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Hi. I have imported a skyline last month that has only covered 130.000 km, since day one it has only been troubles with it. The biggest problem now is that it burns extreme amounts of oil, if I drive it hard for like a hour, it can burn 2 liters of oil without problem... (Insane)

Short info:

- White smoke from exhaust when the car is idling when engine is warm,

- No visible smoke when the engine is cold and idling

- When accelerating hard, it comes allot of white/light blue smoke (not completely blue color), and leaves a smoke cloud which is visible in the mirror

- No visible oil leaks

- No loss of water in the cooler

- Doesn't burn oil when driving carefully/slow

- A bit of oil in the intake pipe and intercooler pipes

- Engine room very clean :ermm:

Since the car only have 130.000km, and have no visible blue smoke, I'm hoping that it's not the piston rings... Also a while a go I had a car with worn pistons, but at least I didn't have to refill the oil every day even though I droved it hard.

I have "stripped down" the turbo and sent it for troubleshooting, and I hoping that the oil seals are causing this.

After googling on net, I found out that the PCV valve can also be the problem, but I can't locate where it is in the engine, that's why I created this topic so you guys can help me with that. I attached the picture from the engine room, hope someone can mark where the PCV valve is so I can check it...

Thanks for replies in advance...

post-72654-1271381280_thumb.jpg

Edited by Iceman22

I'd do a compression/leakdown test on it.

Does it feel like the car is suffering for performance? As in, does the engine feel weak or strong? Piston rings burning 2 litres of oil you would definitely feel a lack of compression.

It's probably the turbo given you don't see any smoke when idling and it's after hard driving that it burns all the oil.

I haven't drived a skyline with 300 horsepowers before, so I don't have a comparison, but I can't say it feels weak, in my opinion it accelerates fast. At first when I got the car it feelt weak, but it was because the last owner had turbo boost response on the lowest setting (boost controller), after I changed it to higher setting (like it was supposed to be) it was performing much better, and I think it performs like it should.

Edited by Iceman22

most likely your turbo. luckily for you they go for around $250-300. if you're good with a spanner you should get away with it quite cheaply.

while looking at the engine the PCV is the BLUE plastic bit on the left hand side on the left rocker cover, it has a small pipe in the shape of an S that goes from the rocker cover to the plenum. spray some WD40 or drop some engine oil so you dont damage the rubber grommet when you try and wedge the PCV out.

Edited by SECURITY

I see, the rocker cover is disassembled on my engine like you see on the picture, I can't remember seeing any blue plastic bit, but I will check later when I come home. It isn't visible on the picture I attached right?

I see, the rocker cover is disassembled on my engine like you see on the picture, I can't remember seeing any blue plastic bit, but I will check later when I come home. It isn't visible on the picture I attached right?

that isnt the rocker cover, thats your coil pack cover that you have taken off.

as bubba said. here is a pic to help.

post-13452-1271526762_thumb.jpg

I found the pcv valve, thanks.

Now a little update. Like I said, I sent the turbo to a professional workshop earlier, and now they told me that the turbo blade had play in the shaft, so the turbo is definitely not OK, and it would probably not last for long

I was recommended to change the turbo to a good GARRETT instead of buying new original one, but I'm a little afraid that the oil problem will not disappear even after installing a new turbo and spending much money for nothing.... Do you guys think that the worn turbo would really burn so much oil by itself while accelerating, and that in the bottom the engine is OK? Should I just go for the new turbo ?

Edited by Iceman22

if the turbo is shagged you will need to replace it anyway. you could spend $250 and throw on any turbo to see if the problem goes away - but then you would be stuck with a standard turbo.

most turbos have play in the shaft, which direction was there play? in and out or side to side? side to side is OKAY if its really small, like 0.5mm. in and out is not okay. its when they use words like EXCESSIVE play is when you should get worried.

my opinion is that its the turbo, its usually the first thing to go on a high km engine. so just get it replaced and go from there.

if the turbo is shagged you will need to replace it anyway. you could spend $250 and throw on any turbo to see if the problem goes away - but then you would be stuck with a standard turbo.

most turbos have play in the shaft, which direction was there play? in and out or side to side? side to side is OKAY if its really small, like 0.5mm. in and out is not okay. its when they use words like EXCESSIVE play is when you should get worried.

my opinion is that its the turbo, its usually the first thing to go on a high km engine. so just get it replaced and go from there.

I checked by myself when I took it out, and the play was in both directions, side to side and in/out, not much but it was there.

It would be fun to gain 50-100 more horsepower when upgrading turbo etc... but if it still was going to burn oil afterwards it would be a dissaster :ermm: I also have a strong feeiling it's the turbo causing all this since I now know the play is not ok.

Edited by Iceman22

Just replace your standard turbo first.

If that fixes it and you enjoy your car in a few months time and it hasn't turned out to be a lemon, think about upgrading then.

You'll always recoup your money on the standard turbo when you re-sell it down the track.

Thanks for your help everyone!

I bought a original turbo that was in great condition, will install it next week, hopefully it will solve the problem.

I have a good feeling that it's the turbo because:

* It was oil under the place where the turbo is installed

* play in the shaft (both directions)

* burned oil only when boosting and drived hard

* turbo air pressure for the turbo was never "stable", boost controller always warned when it exceeded 0.85bar even though I had low settings

* turbo boost response was on the lowest setting from the last owner, therefore I suspect the last owner did this so I wouldn't find out of the burning oil problem since the turbo was barely used

Hope I'm right :blush:

Edited by Iceman22
  • 2 weeks later...

Hi again guys.

Now the new turbo is fitted, it's a bit used but the seller told me that the turbo is in great condition.

The smoke from the exhaust is now completely gone. I drived it today very hard, but no smoke was ever visible, and It's definetely not suffering for performance :P

Before I fitted the new turbo, I noticed it was alot of oil in the intercooler pipes and intake pipe, I didn't cleaned it yet but I will do it tomorow. There was some oil coming out of the blow off valve, hopefully it's because of the oil that is left from the old turbo, I will report back and see if it helped cleaning.

Edited by Iceman22

I cleaned the intercooler and intake pipes for oil today, it was very much in there. After that the oil didn't leak from dump valve this time, so look's like the turbo is good for now :(

Anyway, I think the car use a bit to much oil when driving it extremely hard (not yet confirmed), even though no smoke is visible. I suspect it's the oil I'm using that can't handle the high temperature/pressure, (Coma 15W40 semi syntetic, english brand). The original oil pressure gauge read approx:

[1 bar = 1kg/cm2]

6-7 bar when the engine is cold

6 bar when driving hard when engine is warm

4 bar when driving slow

2.5 bar when idling (warm engine)

For me this sound kinda high, because 8 bar is the maximum level on the gauge. Am I wrong?

Edited by Iceman22

Hi again!

I drived the car hard again yesterday, normally I would use a lot of oil, but when I checked the oil this morning, it haven't used any at all :(

So the skyline and I are very happy now ! Thanks for all your help, hope this thread would be usefull for someone else when experience the same problem as I did.

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