Traces of water in oil

[espritgl]

Hi I am new here at the forum and find that it's a fantastic source of information for Esprit owners!

I need some help to troubleshoot a new problem that has just developed with my 1990 Turbo SE.

Recently, I get some white smoke from the exhaust when starting the car. It disappears after the first 5 seconds or so of rev.

There also seem to be traces of water in the oil (white frothing) - I discovered this coming from the breather hose. and I am losing the coolant level so I believe the water is mixing with the oil in the engine

Will appreciate any advice!

Edited January 26, 2006 by espritgl

[hotrod3]

If you one of the fortunate ones ,its just a blown head gasket. Hopefully its not a cracked engine block or head from lack of antifreeze in the cold. If thats not the case ,I say its a blown head gasket .Also,you might check the chargecooler pump,sometimes they are known to leak into the engine block ,if the unit has cracked,deteriorated or the seals are not sealing properly allowing water to enter your crankcase.

Hi I am new here at the forum and find that it's a fantastic source of information for Esprit owners!

I need some help to troubleshoot a new problem that has just developed with my 1990 Turbo SE.

Recently, I get some white smoke from the exhaust when starting the car. It disappears after the first 5 seconds or so of rev.

There also seem to be traces of water in the oil (white frothing) -

Edited January 26, 2006 by hotrod3

[PVK 596Y]

Hi I am new here at the forum and find that it's a fantastic source of information for Esprit owners!

I need some help to troubleshoot a new problem that has just developed with my 1990 Turbo SE.

Recently, I get some white smoke from the exhaust when starting the car. It disappears after the first 5 seconds or so of rev.

There also seem to be traces of water in the oil (white frothing) -

Edited January 27, 2006 by PVK 596Y

[Paul C]

Recently, I get some white smoke from the exhaust when starting the car. It disappears after the first 5 seconds or so of rev.

There also seem to be traces of water in the oil (white frothing) -  I discovered this coming from the breather hose.   and I am losing the coolant level so I believe the water is mixing with the oil in the engine

Hi, which tank is losing coolant?

My chargecooler lost coolant through the mechanical pumps oil seal,

I now have an Electric pump, so that can't ever happen again.

I used my SE on sunday, first time in over two weeks. It was very frosty and

there was plenty of smoke through condensation (as i'd expect) for a minute or

so. Although your bubbling froth does point well to the cause of yours.

Also, if i put the car away on a cold damp day, then the hot engine breathes

through the dipstick tube and condensation builds some emulsification on the

stick, scary if you pull it cold and look.

[espritgl]

Are you in the UK, or somewhere else that is cold at the moment?

It's quite normal to get a lot of white gas from the exhaust at startup if it is cold. The exhaust contains a lot of water vapour which will condense in a cold exhaust system until it warms up, giving the impression of 'smoke'.

Do you do a lot of short journeys in your car? If so, it could well be that you are seeing condensation in the crankcase breather tube. The cure is to take longer drives and change your oil more frequently.

Lastly, your water loss could just be the water level adjusting itself if you keep topping it up to the top in the tank. Don't top it up for a while, check it every day, and see if the level stabilizes.

If you do have a faulty head gasket, you are far more likely to get oil in the water rather than water in the oil, because of the relative pressures in the too system.

You could have the cooling system pressure tested to check for leaks if you are still concerned.

Paul.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Paul for your kind advice. I will take note and make the checks. Hopefully it is not a major thing.

I live in a tropical country in Asia and it is hot all year round so the white smoke is unlikely to come from water condensation.

Just checked that I am not loosing the coolant level for the chargecooler but rather the water level in the other main reservoir.

[espritgl]

Hi, which tank is losing coolant?

My chargecooler lost coolant through the mechanical pumps oil seal,

I now have an Electric pump, so that can't ever happen again.

I used my SE on sunday, first time in over two weeks. It was very frosty and

there was plenty of smoke through condensation (as i'd expect) for a minute or

so. Although your bubbling froth does point well to the cause of yours.

Also, if i put the car away on a cold damp day, then the hot engine breathes

through the dipstick tube and condensation builds some emulsification on the

stick, scary if you pull it cold and look.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The coolant level in the chargecooler tank is stable.

I am losing the level in the main tank. Very worried that it is a cracked engine but hoping that it's not the case. I am very gentle with the car and never push it hard in all its 26,000 miles to date.

Also I live in a tropical country with really hot weather all year round.

Any suggestions what else I can do to troubleshoot?

Thanks for your advice!

[PVK 596Y]

Thanks Paul for your kind advice. I will take note and make the checks.

Edited January 27, 2006 by PVK 596Y