Smoke sometimes?

[opzWE4]

I can't figure this out. The car runs great, and with my new 9/11 converter I've been boiling tires all over town. Here's the deal, when the car warms up, usually after I've driven it a little ways, then I stop and let it idle for a minute or two, it starts smoking like a freight train. I can smell that it's oil smoke, and it's kinda blue. If I give it gas a little bit, then it finally clears up and may not do it again for awhile. This doesn't happen every time I drive it either. The only thing that I can think of it the pcv valve sucking oil into the throttle body, but I don't know. I've replace the pcv valve, but I didn't replace it with a Delco piece. Could the fact that it's not a delco pcv make a difference? When I pull it off, I always find oil in the line going to the throttle body. The turbo is new, and I've had this problem before my turbo swap. I can't find any other oil in the intake tract except for where this damn pcv valve hose goes Any suggestions?

 

[machinegun]

Just for giggles, remove your down pipe and look. See if there is oil on the exhaust track or in the elbow. I have had new turbos leak in more than one case. Juts does not hurt to check. Then I would look at the pcv. Hope this helps.

 

[opzWE4]

Thanks, machinegun, I forgot to mention that I have done just this. I've taken the downpipe off and checked in there and it's clean as a pin. No oil. That's why I'm getting frustraited, I just can't figure this out.
Looks pretty bad when you pull into a parking lot with a cool car, only to have it killin mosquitos within a few minutes if you don't shut it off. Although it doesn't always happen.

 

[bsdlinux]

I have the same exact problem with my car, with a similiar setup as your car. I haven't been able to find my problem either. I was thinking a stuck ring or somehting like that. The plugs don't look oil logged or oil fouled. My downpipe also showed no signs of oil as well as the up-pipe and IC.

Just when I think it has stopped doing it, off it goes again. Only does this at idle never at speed or acceleration.

 

[PsychoBuickBoy]

Same problem here! My cousins GN does it too. Weird.

 

[matt87]

i havnt seen a Buick that doesnt smoke to some degree. might wanna have the valves guides done. a compression check wouldnt hurt either.

 

[opzWE4]

What I can't figure out is that it is inconsistant. It will do it one day, then a few days later, I could let it idle for an hour and it won't do it. I to have gone for periods when it doesn't do it and thought, well maybe it won't anymore, only to have it happen again sometime. My car doesn't really smoke at cold startup, except for an occational small puff, and never smokes on acceleration, or normal driving. This only happens at idle, after it's warmed up. Weird. It's like someone just turns on an oil switch, and injects oil for a few minutes, then with a little gas it will clear right up.
Doesn't seem to affect how it runs, because right now with this cool air it's running tops. Someone out there must have had this problem and fixed it. Right?

 

[cmokem]

been there done that

It sounds like the same problem I had...the exhaust end of the turbo...more than likely you will not see oil in the dp cause it has burnt away...but if you can get close enuff to the turbo you may be able to smell the burnt oil. I had it happen to my ta49 twice...I finally got a turbo from john Craig and I havent had the problem since.

HTH's
Bob

 

[Russ Merritt]

Make sure your oil return line from the turbo isn't clogged.

 

[azgn]

sounds like turbo seal to me.........

at idle, not always, etc

 

[2QWIK4U]

I had the same problem with a turbo that was rebuilt 3 times by a well known company on this board,each time I had to pay cause they said it was something in the motor going thru the turbo.After buying their turbo saver and it happening again they had no answers.I sent the turbo to John Craig and have never had another problem.He told me the seal was installed wrong and his price was less to repair than theirs.(It only smoked at idle)
You probaly won't be able to see the oil cause it has burned away,I had to shine a flashlight into the turbo on the exhaust side and was finally able to see oil then.

 

[machinegun]

I meant to mention that do not look for oil on the pipe. Usually it burns off of there. Move your pipe and or elbow away from the turbo. Get a very bright flashlight and look into the exhaust wheel and and puck hole. Look close as some times it is hard to see. You may find it in there. It will look like black tree sap. Sometimes hard to see even if it is splattered a bit. Also get underneat and look at the bottom of the turbo towards the exhaust side. You may see a slight area where it has been running down the exhaust housing a little. This is also an indication that the turbo is leaking. Ther could be the off chance that you have a worn valve guide although once warmed up this will usually go away not pop up if it is only slighly worn. I wuld still look into the turbo closer, you may find what you are looging for. If you have the time, remove it and look into the exhaust housing. Also remove the exhaust housing and look closely.

 

[opzWE4]

Thanks for all the replys, I'll dig into the dog a little more and see what I come up with.

 

[ez at nova]

Any new news with resolving this? I have the same issue. I was assuming it was something iwth my PCV sice the top of the engine under/around the plenum has a think coat of oil that builds up.

 

[opzWE4]

Well, mine continuted to do this, so I finally tried something a little different with the pcv. I got a delco pcv, and made an elbow for the hole in the passenger side valve cover. I then installed the pcv in that elbow and then ran 3/8" line to the TB vacuum block. I plugged the hole in the intake where the old pcv was. Then I got some seafoam and ran it through a vacuum line into the TB and cleaned the top of the engine out. I only did this a few days ago, but so far so good. I seem to have stopped the oil from getting into the throttle body, and I'm pretty sure that's were my problem was.
I had check and rechecked everything, and the only place I could find oil getting anywhere was through my pcv. I took the up pipe off and opened the throttle blade and there was oil setting behind it. I didn't know what else to try and I found that solution through a search finally.
So far, my cars been on the wagon for 4 day's now and she still hasn't smoked once Just hope it doesn't fall off the wagon. If the problem reappears, then I'll know it wasn't the pcv, but I'm 99% sure that's was the root of my problem anyway.

 

[ez at nova]

well, my pcv is 163k miles old...I guess it could use replacing. that might fix it. I have no idea how much a pcv is or how hard it is to change. Also, since the car seems to be running great, I'm hard pressed to mess with it.