Hello All,

My 2013 R60 135k mile is having some issues and trying to figure out if it's the Turbo or Valve stems before I jump in too far. No smoke on cold car start up. The car doesn't smoke during the cold winter months, unless you let it idle for a very long time (like 10+ min). But during the summer it will smoke after idle at a long traffic light and if left idling it smokes like a chimney, haha. I would assume the Turbo leaking would smoke all the time, winter and summer. The PVC was replaced several years ago, along with engine seal, and turbo oil lines at the dealer, so I can rule those out most likely.

One thing to note, there is oil buildup around several of the intake hoses and hose up from the intercooler. See attached photos.

Thanks for any advice and isights, much appreciated.


Turbo in from Airbox and cover

Up from the intercooler

 

If you have oil around your intake areas then that is the issue to focus on. Probably not the valve seals. Turbo could be a problem leaking oil into the intake side as well as the exhaust side...

 

Base on that first picture, I would suspect failing PCV / valve cover....

 

I plan to pull off the hoses and do more inspections, the valve cover was replaced 3 years ago at the dealer (roughly 30k miles ago), so it could have failed again. So annoying they put a $10 part that fails regularly in all cars integrated into a $400 cover that can't be serviced. :(

 

I am assuming that the car is burning oil and your having to add from time to time. Bad turbos will normally throw things into limp mode and give codes. Bad valve stem seals will allow oil to get by. when rebuilding heads here at they shop, the seals are rock hard and we normally have to replace the exhaust guides as well. the other leaks your having can be sealed up 1 of 2 ways.. you can buy all new parts and in they end it more than likely happen again. you can clean things up and use some RTV to make a skim coat and seal it up. just wait to turn the car on till it's dry and set up. I'll now go into some detail. the leak at the turbo is the vent hose and it an o-ring seal issue, new or RTV works well. the boost pipe off the intercooler: that one is going to needs some inspection. the rubber might be saturated and might new a new one, or it's a lose clamp, or cracked plastic. i don't think RTV will fix that location. . the top boost pipe is just a bad design... plastic to plastic.. no rubber seal and under boost. clean it up really well with break clean, a coating of RTV and clamp it and it will seal up. again wait till it's dry! over night is best. this is our go to RTV: https://www.detroittuned.com/mini-oi...-2/?searchid=0

 

x2 at least as a starting point.

 

Thanks everyone. I did more inspection while replacing the VANOS solenoids. Looks like no oil is coming from the valve cover/pvc since the exit hose has no oil in it. Air intake hose going into the Turbo was also oil free. So maybe back to valve seals or Turbo bearing leaking oil. Both seems odd to me since I think they would just blow smoke all the time once warmed up and not only during hot summer months?