smoke on idle!!
Turbo Mini Forums

my car smokes on idle (only when the engine is warm). Iv checked the plenum and inlet pipe for oil and its bone dry, does this mean i can completly rule out the turbo seals or any other problems with the turbo?

i'll have a pound on valve guides worn.

Ha ha thats what i thought! had them done and also changed the seals it did cure it for about 3 weeks then it started again! i read that if the oil drain is blocked it can cause smoke, if it was the oil drain would it blow oil in to the plenum?

could be oil seals in the turbo dumping oil into the exhaust. our van smokes like dot cotton until about 2000 rev's

Ah would that mean you wouldnt see any oil in the plenum then?

yep. our turbo will be getting swapped at some point in the near future, but then our valve guides are fooked anyway...

ok thanks for the advice! think the next step is to try run it n/a then

if the smokes on idle engine warm, then you pull away from a junction it smokes like a world war 2 destroyer then clears under boost its the turbo oil seal gone on the exhaust side

especially if the turbos unknown (ie) some 20 years old

Thanks for that!!!, have you got any ideas on how to find out for sure or is it just a matter of running it n/a?

Dont totaly knock those 20 year old turbos. I have been running the same T3 unit since 2003. Any smoke has always been down to the head or motor not the Turbo, and I consider this unit the weakest of the batch I have.

Own the day

when you say it could be the head do u mean guides and seals? or could it be a different problem with the head?

Does anyone know if fuel mixture can cause smoke on idle? im sure the mixture is wrong on mine because stinks of petrol!!

Does ut stop under boost?

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


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yeah, theres no smoke at all when its driving on or off boost

Exactly the same symptoms as mine.

Guides and seals, I bet it also smokes on the over run when you have closed the throttle.

If it cuts out on boost and you have got the part throttle lean off pipe fitted it may have a split in it.

Own the day

yea mate it will be Guides and seals as mr joshua has said just done all that with mine...

my mini has a cold

I had the guides changed and i also changed the seals, when i got the head back and i put the valves in they seemed a bit sloppy so i went back to the shop, he said they seemed ok? may be the valves are worn? they looked ok and had no steps or ridges on them.

Yep. My head was completely refurbed and converted to unleaded. Put straight onto a newly built engine. I've noticed that when it comes on boost the exhaust gives out a puff of blue smoke. It's still rapid though but a little embarrassing at traffic lights.

I also have the same symptoms with mine too...smokes abit of blue smoke at idle and seems to go away completely when rev'd or driven. Turbo is rebuilt and engine is on its second rebuilt after a couple of things broke and went wrong a while back. Im putting the cause of it down to rings..im guessing my eng reconditioner used some that arent the best of quality. And Funny thing is it Never smoked on the First Rebuild with geniune new old stock MG Turbo rings!

1975 MkIII Morris Mini 1300 Turbo, 100bhp...if only it could run long enough to drive it legally!

If his rings were gone it would smoke especially bad when reving it I still think its your valve stems. old valves in new guides without the guides being reamed to match your old valves could be your problem.

Have you checked your fueling it will smoke if your running rich.
What colour is the smoke?

Own the day

Mine smoked a little a first when i rebuilt the engine i found that my bores were glazed due to rich mixture, probably not allowing the rings to bed in properly.

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/