Help! Serious Blue Smoke 172 Cup

[Fergie606]

Ok so my 172 Cup ran like a dream not a hint of smoke ever had belts and oil changed last year and completed 3 track days.

I bought a second hand stainless exhaust off here in April and its just been sat in my garage until this week i've had it fitted, collected the car today. I had the oil and filter changed with Renault filter and elf oil also. I noticed on the bill an engine flush which i didn't ask for so not sure what they used and a note saying it blue smoked on the test run. I asked the question about this as i've never seen any smoke and it lives in a garage so would notice a garage full of smoke but he said not to worry as its a track car!

Ok so i leave the Garage and sit in traffic through town for around a couple of miles and then drive down a dual carriage way at 50 no smoke then i hit the next dual carriage way get up to 70 and the cars smoking bad blue smoke!! I then stop ring the Garage up and he suggests it may be the exhaust as its second hand and could have oil inside and to give it a good blast so i do over the moor. I then drive back into town nice and steady and the blue smoke has gone all good! I drive it back to the garage and the blue smoke has completely gone, the guy at the garage takes me out for a test ride and theres no blue smoke what so ever so i then leave the garage start going home again and the blue smoke starts again about 5 miles from the garage.

It then continues to smoke the worst ever now after 10 miles and i stop the car and its pouring out on tick over thick blue smoke, i get the car home and switch the engine off to notice oil at the tip of the rear exhaust. Later i go out a few hours later and the oil in the exhaust seems to have water in the mix as well but this could be just be dew.

I contacted the seller of the exhaust to ask if the car it came off had an oil engine problem but he cannot remember so i'm stuck.

Anybody got any ideas as i just cannot believe from dropping the car off for an exhaust fine it now has failed piston rings.

Any help will be appreciated. Engine on 85K

Many Thanks,

Gareth.

 

[bloke]

wouldn't be the first time i've seen an engine with problems after it's had a flush in it.

 

[cs_dave]

Yeh engine flush is horrid stuff. Theres a much better way of flushing using cheap oil

 

[Matt1234]

That will be the flush. Seen it too many times. It's nasty stuff. Sounds like you have a failed piston rings. I bet the flush has removed the layer around the bores if you get what I mean. I have seen flushes cause engine knocking.

 

[Fergie606]

Oh! So where do you reckon i stand as never even requested the flush?
What sort of money are we talking for Piston Rings?

 

[Matt1234]

It will need a engine. That will be the cheapest option.
Because you never authorised the flush that's your golden ticket. Did you supply the parts.

 

[Mr R.]

Yeah it won't just be a set of rings, it will end up being a rebuild.

Best to buy another engine

 

[Fergie606]

It will need a engine. That will be the cheapest option.
Because you never authorised the flush that's your golden ticket. Did you supply the parts.

Yes supplied everything apart from the engine flush!

 

[Fergie606]

Say the car that the exhaust came off had failed rings would this not leave oil inside the exhaust that needs burning off?

 

[Mr Plums]

Yes supplied everything apart from the engine flush!

Might not be under warranty then as a lot of garages only offer warranty after using their own parts.

 

[Matt1234]

It's going to be down to them. But because you supplied the parts they might say it was down to the oil. That might be there get out clause even if it was genuine Renault oil.
But in my opinion the flush has caused the damage. I don't understand why they would add a flush if you supplied the parts and the flush wasn't part of the parts. It's just madness.
If there was oil in the exhaust it would do it under idle and lower revs. Can't see it being the exhaust.

 

[Fergie606]

Ok thanks guys for the help, I just cannot believe this has happened i had a few other bits done as well and just had a bill of £451 now skint! Was so looking forward to getting the car back now it just seems like a pile of scrap! Bloody cars!!!!

 

[bloke]

get it checked out first, leakdown test etc.

 

[Mr Plums]

Ok thanks guys for the help, I just cannot believe this has happened i had a few other bits done as well and just had a bill of £451 now skint! Was so looking forward to getting the car back now it just seems like a pile of scrap! Bloody cars!!!!

What garage did you use? Dont tell me it was RenaultJamesHayward, it wasnt was it?

 

[Fergie606]

get it checked out first, leakdown test etc.

Ok will do cheers.

 

[Fergie606]

What garage did you use? Dont tell me it was RenaultJamesHayward, it wasnt was it?

Chesterfield Diagnostics and Repair Centre Ltd. (Porsche Specialist)

 

[ADS_V6]

Bloody Nora is the car lacking power now

 

[Fergie606]

Bloody Nora is the car lacking power now

To be honest it feels faster as put that down to the S/S exhaust.

 

[Danith]

Cars indeed. BALLACHE, especially mods.
Explain it calmly to the garage tomorrow and ask them what they are willing to do about it - there are some good ones out there still.
Worst case you can drop a 2nd hand engine in, I know it's more money, but at least you can get the belts done at the same time every cloud
Cheap replacements compared to most cars - even go 225/230 turbo!

 

[Mr Plums]

To be honest it feels faster as put that down to the S/S exhaust.

Sound sometimes gives the feeling of going faster mate.

 

[ADS_V6]

Hope it ain't the above mate.Are you near any specialist

 

[Fergie606]

Cars indeed. BALLACHE, especially mods.
Explain it calmly to the garage tomorrow and ask them what they are willing to do about it - there are some good ones out there still.
Worst case you can drop a 2nd hand engine in, I know it's more money, but at least you can get the belts done at the same time :smile: every cloud
Cheap replacements compared to most cars - even go 225/230 turbo!

Had belts, water pump and dephaser last October at DDC, bloody wished i'd gone back this time but just a little to far away to get to.

 

[Danith]

Bugger. Oh well nowt you can do now pal. Go back the garage tomorrow see what they offer

 

[Fergie606]

Hope it ain't the above mate.Are you near any specialist

Theres Diamond Motors but always very busy, had the belts done last year at DDC but there an hour or so drive away.

 

[Fergie606]

Would failed piston rings give power loss then?

 

[Danith]

I'm no mechanic but yeah would've thought loss of compression and so loss of power/running on fewer cylinders

 

[Mr R.]

Yes, they can also crack the pistons ring gland.


A leak down and compression test is needed mate.

 

[Fergie606]

Yes, they can also crack the pistons ring gland.


A leak down and compression test is needed mate.

Ok will see if the garage in question will complete this test for me, FOC hopefully!

 

[Mr Plums]

Theres Diamond Motors but always very busy, had the belts done last year at DDC but there an hour or so drive away.

Its worth the drive tho mate to know things are getting done properly.

 

[Fergie606]

Its worth the drive tho mate to know things are getting done properly.

Yeah i've realised that today!

 

[masekwm]

Theres Diamond Motors but always very busy, had the belts done last year at DDC but there an hour or so drive away.

I'd message @MicKPM via the Diamond Motors website, and book it in. He's very busy, but it's because he's very very good.

 

[Fergie606]

I'd message @MicKPM via the Diamond Motors website, and book it in. He's very busy, but it's because he's very very good.

Ok cheers will have to get saving again!

 

[Fergie606]

Taken it for a spin this evening as got Clio withdrawal symptoms.

No blue smoke on start up.
Car is as quick as ever.
Trashed it round for 20 minutes and then fuelled up still no blue smoke.
After another 10 minutes of trash blue smoke mainly when foot not on the accelerator and on tick over.

I suppose my question is if the piston rings have failed as bad as getting oil to the rear of the exhaust would the spark plugs not be oiled up and misfiring?

A mechanic at DDC (Renault Specalisted) said they do not use engine flushes on the F4R as its general a very clean engine so doesn't require it but doesn't think it would of damaged the engine that bad. There on standby to investigate the problem for me.

I'm still thinking the exhaust could be the problem as it seems the engine has to get very hot before the smoke or the exhaust has to get very hot before the oil burns off inside?? So another question if the piston rings failed would I not see smoke on start up and when engine running cold as well as hot?

I don't know but it's doing my head in that's for sure!

 

[Matt1234]

My old engine in my 182 only ever smoked blue smoke under higher revs. In the end it was consuming a litre of oil for every 50 miles. If you drove it normally then you wouldn't know it was burning oil. Have you been monitoring the oil level.

 

[bloke]

you running standard induction?

 

[Fergie606]

Have you been monitoring the oil level.

Not since I got it back this time as only done a total of 50 miles or maybe less but in a year before it never used any oil what so ever.

 

[Fergie606]

you running standard induction?

Standard air box with a Ramair filter in it.

 

[bloke]

pull the breather pipe off the inlet elbow and stick it into a bottle and zip tie it to the ecu bracket, bung the elbow hole if you want and then take it out for a run and see what it does.

 

[Fergie606]

pull the breather pipe off the inlet elbow and stick it into a bottle and zip tie it to the ecu bracket, bung the elbow hole if you want and then take it out for a run and see what it does.

Ok sounds like a plan what am I looking for?

 

[Mr Plums]

Ok sounds like a plan what am I looking for?

See of it breathes heavy i would have thought. If so the rings are probably fooked.