Kandy

I'm just putting forward some differing ideas to be ignored or investigated by the OP as he/she so wishes.

I don't believe the issue of oil/coolant usage has actually been answered and as the problem is occasional any extra use might be negligible anyway. It could be a classic case of a few drops of oil finding it's way onto a hot exhaust/manifold - hence the question of smell.

It could equally be any of the other ideas put forward by yourself and other posters. It could be potentially serious, it could be mileage related wear and tear, it could be nothing. It is impossible to know with the info. supplied so far!

Anyway, I shall say no more.

cheezemonkhai

He posted a thread on the same subject previously hence the oil/coolant points raised.

Anyway I just think his indy might be taking the proverbial, since a head gasket and turbo change were done and had no effect. They probably cost a large amount too.

I'll leave it there too.

__________________
Cars make CO2 and trees absorb CO2. By driving your car you're feeding a tree and helping the environment.

Conshine

I always stick with:

Black smoke is unburnt fuel
White smoke is excessive water
Blue smoke is oil

The engine shouldn't be showing any excessive blue or white smoke.

The only white smoke I get from mine is when it's cold and I'm defrosting it and this is just condensation when the warmer exhaust gasses hit the cooler air at the rear end, bit like when you breath out on a cold day.

I'd stop too much idling though, ots of engine wear in the cold state, best to get going asap.

The oil pressure in the main gallery is sufficient for the engine even at tick over of the light will come on and the pressure won't go up that much at high load.

Just thought I'd throw my two pennith in.

KenONeill

IME:-

Black smoke is always unburnt or part-burnt fuel (esp with diesels and/or turbos).
Blue smoke is always small quantities of oil, such as inlet valve sten seal leaks, being burnt in the combustion chambers.
"White" smoke from a turbo engine needs to be smelt before you can decide definitely whether it's oil or steam. Seriously, in at least half the cases I've seen, the white smoke was accompanied by one of exhaust turbine oil seal failure or oil filter seal failure spraying oil onto a hot exhaust manifold.

Timo

Wow, this certainly sparked a heated debate. Thanks to all for all the input.
Smell wise, it smelt 'dry' odd way to describe it, I have smelt oil from car exhaust, almost like diesels and it wasn't like that.
I will see how things go, as I said have a service due, so will see what the man on the ground says. The problem has gone now, after a very short journey the day after, there was a little wisp of white smoke dribbling out the exhaust , when after it had been switched off, but now just seems the same as my mates vrs with a lot less miles on it.

KenONeill

I think it's put pretty much all the "what is the cause of excessive smoke?" opinions and diagnoses in one place!

cheezemonkhai

If you look at the pipe on most modern cars with cats you will see a small amount of water running out of the exhaust while the cat warms up. If it is that you are seeing thats normal

EDIT lol summarise it and sticky it

__________________
Cars make CO2 and trees absorb CO2. By driving your car you're feeding a tree and helping the environment.

Timo

Ok, service has been done by SJB autotech, oil changed etc etc. (For a suprisingly good price compared to last one from Skoda) Nothing came up on the Vag com. Car runs fine. They had a look, and could find nothing blindingly obvious. Suggested that it may be the turbo, but have to consider that this was happening before and after its replacement. I think that will have to see if it happens again, after the service. If so, may go back to the company that replaced the turbo, I told them that the smoke was a problem, and they said that the replaced turbo had rectified that.

KenONeill

This used to happen with some engines when cold, back in the days of carbies anyway.

CmHn + O2 => CO2 + H2O.