Hey Guys,

In the fall I did quite a bit of work to my car:
Installed Catless DP,
Replaced my Turbo (worn wastegate) with a used but working turbo from a buddy who did a JMTC swap,
Installed a Catch Can, and removed the hose connecting the upper left side valve cover PCV to the throttle body, and capped those connections,
Installed new Intercooler and both hot and cold side hoses,
ALTA Intake Hardpipe.

Since all of this work, I've developed a super annoying issue. Now that it is winter up here, during my morning run, I notice my mini will start to blow thick white/blue smoke after idling for only a minute or two. The first time it happened, when I looked the car over, I made sure the oil level was good and then found the Catch Can was full. I emptied it and the problem seemed to have went away for a while. Now regardless of the Catch Can contents, I still get the morning smoke. This will usually go away if I start driving right away, but if left to idle, the blue smoke will persist and get terrible to the point that I shut the car down. On occasion, even after driving away, the smoke will persist and become absolutely and embarrassingly nasty, the car may even stumble and backfire a bit, to the point that I shut down the car at red lights. People behind me are ticked:


If I rev the **** out of the car, I can often correct the issue and then it behaves normally (and runs great, lots of boost) for the rest of the day, but the following morning, or at the end of a long work day, the issue comes back. Strangely enough, I haven't triggered a CEL. I've decided to stop driving the car until I can figure this out.

Before I start throwing parts at it, has anyone ever dealt with this before?

I'm thinking the OCC or the Turbo may have something to do with it, but am unsure. I've read some posts from other brands (VW etc) where running with the one PCV line completely removed and capped was the culprit for smoking. That said, could worn out Turbo seals also cause this?

Thoughts?

 

You need to restore your PCV system. Do you understand the function of the PCV system?

We need to know how you installed the catch can, it appears your installation was faulty, and now you are collecting oil in the combustion chamber and burning it.

http://www.baldwinfilter.com/literat...9;s/94-2R1.pdf

 

I removed the hose that connects the passenger side valve cover PCV to the throttle body, and then capped openings with OEM caps. I then took the drivers side hose from the valve cover to the Turbo intake, cut it in half and added the catch can. This is how I saw many other on this site install a catch can, so I followed the herd. Maybe this is something that can be done in warmer climates without issue? It's very simple for me to reverse this, as I merely need to reconnect the cut hose with a barbed union and go for a run.

 

First of all, you should study our PCV system --- how it functions and how our hoses are connected to make the function happen. Then you should try reconnecting the PCV / intake manifold hose, maybe with the OCC in this line. Many will not agree with this hook-up, but I've yet to hear of anyone having problems with this method either. I use a dual OCC, with a check valve in the manifold side, to keep excess boost out of the PCV system.

Your smoke could be coming from a couple different sources, but most likely starting from an over-pressurized crankcase, causing oil to go thru either the valve stem seals or turbo seals and into the intake air stream.

Most OCC users find the biggest qty of fluids come from the intake manifold portion of the PCV --- the side getting the most action.

 

Thanks for the comments.

I ordered a second OCC today. I'm going to remove the block-off caps from the valve cover and throttle body, and reconnect the removed hose with the second OCC installed inline. I'll circle back with the results.

 

So, long story short.

It's minus 20* Celsius up here a lot lately. Even before the smoke show I was getting tired of having to empty the damn catch can that likes to fill up with condensation and freeze. So, after work today, rather than fart around in arctic conditions installing a second catch can, I just reinstated the OEM PCV system. Let it have a nice long idle, no smoke.. Went for an even longer drive, no issues. Basically buried my head in the exhaust sniffing for the presence of oil. Nothing. Seems to be all fixed.

Rather than muck about with the PCV and OCCs, I think I'll just pony up for an annual walnut blasting. After all this oil ingestion, the valves are probably going to need another blasting anyway.

Thanks Fellas.

 

I'm not a fan of catch cans either. That's why I built one right into my valve cover. You may have a faulty vavle cover diaphragm allowing full engine vacuum to the engine or most likely bad valve seals. If you have an n14 engine then the valve seals are baked at 60 to 80 thousand miles. As soon as you removed the intake vacuum to the cover it allowed a slight positive pressure inside the crankcase causing it to push out oil.

 

I've been lurking this site for the past few months, because my 07 r56 S would smoke at idle and at take off when idling. I've tried catch cans, changing oil weights, new plugs, changed all of the rubber hoses coming from the valve cover, replaced the valve cover twice. I had the valve seals replaced and it has cleared up the smoking problems, so far. So anyone that is having the same issue, replace the seals. I spent a lot of time and money changing everything that didn't cause the issue or was the cheaper fix.

 

UPDATE:

As of today, 10 days later, the car is working perfectly. No smoke and no issues whatsoever.

So, my take on this is that with the combination of the arctic cold (been basically -20*C overnight for weeks), and with the passenger side PCV hose from valve cover to throttle body removed and capped, with a catch can installed on the drivers side PCV hose from valve cover to turbo inlet, something was clearly causing enough pressure in the crankcase to push oil through either the turbo or valve seals. Returned to OEM, all good.

I'm beginning to think catch cans are the emissions control system equivalent to the huge capacitors that some people run with car audio systems.

 

I have had the PCV line from the head cover to the throttle body blocked and an oil catch can on the PCV line to the turbocharger for nine years with no problems.

 

For all I know, it could just be the super cold weather combined with that catch can configuration that is causing the problem, and not the catch can arrangement itself. Regardless of the occasional smoke-show, my daily commute is short, so the can was filling with condensation and turning to slush, requiring me to empty it more frequently than I require gas. Call me lazy, but the requirement to fart around under the hood of my car in the dead of a central Canadian Winter far out weighs any perceived benefit the catch can was bringing me. I'll spring for the compressed air and walnut shells at my local indy shop.

 

Catch cans and ice cold Canadian tundra dont mix. It is farting cold in the Canadian prairies. Catch cans aren't in the engine heat so they hold all the condensation and freeze. Make sure your valve cover and valve seals are good and a catch can is not needed or usable in the cold.