So I just got back from checking out an FD im thinking about buying. When the car started up, ALOT (a neighbor thought it was a house fire ) of white smoke came out of the exhaust. After a while of letting the car idle, it wasnt as much smoke but it was still coming. A small amount of white smoke was coming from the engine as well. I think it smelled kind of sweet so I'm thinking the engine could be burning coolant. I ran a compression test and it only hit 60PSI... but the car ran fine. Dude thinks the smoke is due to a turbo issue and said that he has removed the downpipe and seen oil in there. I'm thinking it's a coolant issue. What do you guys think? If it was a coolant seal, would this have an effect on the compression?

Anyways. im hoping it IS the engine, that way a total rebuild should fix the issues, and i wont have to replace the turbos.

 

regardless of whatever color it gives (and i have seen the classic bluish color, but i've seen white and black, too), burning oil has a really unpleasantly pungent odor. so if you got a whiff of sweetness, then it's likely to be antifreeze and thus, a coolant seal.

 

I agree, it is almost certainly a coolant seal that's responsible for the sweet smelling white smoke (coolant/water steam). But that wouldn't translate into low compression. I'm surprised that it started with only 60 psi. You didn't say if both rotors read that low, so I'm guessing the other was somewhat better.
It will require a complete disassembly for the soft seals, and that will require a complete gasket set. In addition I would also figure new hard seals and springs....minimum.

 

Sounds like a coolant seal although I can't see how a rebuild is more desirable than replacing or rebuilding the turbo(s) Good luck.

 

Thanks. And the reason a coolant seal is "more desirable" for lack of better phrasing, is because i was already assuming i would need to rebuild or possibly replace the engine. So if all the problems are in the engine it comes with, this solves everything. (Meaning i don't gotta replace turbos as well)