So every so often I have TONS of white smoke that smells real bad coming from my exhaust. It only happens here and there but I only see it when I idle for a bit (at stop lights), any idea what this might be?

 

White smoke = coolant (bad head gasket)
Blue smoke = oil (possibly from turbo)

Keep a close eye on your coolant level. If it's decreasing, you may have a blown head gasket. Fun job is differentiating between the white and blue tints of your exhaust smoke. Check your oil level and look for any oil loss. Until diagnosed properly, be easy with the car. I've been told I pump out some smoke as well when WOT from a dead stop but it's brief. Wouldn't be a bad idea for me to install an oil catch can.

BTW, what mods have you done to the car?

 

I'm pretty sure it's white, but could be wrong. It's been going on for awhile now (I know that's bad of me). I had it tuned 3 times since it started and just figured it wasn't a big deal cause I have raced that thing a lot at the track without a problem. If it starts smoking I just give it some gas and it goes away. Just scared to go to the dealer cause of warranty.

 

Oh and same here with a bit of smoke on wot from a dig, but very brief and it looks black.

 

That's probably because you're running rich.

If it is pumping out a lot of white smoke, that's coolant. Head gasket is either leaking or blown. I haven't tried yet on the RA but on past cars, I could test the head gasket by using an air compressor. Make sure the radiator has fluid and remove your spark plugs one at a time. When you remove a plug, replace it with some high pressure air from your hose and check for bubbles in your radiator fluid. If it bubbles, you've got a leaking head gasket.

Translation: Get a leak down test done

 

Another reason for white smoke is that the car is running lean. You say you've had it tuned, get it to a dyno ASAP and get your AFR's checked out.

Lean =

 

I wouldn't worry if its very brief and at wot. Turbo cars burn oil and its normal.

 

"tons" of white smoke? Get a compression test asap, take off oil filler cap and look to see if emulsified oil in the valve cover. Check dipstick for same. Look at coolant any oil in it.

If its bad after sitting idling may be oil, in older cars this was a sure sign of oil leaking past the valve guides.

If its smokey all the time and dark its usually rings. With the number of failures of number four cylinder recently i would be getting it checked fast.

So you can either be cautious and have it checked or do nothing and risk a rebuild its up to you.

 

Thanks for all the helpful info, going to take it in next week to get it checked by the dealer. My friend knows someone there that wont void my warranty! YEAH! Will post what it was next week.

 

no idea where you got that info from at all.. color of the smoke has to do with what is burning.... black = excess fuel, blue = excess oil, white = coolant.

 

^^ not all the time.
I got that info from 10+ years of having turbo street cars and many good friends who are car tuners. If your turbo car blows white smoke when it comes on boost then it can mean that the car is running lean which can/will damage the engine if it's not sorted out quickly.

Yes it can also mean that the head gasket is blown, but with a newish car that has been tuned, I'd be checking AFR's first.

 

That sounds more like burning off built up carbon residue at boost onset, not the same thing as smoking under boost or at idle (steady state), more of a clearing the pipes if you will.

 

*bump any update on the white smoke issue was it oil? coolant?

 

massive bump !!!!

but same issue, im getting white/greyish smoke under WOT. notice oil burning at a unusal rate (2qrts or so) over a 5000km/3000mile interval ??

 

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