Puff's of white smoke

[DjLiquid]

This is kind of a unique problem. It just started happening four days ago as I was heading out to my cabin which is in Ontario. As I got on the highway I slowly sped up to the speed limit (100kmh). Since the spedo is off in my car I cruised up to 115kmh. Well, after about 10 minutes of keeping the rpm's the same (around 3500) I would get a LARGE puff of white smoke so thick that I couldnt see through it for a few seconds. I didnt have a misfire or anything and I never would have noticed it if I wasnt looking in my rear view mirror right at that moment. It happened approximatly 6 more times going to my cabin and it happened when I was always going the same speed. No shifts, no letting go of the accelerator, nothing. I think it may be since my car was running so rich before that my O2 sensor is clogged and throwing off bad codes. I had a friend who works as a diesel mechanic in Kenora diagnose it as coolant mixing in the cylinders and being burnt (possible headgasket leak he suggests).

I figure I would come to here ASAP and post what happened to see if anything like this has happened to any of you guys.

Thanks! =D

[89'ClubK's]

Could be O2. Try replacing it before going onto more expensive solutions.My car would just smoke at idle and not on throttle. I had a little oil in my turbo intake piping, so I installed a Cusco Catch Can. Come to find out my turbo seals were leaking and burning through the exhaust. Check the turbo. I hope its' not the headgasket, but that is a possibility. Though if you had a small leak, it would burn white smoke all the time, just not very noticable. I can't see it collecting and then shooting out all at once. A large leak would smoke all the time, and you would loose compression. Oil and coolant both smoke white, so it is hard to diagnose. Good luck!

[DjLiquid]

I remember taking off my intake piping from my turbo all the way to the throttle body and there is a nice oil trail in there.. It was pretty bad too.. so you figure the seals on the turbo are leaking, eh?

I had suspected that when I noticed it a few weeks ago. I have another turbo to replace this one with if anything were to happen but I guess for the mean time I'll just have to drive it as is.

Worst case scenario, it is the turbo leaking, what kinda damage are we talking about here if I keep running it the way it is? blown turbo and that's it?

[89'ClubK's]

Yeah, my first turbo I ran until I heard a "screeching" noise. Come to find out this noise was because the blades were hitting the wall of the housing.I ended up with that much shaft play. Don't think anything else was hurt. I only ran it like that for a few weeks, and checked the oil everyday. Try putting on the other turbo, new O2, and cleaning out your piping. If it still does that, you could have PROBLEMS. Such as the head gasket. If the headgasket is gone, you may have oil in your radiator and/or overflow.But like I said, start with the cheapest and hope for the best!

[slownslurious]

mine pours smoke out the exhaust like a chimney esp. if I get on it when the oil is cold and the pressure skyrockets... I never shoulda blown those oil seals in the turbo. be careful with your drain lines....

[GoofyATX240]

The seals don't actually get blown they just push apart letting oil piss by.