Smoke when starting from cold

[janda]

Audi 2.5 TDi A4 (VLO)
My neighbour has this 54 plate car, he is a nice guy and asks me as a member of this forum to post this for him.
He says, "Blue smoke when starting from cold, does not appear to use any more engine oil than before it started smoking, the smoke is blue, not black as per diesel. 1000,000 miles". If anybody could shine some light on this it would be appreciated.
Cheers.:1zhelp:
Janda

[Zenerdiode]

A million miles :confused: :D

A puff of blue may be valve stem seals or a slightly dribbly injector.

[Crasher]

Sounds like one or more failed glow plugs. If you are brave, take them out and test them but I strongly recommend you fit new ones anyway as they have a nasty habit of snapping off in the head. Even removing the old ones makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up with the creaking and cracking noises they make.

[STEWY L]

1 million miles,- i take that to read 100k,
as crasher says, glow plugs--
however, if he is happy to turn the key twice, instead of once,
i'd say leave well alone.
glow plugs can snap when being removed,but as long as their is still
some plug left in the hole they won't leak compression,
although they obviously won't work, if you have a snapped one, tape the lead with insulating tape,
and rely on the other three?
that's the way i'd go at that mileage anyway,
best regards,
stewy.

[Zenerdiode]

...Even removing the old ones makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up with the creaking and cracking noises they make.

Well said Steve. I'm glad it frightens you guys in the trade as much as me. I thought you had big pots of magic dust to ease out old fittings. I was once changing the spark plugs on a Sob 900 and the first ¼ turn crack sounded exactly like a normal crack when loosening; but the second ¼ turn went way too easy...

A head off and heli-coil to the rescue there. :D

[janda]

Oops!! As my profile says...old and silly:Blush2::Blush2:
Of course a million miles would be unattainable...or would it? I meant 100,000.
Thank you all for your replies I will pass them on to my neighbour. Whilst gloating in my old Passat Automatic.
Cheers all.
Janda