2.0 Tdi BRD white/blue smoke, stem seals?

[Shakeeb_5]

Hello,
i've got an audi a4 b7 2.0 tdi 170bhp BRD engine-115k milleage last servicrd 3k miles ago with all filter and engine oil appropriate for the engine because it has dpf on. I replaced the oil pump balance shaft just a few months ago before it had actually went just because of how common it is. I've also had smoke issues for the past six months. It starts on cold engine first thing, white/blue smoke smell of oil burning, sometimes can be toxic fumes coming out, once engine warms up you can smell oil burning but cant see any colour smoke

Took it to dealers and they told me im imagining things most likely, and they can't smell anything...they did a pressure test and checked air to fuel ratio for maf which was fine
its also had new egr and manifold cleaned out last month
few weeks ago it had stopped smoking so i thought great not realising oil level was below half (dipsticks on these cars another issue!!)

filled it back up with oil yesterday and it started smoking again, this time i took it to a local mechanic and he put his hand in exhaust and showed me it was covered in oil and the oil burning off was producing the smoke
he also took intercooler pipe off- the one going to egr and found there wasnt excessive oil there which rules out turbo seals

Been told its steam seals?
And £500 job to say the least?!? But he did mention he will see if he can get some tool for this engine where he doesnt have to take head off so labour might be cheaper but what do you guys think, and what sorta hours labour do you think?

[zollaf]

how accurate is the dipstick. could it just be that the engine has too much oil in it maybe. wouldn't be the first time this has happened. if you drain the oil and then replace the right amount, where does it go on the dipstick. ?

[mikeybutch]

If its seals you would see smoke all the time.How much oil does it use?If normal I wouldn't worry just monitor.Maybe some injector cleaner and a good hot run will help

[Crasher]

I have never ever seen stem seals or guides wear on the 2L 16v head. Whoever said it's a £500 job has never done one, £500 would cover the cost of removing and replacing the cam belt system and buy some of the parts but it is a LONG LONG way in from there to do the stem seals with the head on. firstly you have to find some way of pumping compressed air into the cylinders whilst you remove all 16 valve spring retainers one at a time.



Getting an air line adapter into these glow plug holes can be a sketch, I made my own adapter.

[quattrokid]

Very interested in how this goes as I also have a BRD with issues. I wouldn't say smoke but fumes, strong catch your throat fumes. My DPF has been removed but I smelt another 170 TDI with DPF removed today (it's a kink I am developing) same smell but not as strong as mine. I also know exactly what the OP is saying about the dipsticks, think it is probably not just BRDs but it's so hard to see exactly where the level is. Like the pictures above, I haven't seen inside my engine before so this is a first, where are the glow plugs?

[Crasher]

DPF removed cars are illegal AND in my experience emit a strong acrid smell that bites.

[Shakeeb_5]

He did say £500 minimum ��...you can smell the oil burning all the time even when engines warm, but just can't see the smoke when its warmed up,
it's gone from max to min on the dipstick in 3k miles/3 months with no obvious oil leaks in engine bay either
If i left it wouldn't it damage the DPF and CAT with the excess oil?,
While the exhuast is cold if you start it up after 30 seconds or so put your hand in the exhaust and oil covers your hand...drive till its warmed up and park up again and wait for exhaust to go cold and put your hand in exhaust theres no oil

[Shakeeb_5]

The oil light comes on in car when it hits minimum on dipstick so can't see dipstick being at fault, even if it was the car burns oil all the way from max to minimum but smoking/butning oil less at near minimum

[zollaf]

to understand how valve stem seals leak you need to look back to old petrol engines. when you lift off the throttle there is a vacuum created in the inlet manifold which literally sucks oil in past the inlet valve seals. some older cars didn't even have seals on the exhaust valves as there is never and vacuum in the exhaust to cause the oil to be sucked in. now, look at your car, its a diesel so there is never any vacuum in the inlet anyway (apart from the shut off valve which operates for a second when you switch the engine off). its also turbocharged so the inlet runs at positive pressure for most of the time. the exhaust also runs positive pressure and oil will tend to not ever be drawn in through a valve seal. so i don't think your problem is valve stem oil seals. its either rings or the turbo seal, or a blocked breather or there is too much oil in the sump.

[Rob69]

In your OP you say they checked the turbo intercooler pipes which ruled out turbo seals, but that is only on the compressor side, what about the exhaust turbine side? It sounds like you are getting wet oil out the exhaust rather than blue smoke from oil burnt in the engine from passing oil rings on the pistons or stem seals. You'd need to drop the exhaust off the turbine casing to see. I know a few folks who've had to replace the turbos on 2 litre engine around that sort of mileage.