Lots of white smoke from exhaust (with video)

[cesc]

Recently my car has started losing lots of coolant, and also oil. I've notice white smoke coming from the exhaust previously but it wasn't too much and I dismissed it. However, during the last few days it's gotten really bad.

Take a look at this picture and the video:



http://youtube.com/watch?v=tA1ALMiYUwE

Bear in mind it was a windy day and the smoke was going everywhere making it look worse than it really is, but usually it puffs straight out in a line. It only does this during idle, if I'm sitting waiting for the lights to go green or something.

A mechanic told me it's to do with my lambda oxygen sensor and that the car is running lean.

I'm hoping it's not a sign of a bust turbo or leaking head gasket. The performance is not affected, I've not lost any boost and the car doesn't overheat. The turbo doesn't sound too much different than before. The smoke definitely smells slightly strange, but not sweet.

What would cause the car to smoke so much? All it's had is a chip.

[GTMRS4]

Is the car riding rough? That sucks man

[DetailDan]

Blown head gasket.

[cesc]

The thing is the car is driving, idling and performing as it should. I raced my buddies 323i and he couldn't pass me or indeed keep up.

It just seems to be using a large amount of coolant, and smoking like nobody's business at idle.

[KrUsTyX]

Blown head gasket.

+1

loosing lots of coolant + white smoke + no coolant on the ground = coolant is going somewhere... like in the cylinders = burning coolant = white smoke = head gasket

good luck

[Gallep]

Blown head gasket.

Yep, White Smoke + loosing coolant= Blown Head Gasket

[a2gtinut]

turbo?

[krew53]

2nd on the blown head gasket.... I had the same thing.

[cesc]

Oil and water do not seem to be mixing, and the car is not overheating at all. Could it not be something else?

[DetailDan]

All of the signs point to a blown head gasket.

[kpatz]

It wouldn't be overheating if you keep the coolant topped up.

Did you check both the oil and the coolant to see if there's any mixing going on? If the oil cooler goes, you can get mixing but you wouldn't get the white smoke.

Sounds like the head gasket to me.

[GTMRS4]

Blown gasket...I'd stop driving it and have it replaced before you warp the head.

[RLB6]

I'm going to say blown turbo seal. The turbo has a dual chamber cartridge for oil cooling and coolant cooling. Coolant side is leaking and blowing coolant right through the turbine and into the exhaust.

[DetailDan]

Drain the oil and check it out, then pull the turbos and check them out. Check the head gasket last since thatll probably be the hardest thing to check.

[GTMRS4]

If you drain the oil and there is coolant mixed then its a blow head gasket

[A4 TSCHUSS]

well most have summed it up. Smell the smoke, if it is sweet it is coolant, if it smells like oil, you guessed it, its oil If it is oil then your turbo seal went and its time for new turbo (just happened to me 3 weeks ago) you should also not be able to boost if it was the seals in the turbo, which you say you are still able to, so im guessing you head gasket is leaking just enough to cause the smoke from coolant but not bad enough yet to cause a performance loss. Check your oil and see if it is white or milky if it is your head gasket is done and it is mixing coolant into the oil while it is also getting burnt through the exhaust when entering the cylinders.

[cesc]

I just took it for a quick spin around the block and it was driving absolutely perfectly. Surely if the head gasket was on its way out performance and idle would be affected?

It only smokes a lot intermittently too, it's not all the time, but there usually is a bit of smoke coming from the exhausts. The smoke definitely does not smell sweet, so I'm guessing it's oil. Like I said, I checked the oil and it looks perfect.

I'm preparing myself for the worst

[Allwheel Driver]

Leaking head gasket would be my guess.
It will probably fail soon, get it fixed before that happens!

[A4 TSCHUSS]

I just took it for a quick spin around the block and it was driving absolutely perfectly. Surely if the head gasket was on its way out performance and idle would be affected?

It only smokes a lot intermittently too, it's not all the time, but there usually is a bit of smoke coming from the exhausts. The smoke definitely does not smell sweet, so I'm guessing it's oil. Like I said, I checked the oil and it looks perfect.

I'm preparing myself for the worst

ok, well does it smell like burning oil then?

[quattrotman]

White smoke is a telltale sign of water getting into the combustion chamber somehow. You really should get on that as soon as you can because it's going to get worse and the coolant can glaze over the cylinder walls and screw up your rings....not to mention overheating probs/warpage....all not good and could be pretty expensive. Sucks dude.

[cesc]

ok, well does it smell like burning oil then?

Thanks for all the help guys.

I'm not entirely sure how burning oil smells, but the smell that is emitted when the car is smoking is pretty strong and quite pungent. It's not a disgusting smell but it's not pleasant either. It's hard to describe.

I've been getting a lot of different answers from people, but I think you guys are right about the head gasket as there aren't a bunch of more knowledgable people about.