A6 1.9TDI 130 SMOKE PROBLEM

[a6mother]

I recently bought a 1.9 tdi pd 130 audi a6 from 2003 with 42000miles.
The car drives very well and the engine feels healty and powerful.

However, I noticed a significant amount of smoke in the mirrors when accelerating hard - and I wonder whether this is a sign of engine wear or it's normal. When the engine is warm there's no smoke at idle or when revving (around 2500-3000revs). But when I asked a friend to drive it from cold (after two days of not being driven), they accelerated hard and filled the whole street with an alarming amount of blue-white smoke.
I would very much appreciate your opinions on this.
Regards.

[Banshee]

I have 2.5 V6 Tdi and bought mine 2 years ago from an independant specialist.

The standard smoke (ie thick black) is the unburnt diesel/soot being cleared, as these cars have loads of torque and therefore do not need to be driven hard this does occur. Plus 1st gear is quite tall so unless you change gear early the engine will spin up quickly.

Just prior to MOT time drive the car quite hard for a few days otherwise you may fail on emmisions mine did last year, upon advice from garage to drive hard or stretch out gear changes for aquick trip up the local dual carriageway sorted this.

The white smoke which mine as just started doing when coming to idle in traffic or stopping at junctions etc, is under investigation and i will post back an answer as soon as I have one.

[Banshee]

Found out problem is caused by oil breather failure.

Way to check if your fault is the same, remove oil filler cap with engine running and if you have the same fault you will notice a release of vacuum when doing so.

Been quoted £280 by local specialist as approx 3 hours labour to replace unit as it is at the back of the engine under the turbo.

[a6mother]

Found out problem is caused by oil breather failure.

Way to check if your fault is the same, remove oil filler cap with engine running and if you have the same fault you will notice a release of vacuum when doing so.

Been quoted £280 by local specialist as approx 3 hours labour to replace unit as it is at the back of the engine under the turbo.

Hi Banshee,

Thank you for your posts. It looks like there is less and less smoke... but anyway I am taking it to an Audi garage on monday for a check.

However, there are a few more things that bother me about this car:

1. I find the gearstick to move (on it's own) stilghtly when accelerating/decelerating in the first and second gears. It that normal?
(it has manual gearbox)
I also find the car to be extremely sluggish of the mark. I guess 1.9 is a little small for the mass of an a6. How is yours behaving at lights?

All the best.

[Banshee]

No problem happy to help.

The gear stick does move a little when accelerating or de celerating never bothered me as most cars tend to do this to a greater or lesser degree.

Does the linkage itself feel loose or hard to engage gears.

Being the 2.5 v6 mine isnt sluggish away from lights but I think the tall 1st gear helps there