My girlfriends 91 Jetta is smoking up a storm upon start up and sometimes it loads-up while driving and lets out a BIG cloud of white smoke. It recently got a new head and had work done to the exhaust system. It also just passed southern California smog with flying colors. Please any help would be great. I am fixing this one myself, (we are done with the local mechanics).
White = steam = coolant.
hmmmm...
Since coolant is pretty much vaporized H2O, that isn't likely to cause you to fail a smog (steam isn't a pollutant).
I'd suspect something gone awry with the head job.
After reading your post I went out and did a compression test. Head gasket looks solid. I also checked the cooling system pressure and looks good also. No oil in coolent or via versa. Oil was 1 qt. low but since I don't think ANY of the mechanics who worked on it checked the oil, I have no reference. So I topped it up and will keep an I on it. I just need this thing to last a little longer as my girlfriend really wants a turbo diesel VW. I have 82' Vanagon diesel that runs on waste vegetable oil and she loves it.
Do you have a coolant leak somewhere? Bad flange? Small crack in the water jacket? Bad hose? Although it sounds like it's related to RPMs (the BIG cloud of white smoke). Hmmm...
Darryl.
What does it smell like? Does it smell like burning anti-freeze or oil? And (dumb question) is it smoking out of the pipe or out of the engine compartment?
Sometimes electrical glitches in the ignition/fuel systems on these cars can cause similar problems. You might try cleaning all of the grounds, especially the ones on the drivers' side of the cylinder head. Let us know how this goes on, OK?
-Chris
Well compression is well over 150lbs. on all cyl. The oil level so far is unchanged. Coolent level is also unchanged. It primarily happens at cold start and sometimes it "loads-up" and puffs a smoke screen while driving, even hot. I had my old porsche cook coolent due to a cracked cyl. sleeve. But that was constant. Again this is sporatic at best. I'll keep following your suggestions. Thanks, Rex
it.
******** Where do you get waste vegetable oil? ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver"Giggle Cream - it makes dessert *funny*!
Sounds like oil running down the valve seals when it's sitting. My son's 92 jetta 1.8 does it.
JoBo
is it an automatic and does it have a vacuum modulator that year. ATF makes tons of smoke and it could be seeping through the modulator and sending a slug of oil to the intake now and then.
doug
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