Whilst engine on n dipstick out, smoke is showing up!

[Raul_breganzo]

Hi

I recently bought an Audi A3 1.6 TDI on an 11 plate. A week or so now.

Randomly whilst the engine was running I took out the dipstick and noticed quite a bit of smoke coming out! The same happens if I take off the oil cap...

Having compared it to my mates 1.9 TDI it's a lot more and I'm quite concerned 😳

Has anyone else experienced this?
All the garages seem to think it's nothing however no one can explain what's causing the symptom (the smoke).

The car otherwise drives perfect... ???

Should I ignore this or is there an underlying issue and in future I see the affects!?

P.S. Recently serviced the car with no effect to the smoke...

If you want I can add a short clip? Not sure I can on the forum.

My first post so please take it easy!

[Hainey]

The 1.6 is soft as jelly anyways, but you have ring blowby. This is not good.

[davebem]

Not sure what made you remove the dipstick/cap while running but a small amount of steam is normal, remember the oil will probably be just above 100 degrees.

[Raul_breganzo]

Hainey said:

The 1.6 is soft as jelly anyways, but you have ring blowby. This is not good.

Sorry, can you elaborate please?
I took the car to an Audi specialist (IVC in Leeds) and they thought nothing of it...

What other symptoms are of 'ring blowby'???

Are the 1.6 n 1.9 TDI not very similar?

[Raul_breganzo]

davebem said:

Not sure what made you remove the dipstick/cap while running but a small amount of steam is normal, remember the oil will probably be just above 100 degrees.

The whole reason as people say this could be piston related etc!?

[Raul_breganzo]

Raul_breganzo said:

Sorry, can you elaborate please?
I took the car to an Audi specialist (IVC in Leeds) and they thought nothing of it...

What other symptoms are of 'ring blowby'???

Are the 1.6 n 1.9 TDI not very similar?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wadmzv1Vs0Q

Just watched this.. there's no loss of power. I've just serviced it today so I'm not sure about how much oil it's using up....

[Hainey]

Raul_breganzo said:

Hainey said:

The 1.6 is soft as jelly anyways, but you have ring blowby. This is not good.

Sorry, can you elaborate please?
I took the car to an Audi specialist (IVC in Leeds) and they thought nothing of it...

What other symptoms are of 'ring blowby'???

Are the 1.6 n 1.9 TDI not very similar?

The engines are nothing like each other and the 1.6 is a soft lump of ste. I've rebuild a few of them. I'll send you pics of the last one i did if you want to get an understanding of it.

This pressure is caused by combustion gasses leaking by the rings. A little is normal. A lot isn't.

The 1.6 is very fragile during its new low miles period. If its went everywhere with the right pedal mashed to the floor when new they get like this. Common with company car owners who give zero fornications.

All the oil changes in the world will not fix it.

[Raul_breganzo]

Hainey said:

The engines are nothing like each other and the 1.6 is a soft lump of ste. I've rebuild a few of them. I'll send you pics of the last one i did if you want to get an understanding of it.

This pressure is caused by combustion gasses leaking by the rings. A little is normal. A lot isn't.

The 1.6 is very fragile during its new low miles period. If its went everywhere with the right pedal mashed to the floor when new they get like this. Common with company car owners who give zero fornications.

All the oil changes in the world will not fix it.

So what's the ramifications of this?
Am I looking at the engine dying on me soon??? 😱😱😱

The last lady owner had this car since 2014 and has been averaging 10k each year however it was owned by a fleet for the first 2/3 years...

Can I send you a video please so you can confirm it's bad!?

P.S. Why didn't the Audi specialist point this out to me?

Also, do you think a warranty with warranty companies will cover this?

[Hainey]

Sure, post a link to the vid.

How many miles on it?

Warranty company will tell you to chase yourself btw.

Audi specialist? So what makes them that then? I could stick a sign above the door tonight saying that and it means 3/10ths of bugger all.

Engines are just engines. Nuts bolts and gaskets. VAG stuff is actually pretty easy to work on and apart from the cost of a little specialist kit its a decent money maker i.e. the comm to let me tell the ecu I'm about to wind in the back calipers etc. Even the funky arse about face clutch on the audi is no big deal once you've built it once, and the kit comes with instructions in the box you'd need to be a right clown to get wrong.

Calling yourself a specialist is a good way to charge 60 an hour for monkey work though.

[Raul_breganzo]

Hainey said:

Sure, post a link to the vid.

How many miles on it?

Warranty company will tell you to chase yourself btw.

Audi specialist? So what makes them that then? I could stick a sign above the door tonight saying that and it means 3/10ths of bugger all.

Engines are just engines. Nuts bolts and gaskets. VAG stuff is actually pretty easy to work on and apart from the cost of a little specialist kit its a decent money maker i.e. the comm to let me tell the ecu I'm about to wind in the back calipers etc. Even the funky arse about face clutch on the audi is no big deal once you've built it once, and the kit comes with instructions in the box you'd need to be a right clown to get wrong.

Calling yourself a specialist is a good way to charge 60 an hour for monkey work though.

I'm not sure how to post a video but will attempt in a few hours.

89k miles.

Company I mentioned;
Established in 1987, we are Yorkshire’s leading one brand repair centre. The staff at *** has over 190 years of knowledge and experience of VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda, which enables us to offer quality work at sensible cost to you, the customer. Contact our garage in Leeds today and get the experts to work on your car.

So a company like warrantywise won't cover engine/piston issues? Will they say it's wear n tear?

Edited by Raul_breganzo on Sunday 20th May 11:07

[Hainey]

Aye post it up.

I'd bin the name of the compant out your post. Thats bad form.

[Hainey]

Mate 2 secs on Google tells you who that is. Play the game a bit.

[Sheepshanks]

Hainey said:

Mate 2 secs on Google tells you who that is. Play the game a bit.

What's the problem - he took to a VAG specialist and they said it's fine? They've seen it and you haven't, but it's still just their opinion.

[Hainey]

Sheepshanks said:

Hainey said:

Mate 2 secs on Google tells you who that is. Play the game a bit.

What's the problem - he took to a VAG specialist and they said it's fine? They've seen it and you haven't, but it's still just their opinion.

The problem is its unfair to drag a company in thats only gave an opinion and isnt associated with his problem. No money changed hands there. At the moment no one but them have seen his smoke signals so they might be right but in the context of the writing, the are painted as wrong.

[Sheepshanks]

Hainey said:

The problem is its unfair to drag a company in thats only gave an opinion and isnt associated with his problem.

Whereas you post basically called all specialist scammers?

OP says several garages have looked at it and said it's fine. So he's a bit stuck even if it's beyond what should be normal.

[Hainey]

Sheepshanks said:

Hainey said:

The problem is its unfair to drag a company in thats only gave an opinion and isnt associated with his problem.

Whereas you post basically called all specialist scammers?

OP says several garages have looked at it and said it's fine. So he's a bit stuck even if it's beyond what should be normal.

No, I didn't. I asked a question. Massive difference. If someone is an ex master tech and has a workforce full of the same then he is legit which is why i advised the lad to ask questions. However if you are an ex electric wheelchair tech who then decides you are a one car make guru (as was the case near me) then it's right to ask questions.

Anyway you seem keen to get involved so I'll let you take over. It's not putting any coin in my pocket helping out so you crack on with your wisdom. I've got a fiat 500 box to change out for some pocket money.

[Raul_breganzo]

Please don't argue...
I don't believe money needs to be exchanged for an honest diagnoses to take place! Several garages n the reputable 1 ALL said it's nothing to be concerned about n the fact the drive is perfect don't worry.
Smoke/vapour whatever you want to call it appears. At start less n once the car warms up more. I've looked at several friends cars (all Audi A3) and they also have a bit of smoke but not as much as mine. Mind you, there car hadn't been running for long!
Can't upload the videos due to its size. Any suggestions please?

[Oscar011]

Raul_breganzo said:

Please don't argue...
I don't believe money needs to be exchanged for an honest diagnoses to take place! Several garages n the reputable 1 ALL said it's nothing to be concerned about n the fact the drive is perfect don't worry.
Smoke/vapour whatever you want to call it appears. At start less n once the car warms up more. I've looked at several friends cars (all Audi A3) and they also have a bit of smoke but not as much as mine. Mind you, there car hadn't been running for long!
Can't upload the videos due to its size. Any suggestions please?

The warmer the car / the longer the engine is kept running the hotter the oil temp is going to be which is why there will be some smoke coming out. As you opened the oil cap / took the dipstick out heat is going to try and escape from any open source. I’m with the other garages and say this really is nothing to worry about and is totally normal. But I haven’t seen the car but from what I’ve read I’d agree with the other garages.

[Raul_breganzo]

Oscar011 said:

The warmer the car / the longer the engine is kept running the hotter the oil temp is going to be which is why there will be some smoke coming out. As you opened the oil cap / took the dipstick out heat is going to try and escape from any open source. I’m with the other garages and say this really is nothing to worry about and is totally normal. But I haven’t seen the car but from what I’ve read I’d agree with the other garages.

How do I upload videos larger than 2MB please?

[Du1point8]

Raul_breganzo said:

Oscar011 said:

The warmer the car / the longer the engine is kept running the hotter the oil temp is going to be which is why there will be some smoke coming out. As you opened the oil cap / took the dipstick out heat is going to try and escape from any open source. I’m with the other garages and say this really is nothing to worry about and is totally normal. But I haven’t seen the car but from what I’ve read I’d agree with the other garages.

How do I upload videos larger than 2MB please?

load on youtube or such... does it do this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MFKCeBFXL4