Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Ian_D on 12 July 2009, 23:38:43

Title: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Ian_D on 12 July 2009, 23:38:43
Went to the VBOA meet this weekend towing the Caravan with my 3.0 V6.

Towed really really well all the way (slightly spirited towing lets say  :D)

Anyway, my mate who was following me said that it randomly kept chucking out thick dense smoke for a few seconds every now and then.

I said 'ah it will be the chip making it run a bit rich when I booted it' and thought no more of it.

Half way home, I happened to see the smoke in my drivers side wing mirror... It was then that I realized it was NOT from me booting it, and the smoke was blue  :( It was disturbingly dense too.

I came off the throttle, and the smoke continued  :-? I decided to boot it and see what happened... basically it smoked like a trooper for about a second, and then cleared?? Didn’t notice any smoke the remainder of the way home.

Got home and noticed that ALL the front of the caravan has a light covering in engine oil  :'(

Any ideas?  :-X
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Ian_D on 13 July 2009, 15:44:23
anyone?  :-? :-X
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: nick v6 on 13 July 2009, 15:49:18
whats your engine oil level like after the run
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 13 July 2009, 15:51:11
I assume the obvious things such as breathers and air filter are all clear?
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: NiallyV6CDX on 13 July 2009, 16:04:35
Valve stem seals going possibly?
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Omega man 2 on 13 July 2009, 18:47:29
Sounds i almost the same as on JamesV6CDX's astra with bad stem seals :-/
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Ian_D on 13 July 2009, 22:09:13
Quote
whats your engine oil level like after the run
After 400 miles (towing), the level has maybe only dropped 1mm or so on the stick.
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Ian_D on 13 July 2009, 22:12:36
Quote
Valve stem seals going possibly?
I did wonder that, but it doesn't smoke after its been sat all day - I thought thats what happened if it was the valve stems? :-X
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Ian_D on 14 July 2009, 20:27:18
Used the car today, and didnt notice any smoke  :) Having said that, it was only a 15 min / 4 mile drive  ;D

Other thing I thought of, could the smoke be related to engine temp? At the time, it was a tiny fraction below the 100degree mark?
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Lee A on 14 July 2009, 21:30:32
I had a Vauxhall Viceroy 6 cyl (remember them?!  ;D) that used to do the same thing as you are describing.

I replaced all the valve stem seals and it still did it, then i realised the breathers hadnt been cleaned in ages, a good clean out and it never did it again.

I would imagine if they are blocked the oil gets forced past the seals, especially when the engine is working hard.

Just my newbie 2 p worth  :)
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Tony H on 14 July 2009, 23:14:35
Quote
Went to the VBOA meet this weekend towing the Caravan with my 3.0 V6.

Towed really really well all the way (slightly spirited towing lets say  :D)

Anyway, my mate who was following me said that it randomly kept chucking out thick dense smoke for a few seconds every now and then.

I said 'ah it will be the chip making it run a bit rich when I booted it' and thought no more of it.

Half way home, I happened to see the smoke in my drivers side wing mirror... It was then that I realized it was NOT from me booting it, and the smoke was blue  :( It was disturbingly dense too.

I came off the throttle, and the smoke continued  :-? I decided to boot it and see what happened... basically it smoked like a trooper for about a second, and then cleared?? Didn’t notice any smoke the remainder of the way home.

Got home and noticed that ALL the front of the caravan has a light covering in engine oil  :'(

Any ideas?  :-X
A sooty, oily deposit from a diesel exaust can be quite normal
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Ian_D on 15 July 2009, 00:21:47
Quote
Quote
Went to the VBOA meet this weekend towing the Caravan with my 3.0 V6.

Towed really really well all the way (slightly spirited towing lets say  :D)

Anyway, my mate who was following me said that it randomly kept chucking out thick dense smoke for a few seconds every now and then.

I said 'ah it will be the chip making it run a bit rich when I booted it' and thought no more of it.

Half way home, I happened to see the smoke in my drivers side wing mirror... It was then that I realized it was NOT from me booting it, and the smoke was blue  :( It was disturbingly dense too.

I came off the throttle, and the smoke continued  :-? I decided to boot it and see what happened... basically it smoked like a trooper for about a second, and then cleared?? Didn’t notice any smoke the remainder of the way home.

Got home and noticed that ALL the front of the caravan has a light covering in engine oil  :'(

Any ideas?  :-X
A sooty, oily deposit from a diesel exaust can be quite normal
Tis petrol mate  ;D
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Ian_D on 15 July 2009, 00:25:06
Quote
I had a Vauxhall Viceroy 6 cyl (remember them?!  ;D) that used to do the same thing as you are describing.

I replaced all the valve stem seals and it still did it, then i realised the breathers hadnt been cleaned in ages, a good clean out and it never did it again.

I would imagine if they are blocked the oil gets forced past the seals, especially when the engine is working hard.

Just my newbie 2 p worth  :)

I will have a look at the breather box thing (dont know its correct name is - but I know its a pig to get at)
The pipes which run across the top of the plenum are fine as I had them all off exactly a week ago when it was missfiring - turned out to be a faulty dispack, and water in the HT leads.  >:(
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 15 July 2009, 09:11:41
So, you dont want answer my questions then  ;D
Title: Re: Help - V6 randomly smokes and spits out oil
Post by: Ian_D on 15 July 2009, 14:36:38
Quote
So, you dont want answer my questions then  ;D
;D I did read it mate! Air filter is clean....

But I didnt check the breather box down the back of the engine - which I knew you would question!  ;D  So I didnt want to waste your time, by you having to ask 'check the breather box' :y ;)