Audi A3 Car Help

[Capello1986]

looking for some advice about my Audi A3 2.0TDI

I just paid a huge bill for a various working costing £1865 which included replacing the turbo as the waste gate had seized and was burning oil.

I have since had the car back for over a week but in the past two days I have noticed that In the mornings am still leaving a light blue smoke like it was before, not as bad. The garage did say to me that it would take a while for the excess oil to be burned from the exhaust systems but how long would this take? They replace all the hoses but am thinking maybe the intercooler needs cleaned now as wouldn't oil be able to travel there and get stuck? Do you have to take this off to do it as this would involve me taking the bumper off :-(.

Cheers
Martin

[rachel]

It could well be oil in the intercooler but at that sort of cost they should have cleaned it out !!! Ask them.

As for oil in the cat / exhaust thats very likley so for the mo provided they have cleaned the intercooler just drive it.

Keep a close (daily) eye on the oil level in the sump , use the dipstic to check please.

Also notify the garage its not 100%

Good luck x Rachel independant garage mechanic / owner ;-)

[coptermanic]

I agree with Rachel. As they have done the work, keep them informed of the smoke levels, as all may not be resolved.

[CChris]

I am a bit old school when it comes to turbos so forgive me I am no Audi tech, but I used to build mental Mini turbos for fun. A seized waste gate can not burn oil, oil is no where near the waste gate. The waste gate opens and closes to regulate the boost the turbo generates, the there is to much boost the waste gate opens and exhaust or "waste" gas by passes the turbo, and thus lowering the boost, until the waste gate closes. Oil can be burned when the turbo oil seal fails. Oil lubricate the shaft and bearings in the turbo, which connects the two fans, so there is a seal at both ends, if the seals leak oil into the exhaust you will see the buring oil.

Only real advice I can give is you can buy access to the Audi user manual, by the hour, from the Audi web site, and print all the pages you need to remove the bumper step by step and intercooler. It cost about £5, so way cheaper than breaking stuff in the good old trial and expensive error method of car repair. Google Audi erWin for the URL

Hope this helps a bit

Chris.

[Tridztan]

If the work was done in an Audi dealership, give them a call and take it back there as they'll normally guarantee their work. Most other garages also guarantee their work so it's worth giving the garage a call, I'm sure they'll be able to sort you out if the problem has come about as a result of the existing work carried out.

[rsmuppet]

I would tend to agree with Chris on this one a waste gate only control's the amount of boost that it sent to the inlet and bypasses the rest down the exhaust so has no contact with oil at all. the only oil used it to cool the turbo and its run over the bearings in the input/ compressor wheel. As per your question on removing the front bumper , there not nice and have 20 torx srews 30 torx and 10 mm nut's everywhere . better to have the front of the car raised and the front wheel's off for access . I seem to recall some of the audi's having 2 small intercooler's located one on each side underneth the lamp's . boost pipes are held on by horseshoe clips that locate on a lip . Really not a job i would tackle unless u have no other option .Your a little far away or i'd come and do it for you , I'd send it back to Audi first and tell them it's blowing blue though and see what they have to say .

[CChris]

If you look at that ErWin web site, and enter your vin number the manual will show exactly how to get at your intercooler and remove your bumper. Its far better than the old haynes manual "remove bumper" type instruction.

Chris.

PS the examples are in German, but its also in English ;-)

[Capello1986]

Just called them and they are saying the same, the waste gate doesn't cause any oil burning so must be something else. What else could this be? It was doing it before I put the car in but told only the waste gate was seized and nothing else. I really don't want to spend mega bucks again in 1-2 weeks after it being fixed as already broke lol.

They have said to take the car in anytime so it can be left over night so they can see what it looks like

Martin

[Streetluge Chris]

[QUOTE=coptermanic;676290]I agree with Rachel. As they have done the work, keep them informed of the smoke levels, as all may not be resolved.[/QUOTE]

I con currrrrrrrrr


Its common problem with the turbos I have recovered lots with turbo gone it does take a while to get rid of the smoke.
Its more likley small amount in the cat that not burnt of yet.

[rsmuppet]

If it's only on start up then goes away after that then it could be vavle guides or valve stem oil seals. Have the replaced the whole turbo/ compressor housing?. If it's just the compressor then it could be turbo seals . Is it deffo blue and not grey/ black / white ? Not sure it you know the differancebut generally speaking blue is oil, Grey /black if unburnt fuel and white is coolant . If it's just on start up that it puff's a little blue then i could be caused by a small amount of oil seaping past the stem seams down into the bore and burning off as ur start the car. If it does it when the car's on over run it creates a vacum and draws oil past the valve guides and burns it .

[rsmuppet]

[QUOTE=Streetluge Chris;676326]I con currrrrrrrrr


Its common problem with the turbos I have recovered lots with turbo gone it does take a while to get rid of the smoke.
Its more likley small amount in the cat that not burnt of yet.[/QUOTE]

I cant imagine that if he's had it back for a week the cat being the hottest part of the exhaust (bar the headers) wont have burnt off the oil in the first tripand would smell like satan's whore knickers as it warms up :)