I took my car to a body shop to install a new front bumper approximately two weeks ago. The body shop also uninstalled my bbk so I can get those powdercoated (kill two birds with one stone). Therefore, my car was sitting on a slight incline for approximately 2 weeks without being driven. However, this car is not a daily driver and has gone longer periods of time without being driven (just not on an incline). Well I picked up the car and here are the symptoms:


1. I have white smoke coming from my exhaust when I idle.

2. The right tail pipe is black and moist and the left is dry (i have the aps st exhaust)

3. no smoke at WOT

4. the smoke is not consistent, i'll drive the car for 10 minutes and the smoke at idle will start.

5. I've driven the car approximately 40-50 miles since getting it from the bodyshop.

6. I did not have this problem before I took it to the body shop.

Other than that, the car runs strong, I'm just nervous about blowing something. Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

valve seals? check your coolant also... if coolant level is ok then it might not be white smoke. but blueish white smoke indicating ur burning oil.

 

^coolant looks to be okay

 

Could just be condensation built up in the exhaust system from sitting. How heavy is this smoke? Does it look like the steam from an exhaust on a car that was just started on a cold day? Or are we talking rocket launch levels of smoke?

 

the volume of smoke varies, but generally speaking it has been decreasing. the first day I drove it home, it looked like my car was on fire. Now, it steams while I'm at idle and it is noticeabe but not as bad as it was before. Also, there is a smell attached to the steam but I don't know how to describe it, I guess it could be the smell of hot oil?

 

Make sure your oil level is ok. The body shop may have damaged some wiring to the oil pump. You can check some of the intercooler piping for any oil. Other than that bring the car to rogerand have him check it out for you.

 

yea, i'm gonna end up doing that.

 

One thing to look at....depending on the age of the APS ST (I have one), the older ones have a mechanical check valve, as opposed to the newer ons being equipped with electronic ones. The mechanical valves are sometimes prone to sticking open, allowing oil to leak and settle in the downpipe (mine did), esp if yours sat a while. Not saying that's the problem but something to look into. Good luck

 

^thanks bro, i believe i have one of the older kits, and i spoke with my mechanic that installed the turbo (japtrix) and he said that a lot of times when these kits sit for a while they tend to smoke because of the oil settling, but i didn't think it would last this long.

 

same thing recently happened to my old G35 with the APS st, i still talk to the guy that bought it. his smokes when going up/down a hill, when idling, not on WOT. he just sent his turbo to get exhanged, so that will tell us what the cause is, because everything else is working, PCV, sump, etc...

 

I'm gonna check the oil level in the morning, the oil is supposed to come to the bottom line of the dipstick with aps correct?

 

at the L level

 

^coo thanks, i'll keep u guys updated

 

some oil may have gotten past the turbo seals and it's just getting burned off. last year my car sat for 2 months because of a bad check valve on the aps st. after it was replaced there was some smoking and i think it was because oil had pooled up, just needed to get burned off.

 

^that's what my mechanic told me, it needs to be burned off....and the angle my car was positioned (upwards) probably didn't help much either.

 

The electric check valve is supposed to fix the problem. I haven't had problems since the previous one but DON'T overfill the oil. Just at the "L" or just below the 1st "bump" on that impossible to read dipstick

 

+1^

 

Replace stock PCV (or take it out and clean it and make sure it flows only one way) and APS check valve.