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Oil spray all over engine bay (also white smoke from exhaust) '84 Euro 5sp
Hi all,
I'm losing a bit of oil inside the engine bay. My car (84 Euro 5sp, 172k km) was clean under the bonnet when it arrived a couple of weeks ago. Registration took some time and I have it on the road since this week. The car runs fine. I had a pre-purchase inspection done and it came out clean.
I've done 150kms in it this week, and it has run a few times in the last weeks too. My engine bay became quite greasy in this time. There is like a mist of tiny oil particles all over the place, but mostly on the pipes connecting the oil filler can.
I also have intermittent white smoke out of the exhaust. Sometimes really lots of it. this happens when I accelerate the car in traffic and rev it higher than 'normal driving'. When I release the pedal, the smoke comes (with some pops and bangs). If I rev it again, I occasionally have lots of smoke coming out of the exhaust (James Bond style even!). Not always. I think it only happens with spirited driving.
Not sure if this is related to my greasy engine bay.
White smoke would seem to indicate coolant in the exhaust. Check for milky oil. Could be a head gasket or a bad oil heat exchanger in the radiator. Neither would be a big surprise.
If not, do what Speedtoys suggests...do a compression test/inspect the spark plugs.
Euro engines are famous for breaking the ring lands/rings on the cast pistons.
One tank of low octane fuel can ruin the engine.
Looking with a boroscope at the piston tops can tell you also what is going on.
On my car we pull the engine after an broken head gasket and refresh the whole engine seven years ago. Now I know what I have.
These cars are near 40 years old and have maintenance costs like a Lockeed Starfighter if the previous owner did only polishing and oil changes.
But after blood and tears I drive mine Euro S without fear as a daily driver on very long road trips. But my car was it‘s whole life an daily driver.
The Swiss architect, the second owner , use it in the same manner.
The place for an 928 is the road, not the garage.
I will do some investigation today, after cleaning everything. I don't have any advanced tools (yet) but I'm inclined to get me some and to work on the car myself.
I am an engineer (and computer scientist) and I love the technical side of things, though I was not schooled in car mechanics. Tearing the engine apart is something I'd rather get the help of a professional from, or even outsource altogether. I can already feel my pocket getting lighter... (but that isn't a surprise.)
I know, based on invoices that came with the car, that the LMM was replaced last year (invoice from Stein!). Earlier this year, all fuel injectors were renewed as well. CO was checked and adjusted at that time too. Based on those invoices, the car has only driven 500km in 2 years time. Prior to that, the car was stationary for a long time. Maintenance booklet says 160k km in '97, now has 172k km. Came from a collection according to the last seller.
My intention for the car is to drive it regularly, and to take it out for trips across Europe.
The most greasy part is definitely the hose coming to the top of the oil filler. The hose right below the top one was also greasy, and upon cleaning, appeared black on its bottom side.
I was able to fasten the clips of both hoses multiple turns, so this may have been a bit too loose.
Can these hoses sweat? Or is the oil coming from the endpoints?
I also noticed that the throttle valve switch (name from PET) looked very shiny too.
The oil in the filler is clean. The coolant in the tank too, so there's no apparent milky stuff.
My dipstick was in all the way, but looking at it, I may have too much oil in:
Can I easily get some of it out, without having to drain the entire block? Any idea how much I should be getting out?
I'd better not drive the car with too much oil I guess? (I did do 200kms in it already...)
My oil pressure gauge is all the way to the top (5 bar) when cold, or when driving. When warmed up, it idles around 3 bar.
Definitely overfilled, probably by at least 1/2 qt. I'd start there. Once you open the drain plug it's all going to want to come out and trying to stop it will make a mess. If go buy a brand new bucket from a local store, make sure it's clean inside, use it to catch all the oil the pour it back in with 1 less quart. Then add in small increments until you get the level right. See if that doesn't resolve your smoke and spray issues now that you've also tightened those clamps.
With that much smoke out the back, you should also replac erhe spark plugs as they're likely oil fouled. Will also give you a good opportunity to look at the plug ends to see if any look different from the others. Really clean ones are coolant steam cleaning them from a head gasket leak. Oily ones are piston blow by or poor crankcase ventilation or the overfilled oil where the #1 or #2 connecting rod will throw oil up into the breather hose for the oil filler canister. It's a good idea to install one of the vaned oil control plates from Hans or Greg Brown to help control that oil slinging.
Hmm, oil would be on top of course, so there could be water underneath? The coolant level is however where it needs to be in the expansion tank.
I'll pump some of the oil out with a special pump tomorrow and keep track of the levels in the coming days/weeks.
I'll also keep an eye on the hoses, and replace them if they keep sweating oil.
Hmm, oil would be on top of course, so there could be water underneath? The coolant level is however where it needs to be in the expansion tank.
I'll pump some of the oil out with a special pump tomorrow and keep track of the levels in the coming days/weeks.
I'll also keep an eye on the hoses, and replace them if they keep sweating oil.
If you go the route of replacing hoses, plan for a complete intake refresh.
Just snug the clamps, clean it up..
You have no water in your oil, that is evident on the dipstick..it would be a milkshake otherwise.
Just snug clamps, set the oil level correctly, drive it..enjoy it.
I have overfilled once, got on it on the highway, all hell broke lose..just like you had. Whoops.
11-16-2022, 12:16 PM
Oil spray all over engine bay (also white smoke from exhaust) '84 Euro 5sp
