Smoke cloud at cold start
 

Hi

Have some concern about my recently acquired 2005 3.0dA E53.
When i start it after let it sit all night, it launch a cloud of smoke:

https://youtu.be/UtYZ6rzQHVc


Doesn't smell much like oil, i had a civic with oil issues in the past so i know what burned oil smell.


I drove 5min and stopped to check again, almost no more smoke when revving or starting it again. Temp past the blue on the gauge.

Warm start: https://youtu.be/VrZe4QJZGlQ
Revving: https://youtu.be/O7o1-EZQuR8



Could it be the pcv valve that's too clogged and not functionnal anymore, leading to oil deposits after turning the car off?

Or bigger issue like turbo?

Drives fine, no big smoke even when flooring it (maybe i can't see it if it's thin smoke, but no big cloud like on the video).

thanks

Could it be coolant ? Is it steam-like and does it smell sweet? I am not familiar with the diesel engine, but if it happened in a gas engine, and it smelled sweet, I would be swabbing the cylinders one morning to see if coolant was seeping into the cylinders.

Hard to tell from video, but it looked a little like blue smoke which is more likely oil.

On these M57 diesel engines internal coolant leaks are like winning a lottery. The only thing that could cause coolant leak into chambers is EGR cooler which grounch does not have in his EU3 variant.

I would probably renew the CCV valve housing and vortex separator anyways. And in the same time remove air pipe between MAF and turbo and check the play on turbo axle and see the condition of the compressor wheel. Small under 1 mm radial play is normal, no axial play in normal condition turbo.

The coolant is not loosing level and is perfectly clear, so i don't think it's mixing to anything. I will try to have a better smell of the smoke :D


It's also hard to tell irl, the smoke doesn't last long and is mostly looking white but also a bit blue...


Replacing of the CCV / PCV valve is planned with the air filter, but what is vortex separator?
About checking the turbo i will try but now i don't even picture where it is located. If you have some pics or diagrams it would be awesome.


It's my first diesel, was much more simple on N/A gasoline..


The logic i see in this issue is when i turn off the car and let it cool down, some stuff is going to the engine or any other place that heats a lot, and at startup it all sudenly burn.

Watch this video - it shows everything you need to know.

https://youtu.be/-LXBlUlgTjo

There are two types of oil separator - the filter (loo roll) type and the vortex type. The filter type possibly does a better job but can clog quickly so the the vortex type is more commonly used to reduce maint.

Filter type...

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2U0AA...5G5/s-l400.jpg

Vortex type...

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon...._AC_SY355_.jpg

Mine - old and new...

https://i.ibb.co/5GRNRVD/20161226-101845.jpg

I'm with Clavurion on his thought of turbo seals.

Video already in my bookmarks, watching it i decided to replace this valve with air filter.
Most of them i saw for sale were vortex type then.



If it's the turbo, shouldn't it smoke all the way i'm driving or revving?
I hear it when i go a bit heavy on the gas but i think it's the normal sound it should make.

When the seals are totally shot it will smoke all the time, extensively. I am guessing the seals are just starting to fail and passing oil into the intake as it sits. Look in the intake charge pipe as Clavurion suggests and see if you have any evidence of oil.

While you are probably correct OB, the seals would be pretty far gone to get to this stage. Mine are getting on, whistling like Roger Whittaker when cold, but no oil burn-off at startup.

Also, any oil (condensate) running down the intake when the car is sitting will not likely enter the turbo compressor inlet - it tends to pool on the front lip, seep out the compressor seal and drip down onto the engine mounts etc.

DAMHIK... :rolleyes:

https://i.ibb.co/F3Psrpp/20160604-105922.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/gJP5RZ9/20160604-105905.jpg

I don't know the diesel M57 Wayne, that's for sure. I have had some turbo seal failures on 1500 HP petrol engines though. Makes a lot of smoke. ;)