New to MK2 - have I bought a lemon? Please advise guys!

[tajbhambra]

Hi everyone, recently bought a 1991 J plate 3dr black 16v gti. really nice to look at BUT..
once heated gives off some white smoke, particularly on idle when revved, but not at speed. has used very little water in 3 weeks and no oil. no obvious water in oil, no sludge etc... excellent idle, no jerks - drives absoulely normal. has a scorpion exhaust fitted and always seviced on synhetic oil.
smoke doesn't smell of coolant, just smells of smoke! coolant consumption is minimal as I said.

I still drive it daily and there are no oil leaks or anything - clean as a whistle. Any suggestions guys? If it is a headgasket, does anybody know what this is likely to cost and do you recommend anyone? I'm around the Reading area but can travel. To be honest, I'll just continue to drive it as, apart from the smoke (mainly on idle at the lights etc..), it drives fine.

Thanks guys

[filthy]

Could be the valve stem oil seals, especially if its mainly on idle, not the end of the world, just a pain....

[Diamond Hell]

It's running K-Jet - the rising plate meter may be miles out - this could be causing the car to run super-rich.  Take it to a garage with a gas analyser and get it set - it's not something you can do without the analysis and the knowledge of how to set it up.

[tajbhambra]

Guys, it has 141k miles on it - loads of service history etc.. Should I be using thicker oil? Like 'castrol for old engines'? would that help? it idles rock steady at 800rpm and passed an mot last month - do i stil need to get the mixture analysed?

[98mpart]

No need chap, tis a 16V so not the K-jet engine. DEFO sounds like stem seals to me.

[tajbhambra]

So would you say that, short of a rebuild, I use thicker oil? I used to have a scirocco GTII which used castrol oil for older engines and that used to blow smoke a tad. Is there anything else that might help ease the obvious smoke when at the lights etc.. Sorry guys for the ignorance, I'm trying to keep her running and reading a haynes manual at the same time...

Regards

[ToddyGTi]

If its only at idle that'll be nothing more than condensation out of the exhaust sytem. If its not using coolant then don't worry about it. And if its a MK2 Golf 16V it IS a K-Jet Injection system!

[monzablue16v]

16v mk2 is a Kjet unless it's been put on carbs or is an 8v conversion could be overfueling or need an oil change for VW Synta Silver or the Titan Silver from GSF and a genuine oil filter. Could also be valve stem seals that are going or one has gone not too bad a job just a pain to do. Or your headgasket is on it's way out look out for mayo on the oil cap, oil in the coolant and coolant in the oil

[Jay]

With the car running pull out the dip stick, if there is smoke from there change your oil, I think it also means the head gasket has gone. Best to use a process of elimination for (starting with the cheapest solutions first  )

I'm sure you'll get it sorted with the help of the other guys on here 

[Diamond Hell]

No need chap, tis a 16V so not the K-jet engine. DEFO sounds like stem seals to me.

Wow - internet nolidge being imparted there.

Compression test it - if it's down on one or two of the cylinders squirt some oil in the cylinder and re-test - if the pressure comes back up then it's blowing past the rings, if it doesn't there's a leak elsewhere (headgasket or burned/shagged valves).  If it's down across all four then squirt oil in each one in turn and see if the pressures come back up, if they do then it's rings again, if not the problem lies elsewhere.

Someone on here will give you reference figures for the 16V.

It *might* be stem seals, but wouldn't you feel a right p-rick if you took the head off, did them, re-assembled the whole lot and then found for £30 (or less) you could have got the metering head adjusted and cleared the unburnt fuel that was causing the smoke......