'd try taking them off and testing it. Just let your car idle for a bit after your drive unless you have a turbo timer to do it for you.

Greddys don't have water lines

White smoke is from condensation in engine/exhaust, black smoke at stop light is rich afr, blue smoke is some burning oil..

Your plug electrodes look like you are running really fucking rich.

You need to go buy a wideband o2.

Does your oil smell like gas?

I am running rich, true. However, it doesn't explain the smoke I've been given ;p

Oil smells oily, last oil change (~1000 miles ago) went well, no water in it, no froth, no gas smells; just black. Tomorrow or tuesday I'm going to pull more intercooler pieces off and check the turbo. I'm still making boost as always, but with smoke.
My gas mileage has dropped since the smoking has started I should add.


And WBO2 will be on shortly. I had one for a while but had to get thrifty with money lol.

needs moar rings. People will talk all day long about smoke colors....I think I've been trough more blocks than anyone else...I'll tell you, my smoke was almost always white.

With how rich those plugs looks, it might be a fueling issue and you could be confusing your smoke colors. If you pull your downpipe and don't see a crap load of oil, and you aren't losing and oil or coolant, and your compression numbers are normal...then I really wouldn't worry about it. Every turbo car I have ever had has smoked. When I bought my srt-4 brand new back in 05...after going catless, it would smoke. My 95 gst smoked...and now my 97 miata smokes. Unless it is a smoke screen that completely leaves the cars behind you blind, don't worry about it.

you can have good compression, and still be burning oil through the rings.

Mine was the #2 oil control ring...gone to hell. Will take pics when I pull it apart, but compression was decent (just tired...150-160 range), but the #2 cylinder exhaust port looked like an oil slick. Pretty obvious when we pulled the manifold off. Mine had oil all in the intake tract as well.

Whisps of smoke = rings
smoke fogger = turbonator