Hi all,
I have a 2001 A6 3.0L (non-turbo) wagon with about 138K that lately has been blowing a bunch of white smoke for a minute or two at start up, then disappears completely. Does this sound familiar with any one who has this engine.
Thanks in advance

 

This is a symptom of leaking valve seals. When the car sits, the oil in the valve area seeps through the seals and sits on the pistons, burning when you start it.

 

Thanks very much. I don't know if this confirms what you are saying or not but it seems to clearly be a factor of time sitting that produces the smoke. Starting up soon after driving does not produce the smoke.
For what its worth, I always thought burning oil smoke was blueish not white?

 

Continuous oil leakage will be dark. I suggest you stand behind and smell it the next time it sits for a while and smokes. Make sure it does not have the sweet smell of antifreeze. Or, it could be starting a little rich and blowing out some gas. In cold weather my A6 always blows out some white condensation when starting and idling. Same with my daughter's A4 3.0 at 88k miles.

 

Oil, nowadays, burns black, not blueish. Has to do with EGR and all. However, white "smoke" on start up historically has been valve guide seals as per oldmots explaination. Ppgoals makes and excellent suggestion to determine if it is oil or coolant or mearely normal in-the-exhaust-system condensate that, for some reason, you are now seeing (awfully hot outside for that, though). But, bottom line, are you losing coolant or oil? If not, learn to live with it as you have an older car. If so, decision time!

Good luck,

Bob

 

Good suggestion. It looks like there is a bit of coolant loss and the smoke does not smell like much. Definitely not a smell I would associate with burning oil at least. Any ideas on the best case scenario here (I certainly know the worst)

 

00000

 

Run a compression check to see if you have a blown headgasket.

Bob

 

funny you say this, this just happened to my 01 2.8 and it was the valve cover gaskets, oil drips onto the exhaust and causes it to smoke, they run about $15 each and should fix it up

 

Hi I have a audi a4 30 litre 2004 petrol and in the morning it blows out white smoke with a slight smell of petrol until the auto choke goes off I have noticed that the water level is right down but the oil is ok anyone have a answer