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[hugster62]

This is the best i can do, this is the second plug in, cant get camera any further back

http://www.studio62.co.uk/inplug.html

[hugster62]

Well i just started the car up, it starts fine, no smoke on start up from exhaust so i gave a good rev for a few times but i can't get a damn drop of smoke to come out of it now?, I really revved it as well!!?? It was REALLY billowing last night, caused the people behind me to swerve like mad, like a james bond film, almost funny ( ) but this is driving me loopy :-/

[Marks DTM Calib]

Is it only when cold.....or only when hot.....

Does it occur continuously when it happens or only following a period of engine braking (i.e. throttle shut)

It could be as simple as condenstaion from the exhaust....

Its worth cleaning all the breathers and the throttle body etc as a matter of course....so that we know the engine is not getting pressurised and forcing oil past the rings....

[TheBoy]

This is the best i can do, this is the second plug in, cant get camera any further back

http://www.studio62.co.uk/inplug.html

They are dry

Take M_DTM's suggestion, and clean up throttle body and breathers (guide in Mainatenece Guides section)...

[hugster62]

UPDATE

I had a mobile mechanic come out this morning and have a look at the car.  Didn't really do anything but did say that it looked like either a head gasket problem or, more likely, he suspects it's a valve that has gone. He ran a diagnostic check but it couldn't really tell him anything(?) but he said if i wanted it fixed it would be a couple of days and £410 for parts and labour.

Not sure if this is a good price or not, i paid £700 for the car in February with one years MOT which sounded a good deal (it's very tidy) but to add another £400 onto this is an R reg Omega wort £1100?  Not sure now what to do, really like the car, could break it down and sell it as parts but then i'd love to get it going again...

Thanks for all your help guys

[ClarCE]

UPDATE

I had a mobile mechanic come out this morning and have a look at the car.  Didn't really do anything but did say that it looked like either a head gasket problem or, more likely, he suspects it's a valve that has gone. He ran a diagnostic check but it couldn't really tell him anything(?) but he said if i wanted it fixed it would be a couple of days and £410 for parts and labour.

Not sure if this is a good price or not, i paid £700 for the car in February with one years MOT which sounded a good deal (it's very tidy) but to add another £400 onto this is an R reg Omega wort £1100?  Not sure now what to do, really like the car, could break it down and sell it as parts but then i'd love to get it going again...

Thanks for all your help guys

If you're not losing any coolant, and the oil level is not changing or going mayonaise like then how can he be suggesting head gasket?  Did he do a test on the header tank that sniffs for exhaust gases in the coolant?  If not I wouldn't be taking his advice at all..

Thats if he's suggesting its going to be £410 for a new head gasket, a bit of skimming and a few hours labour, sounds way over to me.  My local mechanic did this on my astra which really had gone - £200 all in...

You need to definitevley find the problem before you start thinking about getting a mechanic to fix whatever it is - my guess is if you gave him the money to do the HG now, you'd still have the problem and be wasting your money..

[Craig_R]

What Chris Said.

If your not losing coolant and there is no mayo on the dip stick then its not the head Gasket.


How do the Mechanics come up with these diagnosis's i think they just randomly pick something that sounds good.


Craig

[hugster62]

Well I have taken the advice of people on this site who really know their stuff and i agree with you.  He didn't do any tests whatsoever on the car apart from plugging in a computer and then his expression said he didn't really know what he was looking at (i hd already been told how to do this with a paper clip on this very site) Perhaps i should ring round some garages, it was definitely a water problem he said, most likely a valve but could be a head gasket but until he stripped it all down there was no way of telling.

[hugster62]

The reason for it being a water problem he said was due to the white smoke from the exhaust. He said you could smell it also(?) I'm absolutely no loosing coolant although due to an oil leak i have had to top it up each month with a litre bottle.

[ClarCE]

The reason for it being a water problem he said was due to the white smoke from the exhaust. He said you could smell it also(?) I'm absolutely no loosing coolant although due to an oil leak i have had to top it up each month with a litre bottle.

You do get a lot of condensation in Omegas, its the most I've ever had in a car but mine is a V6 - in the morning, the first time you start it - its going to smell of steam as the condensation gets heated up and pushed out..  It doesn't explain why you only get it at certain points at a certain speeds..

You are sure that nothings burning inside that backbox are you?  That smoke would probably also be white/grey..

[Craig_R]

Well another thing if the exhaust gases were going into the coolant system like it did on mine the coolant system would get pressurized

you can normally hear this as the header tank cap hisses after a drive and the system gets up to pressure.

The cap releases pressure at a fixed PSI cant remember what it is i think its printed on the cap somewhere.

[hugster62]

Well we did discover yesterday that the exhaust was blowing but not sure where.  I've had some great advice from the people on this site, I think the mechanic may have just been trying to get me have the head gasket "repaired". I'm going to leave the car running for a while and see if it is a condensation problem i can burn the water off and someone did tell me that i could try some stuff that kind of looks like glitter (it's a little like radweld) that you put into the expansion bottle as it could be the beginning of a HG and that might plug the leak? worth a try?

It may just solve the problem temporarily but long enough for me to get to Motorworld and trade it i for another one!!!

[hugster62]

OK

I have just been out in the car on about a 10 mile journey to the parts shop, the car was running normal, no smoke, didn't take it above 50mph.  Bought some stuff called K Seal which you pour in the radiator expansion bottle. Drove the car home, got to about 50mph and heard a rattleing/knockin sound coming from the engine, lost a little power, it started to judder and then smoke poured from the exhaust. Eased off the pressure and drove the last couple of miles home with slight, but constant smoke coming from the exhaust.  The rattle/knockin is a new thing to add to the list but it is definitely not right and i won't be driving it again.

Plus the K Seal obviously doen't work or it's not something that needs sealing!?

[Craig_R]

Your 100% Sure Your Not Losing any Coolant get a marker pen and mark it on a level surface.

If the Smoke is not Oil then it has to be Coolant. Oh try smelling your exhaust gases to see if you can smell antifreeze.

[hugster62]

I'm sure its water, i got out and it really smells like a radiator but i'm losing no water from my expansion tank?. On the last run i did the temperature of the car ran between 92-95 but didn't go over 95.