Oil from the exhaust ?

Post by **Tris** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:42 pm

It turns out you can see where Ive started my car thanks to a sprinkling of what I think is oil from the exhaust...

Is there a simple explanation? and is it serious?

Tris

Oh and on the bright side her wood is now solid

Post by **chrisd87** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:48 pm

I think that's fairly common - I have a little black trail in my garage. Only seems to happen when the choke is out, so it's probably sooty petrol.

Post by **bigginger** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:54 pm

But could also be that the engine is burning oil, in my experience. Possibly the rings? *Just noticed thst you said that in the title...

*

Post by **Tris** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:59 pm

Thats what we thought.. how easy to sort?

Post by **Rob_Jennings** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:59 pm

keep an eye on the oil level over a few weeks, if it drops it may be an issue, if not its just soot and condensation from a start.

Most old cars I've had as well as some newer diesels have left some sort of mark on the garage floor over time.

Post by **Tris** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:11 pm

cylinder head gasket oozing a bit too dunno how long thatl last... probably a bgger issue

Post by **Cam** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:19 pm

It's more than likely carbon from an over-rich mixture (choke). I have these areas dotted all over the place.

You can tell if it's oil as you will have blue smoke at the same time (on start-up).

Post by **Peetee** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 8:34 pm

If it is oil it could be a sign of worn valve stem seals. All the time the engine runs the oil is burned but when switched off the oil runs down the valves and collects. It's then spat out when the engine is first turned over.
It's not an expensive job to do fortunately.

Post by **Onne** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:32 pm

those stem seals being those tiny rubber thingies?

No wonder the go bad easily

Post by **Peetee** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:05 am

those stem seals being those tiny rubber thingies

That's the widgets

Post by **Tris** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:38 am

My dad thinks the piston rings are worn, apparently she sounds different from when we bought her.. to be honest I hadn't noticed.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 11:27 am

y dad thinks the piston rings are worn,

if it smokes a bit only at start up it is most likely valve guides / valve seals
if it smokes when warm / at speed then it could well be rings.

My traveller used to leave a nasty soot 'smoke ring' on the garage floor or on the house wall if I was on the drive. At night you could see the exhaust smoke in car headlights behind - the engine was on borrowed time and struggled to get back from the national last year

Post by **Tris** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:02 pm

Engine pulled apart..

Piston rings intact

Replaced headgasket, and the tappet gaskgets

Engine running.. no oil leaks to be found

however I need to replace the accelerator cable

job for tomorrow i guess

Post by **chrisd87** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:27 pm

Have you compression tested the engine? That should tell you whether the rings are at fault or not.

Post by **edjones** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:37 pm

Mine leaves little "calling cards" on the garage door/wall etc. I put this down to a combination of water spitting from the exhaust when the engine is cold and carbon in the exhaust.

Thats what I am telling myself anyway

Post by **Tris** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 5:29 pm

Bob's stopped doing it now... random

Post by **minor_hickup** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:03 pm

edjones wrote:Mine leaves little "calling cards" on the garage door/wall etc. I put this down to a combination of water spitting from the exhaust when the engine is cold and carbon in the exhaust.

Thats what I am telling myself anyway

Same as me! Seems worse on cold mornings as well, so it would make sense.

Post by **Tris** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:12 pm

Yeah spose that goes along with cams choke theory

Post by **minor_hickup** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:28 pm

Yeah, it seems (on my car) that it happens more when the car is cold, not when it has been left to stand for a long time.