White Smoke from Exhaust

[susiegtx]

Hi new to this forum, looks like good info.
I have a 2005 PT Cruiser Turbo Tourding Edition. All of the sudden one day I started it and this huge cloud of White smoke coming from exhaust. it is still happening but only on start up. Smells like oil too. I have had two mechanics look at it, one said get rid of the car fast that these are terrible cars, the other said it is probably the Turbo that is shot after checking it out. Is this a common issue with these cars? I was told about 3k or more to fix from both mechanics. One said he could possibly find a refurbished turbo, is that likely? Any advice or information on this would be helpful. Thank you,

[susiegtx]

Also it only has 79k miles on it...seems a little new for the turbo to go out. Also, I drive like a grandma with turbo, so not sure what happened. One mechanic told me you have to leave these engines running for awhile before shutting them off to cool the turbo down. The dealership never told me that!

[CREWZIN]

But your owners manual probably mentioned it. Also, it might say, or anyone you ask, that synthetic oil is the best thing you can do for a turbo engine.

No, it's not a common problem on the PT and very rarely would anything go wrong that will cost you that much. You need to ask around for a trusted mechanic to properly diagnose what's wrong. The proper questions have to be asked and tests performed to pinpoint what's wrong. A small head gasket leak or turbo seal could cause the smoke.

[NightWing]

I have owned a couple of turbo cars and the service manager said to let the car idle a bit before shutting down to make sure the bearings in the turbo were cooled by the circulating oil. In fact, that dealership was very careful with turbo cars. Whenever one was in for an oil change, they disconnected the ignition circuit to crank the engine over long enough for oil pressure to show on the gauge. They didn't want the chance of the turbo spooling up dry.

I have a cousin who had a Saab 900 turbo that got fried. Again, the mechanic said it should be idled for a minute or so before shutting down to cool the bearings. It makes sense.

[TallahasseeGT]

1. What kind of oil have you been putting in your car? Full Synthetic, or discount Dyno oil? Turbos NEED full synthetic.

2. Yes, the turbos do need a cool down period, but it is relatively brief and really only critical if the turbo has been doing a lot of work (I believe your owners manual states this). So with the slow pace you claim, that shouldnt be an issue (if you used the correct oil).

3. If it is your turbo, $3000.00 sounds a little steep to me. I've had a turbo replaced, and replaced one myself in the PT's (2 different PTs). Each time I easily found a refurbished turbo (Turbos Unleashed,Dodge SRT4 - Dodge Caliber SRT4 - Dodge Neon - Chevrolet Cobalt SS Performance Parts and Accesories, eBay | Electronics, Cars, Clothing, Collectibles and More Online Shopping) for relatively cheap ($300-600) depending on where you find it. The labor I beleive was about $1000.00 however

4. Smack the mech. who claimed PT's are bad cars. Every car has it's issues.

Good Luck, and as always this has been just my $0.02.

[susiegtx]

Ok, this is going to sound like a dumb girl answer to the oil question...but i dont think it was synthetic, but they did upsell me a longer lasting oil, like instead of 3k it will go 7k. I change my oil regularly and have never asked for synthetic. So...maybe i messed it up.

So thanks for the info on the refurbished...Question is there any kind of machine they can put it on to make sure that is it? The reason i did ask if they did mention head gasket, but they checked some things for oil leaks etc and realy felt like it is the turbo. So i pay for new turbo and it could be a head gasket. Just wondering how i can double check.

Thanks!!

[XtrmDC2]

Sorry about your turbo Maybe if you post where you are from, we can send you to a place to get your car fixed cheaper.

[Chris_TurbosUnleashed]

Hi Susie,

Smoke during initial cold startup usually indicates something other then the turbocharger. Give us a call at your convenience and we will go through a couple of questions to try and assist you with diagnosing your turbo's condition.

We can be reached at 602-762-6678 Monday - Saturday from 9AM to 7PM MST.

Chris-TU

[Chris_TurbosUnleashed]

Originally Posted by NightWing

Whenever one was in for an oil change, they disconnected the ignition circuit to crank the engine over long enough for oil pressure to show on the gauge. They didn't want the chance of the turbo spooling up dry.

While the method above is good practice it is not the best way of verifying oil pressure to the turbocharger. The manufacturer's instructions requires removal of the oil drainback hose during engine cranking and a catch can should be placed underneath. Anything less then a steady stream of oil exiting the turbo oil drainback at CRANKING (NOT Idle) speed is deemed inadequate. This test is also mandatory after turbo replacement to confirm that your oiling system is capable of supporting the turbocharger's minimum requirements.

Observing oil pressure at the guage verifies the amount of pressure making it to the gauge sensor, not the turbo itself. Completing the visible check noted above confirms that the turbocharger is receiving the correct amount of oil it needs to survive.

An old customer of ours had left his brand new oil supply line out overnight and a beetle decided to move in and set up house. He caught the issue while completing this test. Had he not followed the instructions the turbo would have failed very quickly. Unfortunately, beetles are not covered in our warranty.


Chris-TU