PCV Virgin, PCV system is completely clean but still smokes

Post by **wheelsup** » 31 Mar 2009, 21:22

Did the PCV cleaning today, first time for everything!!

It's completely clean, no gunk what so ever, however I am getting the white gunk on the tip of the oil dipstick, watery condensation drops along the dipstick tube, and white smoke out of the dipstick when warm.

What else could it be???? Blown HG? The car had overheated and I had my indie pressure test the coolant system, he found two small leaks but said he thought that was why it was losing coolant slowly. However I don't want to drop $$ into the car until I know it's not the HG...this kind of worries me that the PCV system is fine but still getting gunk, smoke, etc.!!

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Post by **Ozark Lee** » 31 Mar 2009, 21:31

It could be a head gasket. It is (in my terms) expensive but for around $30.00 or so you can buy a detector kit at about any auto parts store that you add dye to the overflow reservoir and it will detect exhaust gases in your coolant by what color it turns. If it turns the wrong color that is a sure sign of a head gasket problem.

From your photos you took you appear to be a competent mechanic so a head gasket shouldn't scare you.

...Lee

Post by **wheelsup** » 31 Mar 2009, 21:38

Ozark Lee wrote:It could be a head gasket. It is (in my terms) expensive but for around $30.00 or so you can buy a detector kit at about any auto parts store that you add dye to the overflow reservoir and it will detect exhaust gases in your coolant by what color it turns. If it turns the wrong color that is a sure sign of a head gasket problem.

From your photos you took you appear to be a competent mechanic so a head gasket shouldn't scare you.

...Lee

LOL thanks for the laugh!! I do think I want to drop the $$ on that tester, that should tell me either way I suppose. Apparently the radiator is leaking according to my indie but if the HG is blown I have to decide to either keep driving it like it is and throw a whole lot of money at it, I'm really not comfortable tearing into the engine like a HG would entail. I only drive maybe 400 miles/month and I haven't had to refill the coolant tank ever so it really is a veeeeeeeeery slow leak, wherever it is.

I still can't find where it's leaking out of the radiator.

iis4isaac · Post by **iis4isaac** » 24 Apr 2009, 11:21

I saw this and thought I'd also just throw my $0.02 in.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a bad radiator could also account for some milkshake in your oil or smoke out of your exhaust by allowing the oil/coolant to mix inside the radiator.

A compression test on each cylinder will tell you if you have a bad head. I'd cross your fingers for a radiator.

I didn't see what year model you have, but it's much easier to swap a radiator than replace a headgasket. My biggest headache was getting the car up high enough to drop the radiator out.

bigric · Post by **bigric** » 24 Apr 2009, 22:04

If all you take are short trips, the condensation on the dipstick could be because you don't drive far enough to warm the engine up so that it evaporates. I've replaced my headgasket and PCV system and still get smoke out the dipstick. I'm not the only one who can't seem to make the smoke go away, but once you've corrected everything, what else can you really do?

There are plenty of places that coolant can slowly leak from that are hard to find. Loose hose clamps, heater core, etc...

aviam · Post by **aviam** » 03 May 2009, 15:52

My wagon 850 T5 wagon gets those little dilky droplets on the dip stick (does it every winter). I drive a while and it disapears, 3 years i still turbo boost and drive, If the car sits and idles for a while and then drive i get that white smoke out the exhaust then it disappears?

Post by **wheelsup** » 04 May 2009, 08:22

I did an oil change and noticed there was a little bit of "bubbles" on top when I poured it into my container (I had just driven 30 minutes or so). Not sure what that is about. No milkyness what so ever and no oil in the expansion tank. Compression was done a month or two ago and was 185 on the low cylinder and 195 on the high cylinder when the engine was hot with WOT.

I'm just going to drive it. On a side note my odometer gear just broke.

pipboxer · Post by **pipboxer** » 19 Mar 2012, 19:27

1998 v70 glt turbo wagon

I changed all the fittings and connected to and from oil seperator. Cleaned all opening with 1/2" wire brush and sucked some chunks out when I covered the opening with shopvac slightly. Pcv job went smooth.
Dipstick stopped smoking. However, I was turning accelerator under hood, dipstick out and I noticed when I would rev it it smoked slightly then rev down smoke is gone and seems to "suck" back in and nothing then slight vaccum on dipstick when I hold my finger over. Think I missed something?

Than you

Post by **jblackburn** » 19 Mar 2012, 19:41

I had that happen even after I changed it.

I took the top hose off to the valve cover that snakes down through the intake manifold to the oil separator and poured 1/3 a can of Seafoam down it.

Then the 1/3 in the intake manifold and 1/3 in the gas tank as recommended.

Voila! Smoke gone, even on my 217K mile motor.

pipboxer · Post by **pipboxer** » 19 Mar 2012, 20:05

now when you said, "Then the 1/3 in the intake manifold" I'm not sure what that means? Through throttle body?
Wow can't wait. My motor has 118,000.
Hey while I got your ear,
I have a slow startup, example: turn key 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 rotations of motor and start right up. Did wires,rotor,cap,volvo plugs. Schrader valve on rail sprays fuel everywhere in nice mist.
Thanks
I read alot of your stuff