2001 S & Huge amounts of white smoke

[timbo]

A parafin like smell would seem to me to be oil and not coolant, I'd be looking at investigating the AOS, if its really bad there could be a lot of oil about in cylinders and air intake, so probably a good idea to remove the plugs and see and do a compression test at the same time.

[Piper]

Just wondering if gas in the oil would be a symptom of my AOS failing again.... maybe too much oil in cylinder mixing with fuel and draining on the downstroke ?

I'd really love for it to be the AOS because theres no way in hell I can afford another engine right now. I'm taking it to a mechanic this coming monday or next monday so we'll see.. just want to be armed with alot of knowledge. Any things I should say to the mechanic to make him think I know a thing or two lol? Because I don't.

[Beelzy]

Tell the mechanic to double check the AOS J-tube. ;)

[Jake Raby]

Again it sounds like either the AOS or the fuel pressure spiked and dumped a ton of fuel into the cylinders.. The rings will allow the fuel to weep past them and mix with the oil.

You have come conflicting symptoms, things don't add up.

[Piper]

:D

You guys are brilliant.

Yes it was the air oil seperator. The one I bought to replace it was defective.

All is fine now, other than it runs a little bit rough, but I bet its just the plugs are a bit fouled now. I'm going to tune it up soon.

Thank you all for your input; this site should expect a monetary contribution from me soon.

[Beelzy]

Sweet deal!

No man should have to suffer with a smoking Porsche, such nasty habit. :P

Happy Porsching.

[schwank]

Funny, my 01 S did the same thing yesterday on the way to work. Looked out the rearview to see a giant smoke screen. Engine was still running ok with no idiot lights.

It's sitting in the shop right now awaiting a new AOS. Better than the alternative....

[Piper]

Okay the smoke is gone but I checked the oil this morning and it smells a bit of fuel.

What do you guys think? Spark plugs fowled? Injector stuck? Fuel pressure regulator problem?

Would excess fuel fumes in the crankcase cause an AOS failure I wonder?

Maybe it just needs an oil flush?

Rampant Boxster Paranoia?

Looks like its going back in the shop. :(

[timbo]

How does it run, any CELs. A faulty control pressure regulator would lead to either very lean or very rich running, any black smoke? a stuck inject would also tend to a rich mixture. I would check the plugs and maybe give it an oil change. How is the oil level, up or down.

[Piper]

No CEL's, oil level is good (it was just changed) but the oil is day by day smelling more and more like gasoline. Now it is once again very contaminated. I'm guessing it is the fuel pressure regulator since a stuck injector would most likely signal a CEL. Its going back to the shop Monday, until then I have no choice but to drive it. I will go easy on her.

Maybe I'll run durametrics on it tonight and make sure there arent any out of bound readings.

Oh and no, no black smoke.

Edited October 10, 2008 by Piper

[Piper]

Wow, the mechanic is stumped. After a battery of tests and a replaced fuel pressure regulator they have no idea how the gasoline is getting into the oil.

Any suggestions?

P. S. Should I start a new thread?

[Beelzy]

Well in my experience with other autos, gas in the oil is a sign of head or block damage.

How does the car run otherwise?

[Piper]

Well in my experience with other autos, gas in the oil is a sign of head or block damage.

How does the car run otherwise?

It runs a little rough. On durametrics the rough running value is at about 3.9.

I'm assuming they've done a compression test, since they arent offering it up as a possible cause. I suppose I'm going to have to ask.

They measured a fuel pressure spike of something like 75 psi on one of their tests and thats what lead them to replace the fuel pressure regulator; after the replacement they measured another spike and thats what has them scratching their heads.

What would cause the pressure to spike like that? Could they have installed a faulty FPR? Or could something have caused the FPR to go bad so quickly after installing it? Or am I just taking a good old fashioned reaming from a crooked mechanic?

[Beelzy]

Now that would seem a little strange. Replaced faulty AOS with a defective unit, then redone.

Faulty fuel reg, replaced, same issue. Is this part defective aslo??

Are they putting NEW parts on the car??

[Piper]

Now that would seem a little strange. Replaced faulty AOS with a defective unit, then redone.

Faulty fuel reg, replaced, same issue. Is this part defective aslo??

Are they putting NEW parts on the car??

I ordered the AOS from pelican parts. They are dealing with the fuel reg, and their source is a porsche dealership nearby.

I can only hope they are lol.

This is why I wish I had a garage lift. I've never met a mechanic that I could trust; I've been screwed over too many times.

[timbo]

I think you need to do a compression test. The amount of fuel you seem to be talking about would surely cause some black smoke if it was being burnt incorrectly. So some must not be being burnt if it is getting into the oil. So are you relying on smell to detect the gas in the oil? can you be absolutely sure there is gas in the oil? or is it possibly exhaust fumes? Have they done a sniff test on the coolent.

[Piper]

I think you need to do a compression test. The amount of fuel you seem to be talking about would surely cause some black smoke if it was being burnt incorrectly. So some must not be being burnt if it is getting into the oil. So are you relying on smell to detect the gas in the oil? can you be absolutely sure there is gas in the oil? or is it possibly exhaust fumes? Have they done a sniff test on the coolent.

Yes I am relying on smell. I have not sniffed the coolant, and as far as I know they haven't either. I will do that next. Now that you mention it I've never smelled oil with exhaust contamination in it so I really wouldnt know.

I'm pretty paranoid about the situation because the last thing my 240sx started doing before it shot a rod out of the bottom of the block is make the oil smell like gasoline.

My last talk with them they told me they had narrowed it down to the car running rich and they think it is the MAF sensor. They have someone coming with equipment to check it. I used a K&N filter last time the filter needed changing; perhaps that was a mistake and my MAF is slowly getting filter oil on it and causing it to run rich? Expensive mistake if so.

[timbo]

By sniffing the coolant I ment sucking some gases from the expansion tank into a pipette which has an indicator in it which can detect exhaust fumes, your garage should have one. Cleaning the Maff should be a relatively easy job so I'm told. Jensen Healeys used to leak petrol directly into the sump, the oil became very thin and wreaked of petrol, the level went up on the dip stick.