Smoky BKD 140

[Stonesie]

I hope this is not mirroring an existing post but my Leon has started making a puff of light coloured smoke on cold starts and also a large cloud of it when moving away from traffic lights once it's warmed up.

When driving, there is no visible smoke in the mirror, power and economy appear unaffected and the coolant level is just below max... I will check the oil level after work tomorrow as the slope of my drive makes it impossible to get an accurate reading (shows either way too high or low depending which way the car's pointing.) Although it doesn't smell like burning oil, or coolant for that matter.


Car details
59 plate 140 sport with 55,000 on the clock.



Tomorow, it will get some love (Italian tune-up) and see what happens.... I have AA cover
Could it just be a bad tank of diesel? it's only started since I last filled up (Esso, as always, cheapest in the area and on my commute)

 

[Stonesie]

Ok so I was wrong, it is using coolant. I took it to a local garage for a block test and he didn't even do that, just looked at the exhaust while i revved it and said "I can tell you this, get rid! these lumps don't blow gaskets, they crack heads and you're looking at 4 figures to fix it"

Soooooo
I have some thin steel so as a last resort I will blank off the egr at the intake, if that has no effect then it's safe to assume the egr cooler is not the culprit??

Back to "bangernomics" buy a banger, if it stuff's up then weigh it in and buy another.

 

[Pimped up vario]

Check the core plug in the egr valve at the back of the engine at the right hand side as your looking in at the engine. The egr valve has a water jacket in which the core plug corrodes and then spits out all your coolant. Was your coolant in good order concentration wise? The cold weather may have had an impact on it.

 

[spud31]

id try warrenty as the porus head problem has been accepted by vw

 

[towcester vag]

they do do headgaskets but usually at higher milages usual diag is no coolant loss around town driving but yes on longer runs
yes they do have porous head but its a certain number printed on head (there is info on this forum )
egr coolers do fail similar symptons to headgasket

 

[Stonesie]

Already tried calling the local dealer, they don't want to know.


The head is already the "C" version, so the best of the bunch... I will check the egr cooler when I get home tonight.

 

[Pimped up vario]

Already tried calling the local dealer, they don't want to know.


The head is already the "C" version, so the best of the bunch... I will check the egr cooler when I get home tonight.

I be very surprised if it was the cooler itself as they are quite well made. The core plug in the water jacket that's integrated into the egr valve at the back of the engine or one of the hoses feeding the assembly. The egr valve at the back is knocking on the door of a £100 and the cooler is about £250 odds. The core can be aluminium welded in. Not ideal to seal of what is effectively a safety feature but a tenner is a lot more attractive than £100. If you keep your coolant system in tip top condition then the prospect of silt build up and the need for the core plug should be negligible.

 

[Stonesie]

The coolant strength was checked in September and was ok to -30°C according to the local Ford dealer, they were offering AirCon re-gas and service for £40 and did a full health check while they were about it... While I was punting a 1.0 turbo fiesta around for an hour, it was surprisingly punchy.


The plan was to get the car's cam belt and water pump done this year, which would need a coolant change anyway, and a bank account slightly more healthy than mine at the moment.

I've put off the inspection until tomorrow as it's dark, cold, wet but i'm on an early shift tomorrow so will do it then after letting it cool a bit.

When I take the pipe off the EGR valve on the cooler I will actually be happy if i see liquid...

 

[Pimped up vario]

The coolant strength was checked in September and was ok to -30°C according to the local Ford dealer, they were offering AirCon re-gas and service for £40 and did a full health check while they were about it... While I was punting a 1.0 turbo fiesta around for an hour, it was surprisingly punchy.


The plan was to get the car's cam belt and water pump done this year, which would need a coolant change anyway, and a bank account slightly more healthy than mine at the moment.

I've put off the inspection until tomorrow as it's dark, cold, wet but i'm on an early shift tomorrow so will do it then after letting it cool a bit.

When I take the pipe off the EGR valve on the cooler I will actually be happy if i see liquid...

It's a lot easier to see what the crack is if you remove egr valve and cooler together. It is quite difficult to get off in that you have to have good dexterity in the hands and do a lot of the work by feel rather than sight. That is true of the touran. The access may be easier on a leon.

 

[Stonesie]

http://youtu.be/fgnjh57Lbi4

And the 'Hot' pipe is sooty, Cold pipe is quite grotty, no obvious steam cleaning from a coolant leak but I ran out of daylight so I will drain and flush the coolant and remove the cooler tomorrow.

 

[Stonesie]

The cooler is fine and stands up to mains water pressure with no issues, same for the EGR flap, Just off to try to find a hose clip tool as I want to flush the cooling system out... Got to get it running to take it to the local head specialist.

Nobody seems to have this tool...

 

[Pimped up vario]

I use the plumbers pliers. They're long with a notched rack built into the handle. The rack adjusts the opening width of the jaws.

 

[Stonesie]

Well, I got a tool on loan from my local friendly MOT tester, and he recommended I put some 'Steel seal' in it... Well it went back together, all flushed out, new red coolant and the cure in a bottle.
After an hour of running and bleeding it still had a slight air lock so I took it for a run... And now there is no coolant circulating.

Honestly, I am fed up and it still smokes just like before, I think the water pump has given up but I might just take it to a garage and let them sort it... Totally effed off with it.


Anyone know a reputable VAG mechanic in the Doncaster area? NOT Stoneacre!

 

[Phil_JJ]

Steel seal doesn't work right when mixed with vag coolant supposedly.

 

[Stonesie]

I think I have to bite the bullet, Orf with it's head... I will look into doing it myself if I don't need any special timing tools to put it back together. It will give me a chance to go through the cooling system too.

 

[Pimped up vario]

You will need a cam lock tool. I don't think the laser on is that expensive.

 

[Stonesie]

About the same cost as that steel seal, I know which I would rather have spent money on but hay, now I know.

After a bit of thinking, tomorrows plan is to unblock the cooling system to get the car usable again, I can use my 'toy*' to go get some more coolant in a back pack and then talk to my local head guy on Monday to see what I should be doing... If I take that head off it will get very expensive and I need to chat to an expert first (after his latest advice my MOT guy no longer qualifies). My pockets are not that deep unless I use the dreaded credit card.



*Toy = Triumph Street Triple.

 

[Pimped up vario]

What's a head for those cost? £250-350. You could put a new belt on while you're there if you need one.

 

[Stonesie]

I don't know how much a new head will set me back.... Holy hell, Darkside want £650! And on Euro car parts I'm well over £300 on parts!

My credit card will have to assume the position on this job... No labor as I will do this myself.
Today it rained every time I went outside so tomorrow I will get on with it and take it to the head shop and talk prices with him, even if it means suffering my dad's driving

 

[Stonesie]

I can't edit the post above but I have the head almost off, the turbo needs moving back off it's studs but numbnuts here forgot to disconnect the charge pipe, and its time for work so I will be catching the bus in a bit.

It's been a few years since I have had a cylinder head off a car so I'm slow and having to go back and do stuff in a haphazard order, out of practice I think.

The local head shop want £33 to pressure test the head, then we discuss refurbing or replacing.

Hopefully I can snag my brother in the morning to help lift the head off, 6 years of siting on my butt all day driving for a living hasn't done me many favors...