Blue Smoke....How to tell where from

[SteveH]

All,
  I know that on a gas engine, it is easy to tell what needs to be fixed when.  Case and point (generally speaking) - blue smoke + burning oil smell, all the time = rings and maybe more.  blue smoke + burning oil smell after idle, then clears = valve seals.  However, how can I diagnose this on a diesel ?  My 1.6td starts easy, runs well, and doesn't visually comsume any oil between changes...However, sometimes I get some blue smoke comming out the pipe.  Ever since I've owned it, it would puff abit of blue @ startup.  Now however, Im beginning to notice some slightly when its warm (like if I goose it abit at a stoplight).  BTW, its engine code 1V.

Thanks,
  Steve

[entuzijast]

I also have 1.6TD 1V..My blue smoke comes (i assume) from turbo, because it leak's oil, i can see it....But, I also have noticed strange behawior..When it is early spring, and temperature varies, when it is not cold or hot, then a slightly blue, mixed with light gray, smoke comes out...It looks like a ordinary "smoke" when car is cold on winter, just it sticks a lot longer in air and comes out in a lot bigger amounts, especialy when car gets at working temperature...It is going on like that about a week or two, and then it stopes..And like that every year....I really don't know how to explain that...

[SteveH]

Blue smoke, assuming it's not crankcase oil, is an indication of a timing problem, but not necessarily caused by the injection pump. Worn injector nozzles, incorrect breakover pressure, leaky delivery valves, soot/carbon deposits in the precombustion chambers, and seeping injectors can all cause smoking at various engine speeds or loads

Thank-you.  I have thought this for quite a while, but everyone stated to me that this would result in white smoke.  My pump timing is off, as it will run fine with the cold start cable out, but then when its pushed back in it runs rough.  This occurs no matter what the ambient temp is.  I really need to retime it.

On a side note - what does everyone recomend as a replacement for the valve cover breather ?  Mine is shot.

Thanks again,
  Steve