RotorMotor

iTrader: (5)

ok im pretty sure my oil pressure sender unit is working fine. the oil level is FULL, however at idle im seeing close 5-10psi. this is rather random, as most of the time it sits at 30psi at idle.

the other problem that im having (which may be related... i dont know) is that right when i start up the motor after its been sitting overnight, i get alot of burnt oil in the exhaust (definatly not water vapor) which makes a good cloud of smoke.... and i have a hard time getting the motor to rev up at all. the idle is rather lumpy, and there are lots of dead spots throughout the RMP range. the problem quickly goes away if i rev it past say 4k a few times. after that everything is smooth again, and no more smoke. i dont believe the problem to be the turbos, but who knows. this is a stock 94 motor with 87K on the clock.

last thing ill mention is that in the upper RPM's it will spew alot of smoke as well (anything consistantly over 6K).... even when its up to operating temp. my oil level goes down pretty damn fast an i find myself adding at least a quart every 1000 miles or less.

thanks for your insight, heath

tom.jelly

I think 10-15 at idle was normal for my old 94k mi motor, 20+ at idle for the new one. Senders are flakey so you might want to get an aftermarket guage. Startup smoke comes w/ hi mileage or the problem I've listed below. is the hi rpm smoke black or blue? if its blue, try running around with a piece of tee shirt rubber banded over the oil filler tube in place of the cap. This will tell you if you have a crankcase ventilation issue. If the smoke goes away, you may have hoses to the filler that work like a pcv system routed wrong or a bad check valve somewhere in that circuit, allowing pressure to build in the crankcase pushing oil where it gets burned, either out the turbo seals or into the combustion chambers . If its black smoke its running rich up there so you'll have to look elsewhere for the problem.
tom

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

You sure it isn't just your sender? The stock senders are notoriously flakey.

Use a mechanical oil pressure gauge to verify the problem before continuing further. You should have about 30psi at idle and about 60psi at 3000 RPM.

Dale

RotorMotor

iTrader: (5)

well i havent rulled out the sensor. but the problem at startup is my main concern as well as the excessive oil consumption. i have a feeling that they're all related somehow.

RotorMotor

iTrader: (5)

ill try that in the morning thanks. however, why would it only do it at startup and go away once i rev it up a fwe times.

does anyone know if a failing oil control ring would give these strange symptoms at startup.... its like a sluggishness through a few areas in the rpm band, combined with stuttering and smoke. once i can get through the stumbling (usually through forcibly revving the motor up as it fights bacK) the smoke stops and the motor runs as normal. would doing a "water steam cleaning" session possibly help? changing to a lower viscosity oil?

RotorMotor

iTrader: (5)

ttt

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

how often do you change your oil? the oil could be fuel thinned. an oil control seal failure could pool up oil after the engine is shut off but usually an oil control seal failure can be seen while driving indicated by light blue clouds of smoke at higher RPMs, WOT or just cruising not just at startup.

install a manual pressure gauge and see what the oil pressure really is at when the engine is warm, if is is less than 18psi i would guess your front cover o-ring failed or the thermal pellet in the e-shaft is sticking.

water injection would probably cause the issue to get worse not better so i wouldn't suggest trying it unless you are ready to possibly rebuild the engine.

legal-z

ever consider that your turbos are the problem?

DaveW

Another couple of things that would give your (first post) symptoms are:

1. Leaky injectors
2. Old or fouled plugs