Scott 0 Posted June 9, 2003 Hiya People! Am a bit baffled at present with my VR6 and am looking for some ideas - the car is going to garage on Saturday but cant help wondering what to expect.... Basically - the car smokes.... blue/grey/black smoke.... but only happens if I hit the throttle from idle.... eg. I slow down for a car, roundabout, etc and come off throttle then apply throttle - it is then I get a 'puff/cloud' of smoke from exhaust - I keep throttle applied to accelerate and it clears straight away and no matter how many revs I use I wont see anymore smoke until I slow down and come off thottle then apply again - although this doesnt happen all the time... as you can imagine Im baffled. So first thing I did was plug my VAGCOM in - no fault codes present.... mmmmmmmm Can anyone help? Cheers Scott Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stormseeker 0 Posted June 9, 2003 Does it do it after a while at idle? i.e. waiting at lights/junctions etc. for a few mins. Only thing I can think of is valve guides/valve stem oil seals - 'cos my Pug 205 GTi 1.9 used to behave as you describe, but it would do it at idle too. Wouldn't do it all the time, just sometimes. Have you sorted out your dodgy injector(s)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted June 9, 2003 Occasionally yes it does.... but only when pulling away then as soon as car is moving and revs start increasing it clears and its fine... Mine doesnt do it all the time either.... just now and again but have noticed its got worse recently.... Well Ive had the car looked at and no garage agrees with the fact I might have a fuel problem even though I suspect number one plug is still fouling (need to check it again but broke spark plug lead tool!!!!)..... will check that over tonight if I can get the lead out without breaking it!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stormseeker 0 Posted June 9, 2003 Sounds like valve stems might be leaking oil into the engine then. Cylinder head recondition Sir? Oooh. Suits you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted June 9, 2003 Sounds like valve stems might be leaking oil into the engine then. Cylinder head recondition Sir? Oooh. Suits you. Yeah think you maybe right - sounds weird though as engine only done 100k miles!!!! and RR'd at 191bhp!!! How much for cylinder re con then? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted June 9, 2003 What about using a different oil grade? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stormseeker 0 Posted June 9, 2003 What about using a different oil grade? Might be worth a go. What are you using now anyway? Should be 10W40 in winter and 15W40 in summer for a VR6. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted June 9, 2003 What about using a different oil grade? Might be worth a go. What are you using now anyway? Should be 10W40 in winter and 15W40 in summer for a VR6. :shock: Using 10w 40 all year round - as friend of mine a VW freak as it happens also mentions I should use 15W 40 in summer.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted June 9, 2003 Any recommend a good 15W oil then? - I hate skimping on oil - and from what I know 15W is non synth ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stormseeker 0 Posted June 9, 2003 Castrol GTX magnatec do a 15W40 (don't know if it's fully or semi-synth tho) Heard a rumour that Mobil 1 had just released a 15W40 grade too but haven't seen any... Just checked Mobil1's website and they recommend a 15W50 but it's not clear if they actually make one themselves... (Later EDIT) - yep they do : Mobil 1® With SuperSyn™ Formula 15W-50 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted June 9, 2003 Castrol GTX magnatec do a 15W40 (don't know if it's fully or semi-synth tho) Heard a rumour that Mobil 1 had just released a 15W40 grade too but haven't seen any... Just checked Mobil1's website and they recommend a 15W50 but it's not clear if they actually make one themselves... They do make one themselves but have been advised to avoid synth as VR's like to burn it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted June 9, 2003 I was using Castrol GTX on my 16v Corrado - 15w/40 - used to run great, and helped reduce tappet noise I was experiencing before I had em replaced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted June 9, 2003 Mobil 1 'Motorsport' is their 15/50W stuff and it's got a picture of an F1 car on the can. Halfords sell it but it ain't cheap and you need 6 litres of it, so you'll need to buy 1 x 4 litre can and 2 x 1 litre bottles or 2 x 4 litre cans and use the remaining 2 litres for top ups. I used to use it in my 16V Turbo and it's thick enough not to burnt in droves. I just use VWs own Quantum silver stuff, 15W/40 which is fine. The engine doesn't seem to use hardly any of it. I reckon I must put a 1/4 litre in every 2000 miles or so. Vince recommends Quantum silver because some synth oils cause the hyrdualic lifters to only last 30,000 miles, as opposed to 70-80,000 miles. Cheers Kev 94 VR6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted June 9, 2003 Oh and re your smoke at idle problem, almost certainly valve guides/seals mate. At idle and on overrun there is slight vacuum in the chambers which pulls in oil through the worn stem seals. When you then press the throttle to pull away, that sucked in oil is burnt off. If the blue smoke continues whilst accelerating, you have bore wear, which by the sounds of it you don't. I would say you've just caught it in time and you should plan for a head rebuild in the near future. You can of course just change the seals with the head in situ but this is usually only done as temporary measure as worn guides will eat new seals pretty quickly. You say 'only' 100K, but that is the average head service life for the majority of cars and I've seen a few 8V Golf GTI's need a head job at 80,000 miles! It's an old cliche, but it's all down to how the car is treated. I'm sure you've looked after it well, but what about the previous owners? Cheers Kev 94 VR6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
parody 0 Posted August 14, 2003 Oh and re your smoke at idle problem, almost certainly valve guides/seals mate. At idle and on overrun there is slight vacuum in the chambers which pulls in oil through the worn stem seals. When you then press the throttle to pull away, that sucked in oil is burnt off. If the blue smoke continues whilst accelerating, you have bore wear, which by the sounds of it you don't. I would say you've just caught it in time and you should plan for a head rebuild in the near future. You can of course just change the seals with the head in situ but this is usually only done as temporary measure as worn guides will eat new seals pretty quickly. You say 'only' 100K, but that is the average head service life for the majority of cars and I've seen a few 8V Golf GTI's need a head job at 80,000 miles! It's an old cliche, but it's all down to how the car is treated. I'm sure you've looked after it well, but what about the previous owners? Cheers Kev 94 VR6 hi kev you seem to be a knowledgable man! Im getting the same smoke problems with my 16v, although its only been doing it since i used a different oil. I used the best mobil 1 fully synthetic stuff, then on oil change decided it was far to expensive and didnt really do much, so changed to a cheaper fully synthetic. On reading parts of the forum it seems C's prefer non synthetic? could it be the different oil? its 10w 40. Also i unfortunately had a cambelt snap on me about 4000m ago, so i had the engine rebuilt then at a VW specialist, could this be linked? I used some wynns 'stop smoke' which did the job for a couple of days but now its come back! I really dont wanna pay for another head rebuild. Think i might just sell it to a gullable person it seems to be falling apart. The cam belt wasnt my fault either! it has Full SH all VAG approved, i tried to get it done on warranty by VW but they said it wasnt the cam belt that snapped it was the tensioner that siezed up, so the charged me £68 for looking and sent me on my way! That was 4 days after buying the car! thanks aaron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted August 14, 2003 I wouldnt put fully snth 0w Mobile one in a 16V VAG engine - it wears the oil pumps am told as under higher strain.... Kev: the car has been looked after very well - was a one previously owned car when I bought it and had service history to back up mileage as well as old MOT's, etc.... but 100k does seem about the norm... I will be doing the head job myself on the VR6 - but only when I have the cash to do everything on the cylinder head which doing the work myself and getting the engineering shop to do the skimming, etc will set me back around £300.... Cheers Scott Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted August 14, 2003 aaron, try normal VW quantum silver stuff. It's a bit thicker than Mobil 1 (except M1 15/50W motorsport). I used to have the odd smoke puff on one of my 16Vs and VW oil cured it. If that doesn't cure it, then at least it's cheaper than throwing Mobil 1 down the drain and then sell the car like you say! Kev Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
H8RRA 0 Posted February 17, 2004 spoke to a golf vr'er who rebuilt a head then changed the engine because of smoking probs. Turned out to be the lambdna probe with a dodgy connection, overfuelin, chucking in too much fuel into the cylinders which escaped down the bores, thinned down the oil which then exitted and caused smoking.... think thats what he said anywasy but its worth a check. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StormVR6 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Just a quick moan from me regarding the so-called "VAG Approved" servicing, in my opinion the only reason to bother with the pathetic, presumptuous, smug, innocuous, lackluster, larcenous git behind the service desk (when he eventually gets to the damn desk) is to, for some reason, show the next buyer of your car that you have done your utmost to look after it by having VW carry out the "service". If your going to buy a car intending to keep it for a short period of time and sell it on by all means have the dealer rip you off to provide your service book with that all important VAG stamp, because yes some people do seem to think that without the official dealers stamp the car has obviously been neglected and will no doubt collapse to the ground within a few miles of driving it. On the flip-side you've bought it to keep until you die (yes I'm going to try!) and therefore would like a professional to work on it and not some 17 year old graduated from 'kwik-fit', mmm the stamp won't have the VAG branch code on it but your car will appreciate it far more than a potential buyer would. Sorry to go on :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted February 18, 2004 Precisely StormVR6...... what I've been saying for years. Unfortunately in this country, people that insist on stamps are in the same school of people that think an engine is dead once it covers 100,000 miles. The motoring press don't help with constant threats of non-dealer serviced cars being lemons and not worth as much as stamped-up ones, which of course, is largely exaggerated and untrue. At the end of the day, if people can't spot a neglected car upon inspection, then perhaps they should have an expert look over it on there behalf. Why pay £100 for a rubber stamp when you can do the same work for the cost of a tub of Quantum and a filter? And at least you will wipe up oil spills, correctly torque the sump bolt and not leave spanners on the slam panel. K Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
