0w-20 mobil 1 in my 91 TSI AWD Turbo, burning oil

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

dx92beater

Joined
Jan 11, 2007
Messages
670
Location
va
Well I just bought this car and changed the oil.

The previous owner asserted that the engine had just recently been rebuilt (I think they all do with these cars).

So being the gas mileage/horsepower freak that I am, I decided to give 0w-20 Mobil 1 a shot.

I guess I should have known better, the car smokes for 3 minutes solid BADLY if I let it sit for a few hours.

I mean this sucker SMOKES!!

The car never smoked before this at start up from what I can recall.

So I know that you all are pros here, heck my 92 Protege DX beater is still alive because of what I have learned on this board!!

I am going to guess that one of the following happened:

1) Synthetic high detergent action kicked in and cleaned up all the junk around the seals.

2) The valve stem seals are bad, and the previous owner through some heavy oil in there to fool me.

3) Some combination thereof, including the possibility that the previous owner put the proper oil weight in the car, but I got too agressive.

I posted here instead of a DSM board because many of you tend to think, and back up your thoughts with some good deductive reasoning.

Do I need to get this oil out of there right now, or should I get my money's worth and throw some 20w 50 in there as it burns each quart?

Is it always going to smoke like this with 0w-20?

Will it now smoke with every oil weight I put in there because I did this?

I know someone with a DSM who is getting away with 5w 20 mobil 1 and I don't believe his car smokes.

Any thoughts? (Please no flames or one line sentences that haven't been thought out)

Thanks!!
 
There is just one turbo return line right?

I remember when I bought the car, the previous owner told me that the turbo return line popped off and he put it on at the last minute.

When I was down there changing the oil the other day, I noticed a short rubber hose below the turbo that looked all kinked up.

Is that what you are talking about?

Thanks
 
Probably some oil leaking past your seals in the turbo. Get the kinked hose fixed. Go ahead and use some other oil as make up unless there's some destructive mechanical reason to get rid of the stuff in the sump.

Easy test. Pull the intake plumbing (I don't know what that involves on your engine). If you see loads of oil between the turbo and the intake ...then it's probably the turbo seals. Valves seals rarely can result in "and I mean SMOKES!!!".
 
Originally Posted By: dx92beater
There is just one turbo return line right?

I remember when I bought the car, the previous owner told me that the turbo return line popped off and he put it on at the last minute.

When I was down there changing the oil the other day, I noticed a short rubber hose below the turbo that looked all kinked up.

Is that what you are talking about?

Thanks


I highly doubt the oil return line close to the turbo is rubber....that may be a coolant line.

Use a little higher viscosity oil, but more importantly get that engine and turbo cleaned up. Probably some solid knowledge on how the turbo is set up on that car would be helpful. Some manuals and a specialist website.
 
That engine is not spec.'ed for 0W20 that engine is also hard on oil!!!! My Mother owned a 1991 laser and it never smoked and was run on M1 Synthetic 10W30 it's whole life with a few run's of Penzoil Synthetic 10W30. I drove the snot out of that car on the Autobahn and then in the USA! She owned it for 11 year's and I did all the work on it includeing maintence other then the warranty drive belt recall... That car never burned a single drop of oil between oil changes....Then I had a buddie that put one together from two different car's one had a nice body and recent paint the other was totalled but had a rebuilt engine.....He pocket ported the head and did some other work to it as well....Again not one did it smoke or burn oil....It is not common for these engines to smoke or burn oil if maintained you have the 2.0L correct?

I would drain the 0W20 out ASAP....I would try M1 HM 10W30 or 10W40 and see what we see...That car should be fine in VA with either of those oils!!! If the smokeing persist's I would add a bottle of Auto-Rx and leave it in their until it is time for the next oil change...Next oil change for the rinse phase I would run an SAE 30 since we know that these are more then likely not going to have any significant synthetic content and the additive package will be non-exotic...The dino of course being needed on the rinse phase with auto-rx to get good cleaning and seal repair .... If after the Auto-Rx you still have issues then I would say you have a mechanical problem like worn guide's or seal etc.....
 
Not every engine can just be switched to 0W20!!! In fact I am reasonably sure that if I tried to run M1 0W20 in a slant six, 22RE or old but in decent shape SBC that oil consuption and smokeing would become an issue almost right away....The same could be said for the I6 in the older LandCruiser's and the V8 in Landrover's etc.....Some engine especialy older designs and rebuilds are simply not going to like an oil that thin!!! I bet my Sear's Craftman Lawn and Garden tractor would burn M1 0W20 like crazy but likes M1 0W40...
 
Quote:
I highly doubt the oil return line close to the turbo is rubber....that may be a coolant line.


I got a package deal on my daughter's Taurus and a Turbo-Coupe.
It had a metal small oil supply line and a much bigger rubber return line (assumed to handle the frape~ that the turbo allegedly produces in the cooling/lubricating oil flow).
 
Continue to use a synthetic oil, but get some that is a bit thicker. There are some VERY hot spots on turbos, and oil can get very hot, and super thin.
X/30 or even x40 may be needed.
You may have bad turbo seals, or other engine problems, but try this first.
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Probably some oil leaking past your seals in the turbo. Get the kinked hose fixed. Go ahead and use some other oil as make up unless there's some destructive mechanical reason to get rid of the stuff in the sump.

Easy test. Pull the intake plumbing (I don't know what that involves on your engine). If you see loads of oil between the turbo and the intake ...then it's probably the turbo seals. Valves seals rarely can result in "and I mean SMOKES!!!".


Badda Bing; I bet the turbo is a post toasty!

I saw a DSM at the track a couple years back smoking like a mosquito fogger; the guy was revving the piiss out of it in the pits and all of a sudden, WHAAMM, KA BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAM, CHA CHING, the darn turbine wheel came shooting out the exhaust!
shocked2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Quote:
I highly doubt the oil return line close to the turbo is rubber....that may be a coolant line.


I got a package deal on my daughter's Taurus and a Turbo-Coupe.
It had a metal small oil supply line and a much bigger rubber return line (assumed to handle the frape~ that the turbo allegedly produces in the cooling/lubricating oil flow).


Rubber return line in close proximity to the turbo sounds like a recipe for disaster. I have seen some silicone polymer type hoses a foot or so down some metal return pipes.
 
Well, I'm sure it wasn't heater hose..hot oil rated hose is good for a minimum of 250+F and the hose is under zero pressure.
 
Alrighty thanks for the thoughts. The oil return line was kinked.

That was causing all of the problems!

The hose was rubber because it's a bigger turbo, and an aftermarket return line is not sold for these cars.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

N
Euro xxW-30/0W-20 or ILSAC 5W-30 in TGDI Subaru?
Replies
15
Views
385
SubieRubyRoo
Q
Oil Brand consideration Mobil 1 to Kirkland
2 3
Replies
46
Views
10K
M1Accord
UpNorthSooner
Gifted some Pennzoil Platinum High Mileage 0w-20. Ok to mix with my non high mileage oil?
Replies
18
Views
1K
Sequoiasoon
X
Accidentally used high mileage Mobil 1
Replies
18
Views
1K
Invisible
C
5W30 In ‘20 Corolla 1.8L ?
4 5 6
Replies
117
Views
7K
Fahrvergnügen
Back
Top