Extremely weird problem PLEASE HELP
 

Ok, my car has been running perfectly for the last few months, a tiny bit of white smoke on cold startups that went away after a minute, and a very smooth idle.

Well yesterday, I decided it was time to change my oil, plugs, and oil return gasket from the primary turbo, since it was leaking. I finished up last night and didn't start the car up because I figured nothing could possibly go wrong.

Today I go to start the car and it cranks very slowly, but eventually starts after the normal 5 rotations. It ran perfect, no smoke, perfect idle. I get home and turn the car off, turn it on again and it slowly cranks again but runs fine once it starts.

Then about an hour later, I go to start the car to fiddle with the slow cranking problem, and it's gone! Cranks fast and fires right up. Idle is perfect at ~750 rpm. But then I look behind me and there is a 007 smoke screen of white smoke behind me, WTF? I turn the car off and come inside to search the forums for answers.

I find nothing and go outside and start her up. It cranks slowly again but runs perfect and has no smoke. WTF!

So once again I let it sit for a few minutes then go outside and start it up and it cranks fast again and smokes like crazy again. I decided to drive it even though it was smoking and it constantly smoked unless I boosted. Once I boosted the smoke would go away and come back once I let off the gas and started slowing down.

Come home and it does the same thing over and over, either slow cranking and good running or fast cranking and lots of smoke.

I don't see how it could be coolant seals because then it would smoke all the time, and sometimes it doesnt smoke.

Could it be something I did while changing the gasket. I didn't use an oem gasket, I made one out of a gasket sheet thing.'

Please help me!

are you sure you havent kinked any oil lines around the turbo, especially the one you changed, If theres any resistance oil will hang around the turbo and leak past the seals, you only need a tiny bit for it to smoke.

But it has the distinct smell of coolant. However, what you are saying DOES make sense because that is the only thing I touched that could cause it to smoke. But the oil lines cant really kink...

Ok now it doesn't do the slow crank/no smoke thing. It only cranks and fires up fast and runs smooth but bellows out smoke. I have no clue what to do...

maybe you did something wrong and killed your turbo!!!

they dont really have to kink, Im not sure how its done on the FD's but i know on my nissan the oil drains back to the sump under no pressure, if the oil cant drain easily it will pass the turbo seals. Another thing that could have happened is that while the line was off some oil could have leaked past and the smoke your seeing is just that tiny bit of oil.

what oil did you use? maybe its too thin.

I think my turbos are just going out. It has been smoking a tiny but lately and I think they just had enough and died today. The oil drank lines are hard metal, so I don't possibly see how they could kink. I also jacked the car up and checked to make sure, they look fine, and the gasket isn't leaking any more. I guess that's good. I think if it was just oil burning off, it would be all gone by now because it has been smoking A LOT.

bump

I checked my PCV valve and it's not there because I eliminated it :) So it can't be that. I am really leaning towards turbos and I think I will take them off and inspect them tomorrow.

anyone?

does it dump a big thing of smoke after you let off the throttle on boost..

Your oil drain is clogged or your turbo oil seals are just shot. Did you RTV the drain or anything when you changed the gasket (and maybe clog it)?

I made sure it's not by buying a new oem gasket and putting it in. The line didn't look clogged and I didn't use RTV. It still does it. I'm 99.3% sure that the turbo seals are just shot. They DO have 63k on them so I guess they are due for a rebuild. It sucks because I JUST had them out to convert to non-sequential 2000 miles ago, but oh well. This time I bet I could take out, rebuild, and put in in a day. I'll tell you how it goes. By the way, I'm getting two rebuild kits from www.turbocity.com Anyone used them?

Yes.

Im sure its the turbos now. My coolant level hasn't budged and my oil level has gone down noticably.

You know it might still be the PCV valve, i think you should maybe check it once more. Just in case it came back after you eliminated it.