White smoke from engine

[Trilidon 0]

My battery was dead so I got a friend of mine to jump s tart it for now.

 

Upon doing this I noticed white smoke coming out of the head/intake manifold side of the head.

 

He said it smelled like unburnt fuel, not really unburnt oil, at least thats what my friend says, maybe a mixture of both.

 

Funds are low and I just started a new job and this couldn't have happened at a worse time for me.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

 

Also, car has been sitting for a while, could this cause this?

[vr6storm 0]

white smoke is normally a sign of a head gasket failure :shock: ........as long as it was white smoke and not just condensation of course :wink:

[Trilidon 0]

well it kind of smelled like gas...

 

how bad is head gasket failure =/

[Henny 0]

was the engine running at the time? White smoke from the left hand side of the inlet manifold (as you look at it from the front of the car) is often fuel leaking onto a hot exhaust on a G60... The rubber pipe which runs between the fuel rail and the main fuel line, or the fuel pressure regulator and the other fuel line, is a sod for splitting at the end and causing a slight leak. When this fuel hits the manifold, it evaporates in a cloud of white smoke! :? :roll:

 

Check the 2 fuel pipes on that side of the engine to make sure they're OK... 8)

[Roger Blassberg 0]

and do it sooner rather than later !! Head gasket failure is bad, under-bonnet fire is worse...

Best wishes

 

RB

[Trilidon 0]

Ya, we had just started the car (jump start) and I noticed it. Was alot of white smoke honestly...

 

I dont know e xactly what to check henny =/ This is new to me and alot more complicated then a coolant change ;P If anyone wants to give me a step by step guide via PM it would help tons...

[Henny 0]

I'll stick a step by step on here instead! :D

 

Open the bonnet (duh! ;) )

Looking into the engine bay, you'll see 2 pipes coming up the left hand rear of the enginebay. These are the fuel feed and return pipes. On the end of these is a rubber pipe. One of these goes onto the TOP of the fuel rail (the black plastic rail which runs along the back of the head with 4 electrical injectors on it). Check this for leaks as it's the usual suspect.

The other rubber pipe runs onto the bottom of a round metal thing which has a pipe running off the top of it onto the left hand end of the inlet manifold. This is your fuel pressure regulator. Also check this pipe for leaks as it splits too... :roll:

 

There is one other pipe to check too... on the RIGHT hand end of the head, at the back near to the front of the throttle body there is an electrical sensor bolted to a plate attached to the head and the inlet manifold. This has a rubber pipe on it which runs to the right hand end of the fuel rail.. this also can split at either end and drop fuel onto the exhaust manifold... (the electrical sensor is a fuel pressure switch...)

 

See photo below for where the pipes are.... 8) Pink rings = pipe ends to check, pink splodge = Fuel Pressure Regulator which has the pipe under it... 8) (Sorry the photo's of a head not on a car, it's the only one I've got at the moment... :roll: :lol: )

[Trilidon 0]

Humm, I think I got it...would this be how it looks as im looking at it from the front?

 

Also what is an obvious sign of leaking other then tears or or holes? Any discoloration or anything?

 

Side note, the smoke was kind of coming from the inside where it looks like that black pipe is and creeping over the top. Pal of mine said if it was the headgasket there would be a smell that isn't exactly like fuel and more of an ammonia or something

 

 

Is he off his rocker?

[Henny 0]

nah, that sounds about right... Head gaskets leaking tend to smell of burnt fuel and hot coolant... (trust me on this one, why do you think that photo's got the head on the floor, not on the car?!? :roll: :oops: )

 

The smoke will be coming off the exhaust manifold which is right at the back on the bottom of that photo... the reason for this is that there is a drain hole in the casting of the inlet manifold below the fuel pipes to allow rain etc to drain off it...

 

To check the pipes for leaks, get a mate to turn on the ignition when the engine is cold and you are looking at the pipes... if one becomes wet, or you can see fuel leaking, there's your culprit! ;) :lol: Seriously, they tend to leak visibly when you turn on the ignition 'cos the pipes are cold and so aren't as supple as when warm so they leak more...

 

I'd place my bet on it being the top pipe on the left hand side... ;)

[dr_mat 0]

Henny is that the official VAG-supplied "inlet manifold protective gasket" tool on the right of the photo? AKA a "used marigold"?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Funny how most mechanics use rubber gloves for everything except protecting their hands !

[Henny 0]

Henny is that the official VAG-supplied "inlet manifold protective gasket" tool on the right of the photo? AKA a "used marigold"?

 

Yup... 8) :lol:

 

I've gone through 2 boxes of gloves this year...

[dr_mat 0]

I've gone through 2 boxes of gloves this year...

 

We do NOT wanna know about that!!!!!!!!! :shock: ;)

[Roger Blassberg 0]

To check the pipes for leaks, get a mate to turn on the ignition when the engine is cold and you are looking at the pipes... if one becomes wet, or you can see fuel leaking, there's your culprit

 

Doesn't the engine have to be running to energise the fuel pump relay?

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[Henny 0]

nope, on a G60 it fires it for a moment when you first turn on the ignition...

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Thanks for that , Henny. It makes sense to pressurise the system before cranking the engine. Must think more clearly before sending messages... :oops:

 

Am I right in thinking that, if the engine is stalled with the ignition switched on, the relay will cut out the pump to prevent a big fire in the case of a major frontal impact?

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[Henny 0]

yup... the fuel pump fires once when the ignition is switched on to pressurise the system, and then only starts firing again once the starter is engaged or the engine is running... 8)

 

Slightly off topic, but you may also find that when the engine is HOT and the ignition is off, the fuel pump still fires every now and then... this is to circulate the fuel so that you don't get evaporation in the pipes making it difficult to start... 8) Clever buggers these EFI designers! ;) 8)

[kongo127 0]

Nice one Henny!

Didn´t know about this one!

Suberb forum!

We are always learning! :D

[dr_mat 0]

Nice one Henny!

Didn´t know about this one!

Suberb forum!

We are always learning! :D

 

We learn something new every day.

 

The sad thing about that is that you now won't learn anything else until tomorrow!!

 

Based on that you may as well go to bed now - the day is written off anyway... ;)

[Henny 0]

I sooo wish that were true... I'm knackered and can't wait for 5:30... ;) :lol:

[Trilidon 0]

So, all I have to do is get the click of the fuel pump going and then check for leaks? Don't have to actually start the dub?

[Henny 0]

yup, that's about the long and short of it... 8)

[Trilidon 0]

Humm sounds good, I was just thinken about something else. Would the head get hot enough to evaporate the gas that falls onto it ? I mean I had JUST started the car and saw white smoke...

 

How fast does that thing heat up?

[Henny 0]

the exhaust manifold does get that hot after about 45 seconds or so or running... if you're smoke starts at around that time or later, then this is still a valid train of thought... If it smokes as soon as you turn the engine on, then I doubt it's this (which is why I asked exactly when it did it in my first reply! ;) :lol: )

[Trilidon 0]

I noticed the smoke after about 10-20 seconds..

 

 

crap =P