2012 Focus ST3 - Crankcase pressurised and smoke on startup
Discussion
Hello all,
My recent ST purchase (2012 ST3 - standard - 64k miles) has developed an issue (or perhaps already had it when I bought it as I've only had the car 4 months)... bought from a non-Ford dealer but predictably with only 3 months warranty and this has cropped up in month 4 so having spoken to them, it seems unlikely they are going to offer much help.
Yesterday when I started the car in the morning, plumes of whiteish grey smoke came out of the exhaust - not blue. It didn't smell particularly oily but I suspect that's what it was rather than coolant, as I've checked both the filler cap and the coolant tank and neither show any signs of cross contamination.
BUT speaking of the oil filler cap, I took it off with the engine running as I wanted to check if there was excessive crankcase pressurisation and there was - there was a noticeable change in engine note with the cap off, and I could feel the pressure sputtering out of the filler cap (and within seconds my hand was covered in oil spatter being spat out of the filler cap).
I took it to a local garage I trust and they think the valve seals are knackered - they are recommending that the head comes off, valve seals replaced, head skimmed, new HG etc. They haven't yet stripped the engine down, and I haven't yet compression tested it (though I can as I have a tester set at home). It seems to run OK and not be significantly down on power, but obviously I'm reluctant to drive it if significant amounts of oil are getting blown by. I haven't noticed if it is using much oil as TBH I haven't driven it that much since buying it - probably less than 1500 miles.
Any thoughts as to what could be causing this?
Thanks
My recent ST purchase (2012 ST3 - standard - 64k miles) has developed an issue (or perhaps already had it when I bought it as I've only had the car 4 months)... bought from a non-Ford dealer but predictably with only 3 months warranty and this has cropped up in month 4 so having spoken to them, it seems unlikely they are going to offer much help.
Yesterday when I started the car in the morning, plumes of whiteish grey smoke came out of the exhaust - not blue. It didn't smell particularly oily but I suspect that's what it was rather than coolant, as I've checked both the filler cap and the coolant tank and neither show any signs of cross contamination.
BUT speaking of the oil filler cap, I took it off with the engine running as I wanted to check if there was excessive crankcase pressurisation and there was - there was a noticeable change in engine note with the cap off, and I could feel the pressure sputtering out of the filler cap (and within seconds my hand was covered in oil spatter being spat out of the filler cap).
I took it to a local garage I trust and they think the valve seals are knackered - they are recommending that the head comes off, valve seals replaced, head skimmed, new HG etc. They haven't yet stripped the engine down, and I haven't yet compression tested it (though I can as I have a tester set at home). It seems to run OK and not be significantly down on power, but obviously I'm reluctant to drive it if significant amounts of oil are getting blown by. I haven't noticed if it is using much oil as TBH I haven't driven it that much since buying it - probably less than 1500 miles.
Any thoughts as to what could be causing this?
Thanks
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