HELP A NEWBIE!

Starting getting blue smoke recently when accelerating into boost or decelerating off boost. Also have smoke coming from the hood after driving. I checked this and the smoke was coming from the turbo center section. Checked the compressor side and no oil whatsoever. Haven't had a chance to check turbine side, but I do have a bit of oil coming out the exhaust. I did a compression test and got 190 across all 4 cylinders. No smoke coming from the dipstick at idle and the car runs fine. Also have a catch can between the PCV and intake manifold and there isn't any excessive blowby (hardly any oil in the catch can).

I'm pretty sure it's my turbo seals at this point but want to make sure it's not the rings or anything else. Can anyone verify?

Also, when I pulled the spark plugs, #4 cylinder was flooded with oil. What causes this? Is it the seals in the valve cover? Can I drive the car like this until I can fix it?

Here is a picture of my spark plugs ... do they look normal? #4 spark plug is on the left and goes to #1 plug on the right.

 

It could be the rings....you should do a compression and/or leakdown test, the leakdown test being the more accurate of the two.

 

I did a compression test ... that's how I found all the oil in the spark plug cylinder. Comprssion test was 190 across all four cylinders. Haven't done a leak down test yet, but the radiator isn't bubbling when the car is running and the car is not overheating.

 

ok here is a simple way to tell if it is the v/c gasket. im a mechanic i see it all the time look at #4 plug wire is there oil on the stem where it goes down to plug and look at the end of the wire where goes onto plug if there is oil there that is either from the v/c or you spilled oil in there which is not real possible because of the ring that rises around the hole. the plugs look great from the combustion side, if they are new if they have been in for a while they look too clean like its lean but as far as the porcelain part the one furthest left look like oil stained from a leaky v/c. but if you are getting blue smoke from the exhaust then you are burning oil and that is not caused by the v/c, it cant leak past the plug.

 

Also the car only smokes going into and out of boost, not all of the time. Wouldn't bad rings means the car smokes all of the time and I get excessive blow by?

 

ur car seems like its doing the same thing mine is a little. the turbo seals are gone probably. about the spark plug when i put my turbo on my car all the extra heat made my valve cover gasket go bad. with that being bad oil leaked at the top of the plugs but not where the spark is inside the cylinder. try seeing if ur valve cover gasket is leaking and get a new turbo

 

If the car smokes on high revs or boost, regardless of engine temp, then it is rings, or more aptly your ring lands.

If the engine only smokes a little once it has warmed up - once the turbo/downpipe have warmed up enough for any oil you are passing to be able to burn off then it is the turbine seal... check to make sure you don't have a coked up oil drain, but at that point it requires a rebuild.

I usually pop off the turbo and inspect things to be sure, there is a characteristic slightly tacky feel to burnt on oil, where regular exhaust residues are just dry soot.

Off the top of my head, I would *guess* that your problem is #4 ring lands, and the oil is from the combustion chamber. The ceramic looks a little stained by the oil, and given the indicated age of the plugs based on how dirty they are, I'd say you were running too lean for boost, and some high load high gear pulls toasted something.

 

werd^^^^^

 

A good compression test could still mean piston rings/ringlands?

The blue smoke from the exhaust only happens occasionally and after that it dies out until I floor it again. The most consistent smoke is from the turbo itself. And yeah the car doesn't smoke at all when first started in the morning. When it reaches operating temperature that's usually when the smoke will start (both from the turbo and the exhaust). I guess the oil is too thick to smoke until the car is warm.

It's also definately oil in the exhaust pipe since it's a wet sticky substance and not the dry soot. I'll check oil drain lines this weekend. I am using a 90 degree bend at the oil pan so I suspect that's what caused this. Got a 45 degree one on the way now.

Also, when I pulled the spark plug wires, the oil was very noticable on the plug wire/boot. When I put the socket in, it was covered with oil. There was oil in the cylinder before I even pulled the plug. Definately going to be replacing valve cover gasket/spark plug seals.

BTW I'm only boosting 5lbs.