White smoke from under the hood, help?
 

Well, I started my FD for the first time in about a week and noticed an odd smell...sort of like how a model train or an r/c car smells. Tough to explain, but I drove it to work and when I got here, I let it idle for a few minutes because I'd been on it a bit on the freeway. I popped the hood to see if I could see/smell anything and didn't see anything or smell anything serious. I closed the hood, shut the car off, and then there was a puff of white smoke from somewhere under the hood...I popped the hood and couldn't find a damn thing.

The smoke doesn't have a really sweet coolant smell to it, and it definitely isn't oil. The only thing I can think of is that it's either electrical (YIKES!), or maybe something's stuck under the car (like a plastic bag or something).

Any ideas? The engine is <5k miles old, so it's unlikely that there's anything catastrophic wrong with it. No fuel smells under the hood, all gauges read nominal levels (though I don't have any other than stock right now).

If it's a Mazda Reman Engine, take it to them and let them look at it since it should be still under warranty.

Well, I just checked it out again after letting it cool for a while and it is indeed oil smoke. I was mistaken this morning for whatever reason. I've got a call into my mechanic to see if he can offer advice (or, god bless it, a house call). I'm unsure of where the oil's coming from, as well as what it's burning on. It's on the passenger side of the engine bay over by the firewall (seems like turbo area). It started smoking just at idle (I didn't drive it, just let it start to warm up a bit), and I didn't rev it at all, so I have no idea.

One thing that might have something to do with this is that I changed my oil a few weeks back and filled the thing all the way (the dipstick reads about a 1/4" more than Full). Any idea if this burning is a natural result of that? Where does the oil go if it's just really full?

I recently had a bad smoking problem. It was definately oil... pouring from my exhaust and occasionally from the right side of my engine... Turbos and engine are brand new and still in the break in period (<1000 miles). I had overfilled by about 1.5 quarts. I changed my oil again, filled it up properly and the smoke went away. The car has been running wonderfully ever since. Changing the oil again and making sure you don't overfill is the cheapest simplest fix if it works. I would do this before anything else. Good luck.

Richard

The only thing that I can think of is that the added pressure in the oil system from over filling it. That extra pressure has to go somewhere, and when it does, it's taking some oil with it. That's just my opinion though. I have the same problem when I fill mine just over the top and it'll smoke like that until the dipstick reads about 1/8" or so under the full line, then it stops.

Well, let this be a lesson to all of us...only put 4 quarts of oil in a dry car when changing it (non-R1 models). I put more in, how much more I forget, but I drained about a quart and a half last night, lowered the car, and added about a half quart. I then took the car for a drive, let whatever was left on the pipes burn off, and when I got home the car wasn't smoking.

*PHEW* I was stressing there for a bit thinking of all the bad things that this could be.

Having an R1 does not change the amount you add during an oil change. The R1 needs more oil because the oil system is bigger. It has an extra oil cooler on the passenger side of the car. So this increases the amount of oil needed for the entire system. Of course my CYM is an R1 so I was under the impression that I needed to add more oil than a base or touring. After realizing how foolish I was, I concluded that when you drain the oil from the oil pan, you don't completely flush the system of all oil, in other words, all the oil in the lines and coolers remain, so the extra oil cooler does not need to be refilled. So everyone, from my experience, I feel it's best to drain the oil pan on a level surface (if it means jacking up the car, taking out the plug, lowering the car, then do it). Then put the plug in and add 4 quarts of oil, prime the system (fuel pump fuse so you don't crank a dry engine) and then start the car. Bring it up to temp, check the dipstick and you'll probably need to add half a quart. Just my .02. L8R

Richard

Good call on the R1 clarification. I was stating that for a *dry* (i.e. no oil) car, 4 quarts is sufficient for a non-r1 model (per the manual even). The R1 requires a bit more when dry, but yes, when doing a change, you'll only need about 4-4.5 quarts to fill 'er up. Seems like sort of a raw deal though...you change your R1's oil and you still have a half quart of old stuff in there...I dunno, I'd have no problem dealing with this fact, but it does seem sort of whack (maybe theres a way you can rig up a stopcock or something on the drain line for the coolers that will allow you to drain those too...)

SanJoRX7,

I had exactly the same problem on my FD up until 3 weeks ago.
It's oil dripping from the intercooler to turbo intake pipe and vapourising on the turbos. Check all the jubilee clips on it. Mine had worked loose over time. 20 minute job to tighten them all up and it has been fine ever since!

Steve

I think I'll attack that after i get my boost gauge installed. I'm in the process of designing something that'll allow me to mount some stuff under the hood, and the smoke seems to have stopped, so I'll hit up the clip thing soon after.

Unfortunately I've also got to do the PFC install, so I've got my work cut out for me...all this on top of regular work (~50-60 hrs a week), plus my fiance wants time from me. *sigh* no rest for the wicked...