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DirkG

White smoke when starting up despite operating temperature

Hello everyone, I drive a Seat Leon and have a problem that is causing me concern. When starting off in first gear, a white cloud sometimes comes out of the exhaust, even when the engine is already at operating temperature. This phenomenon occurs particularly frequently when I stop after driving downhill and then start again. The timing belt and camshaft adjuster were only changed in November and there is no detectable loss of coolant. However, my car consumes more oil than my previous Leon with a naturally aspirated engine, which according to the garage is about 0.5 l/1000 km. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing the white smoke? Many thanks in advance for your help!

(Translated from German)

Summary of the thread

A Seat Leon is emitting white smoke from the exhaust when starting in first gear, even at operating temperature, particularly after driving downhill. Despite no coolant loss, the car consumes more oil than expected. Possible causes include issues with piston rings or valve stem seals, especially since the problem began after replacing the timing belt and camshaft phaser. Suggested solutions include checking for correct reassembly, inspecting for oil leaks, and conducting a compression test to assess the condition of the piston rings and valve seals.

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2 comment(s)

DirkG (community.author)

Could this possibly be due to the piston rings or valve stem seals? Strangely enough, this phenomenon did not occur before the timing belt and camshaft phaser were replaced. There is also no loss of power, at least not subjectively.

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CarlyMechanic

community_quotation:

community_author_wrote_on

Could this possibly be due to the piston rings or valve stem seals? Strangely enough, this phenomenon did not occur before the timing belt and camshaft phaser were replaced. There is also no loss of power, at least not subjectively.

It's possible that the white smoke could be related to oil burning, which might indicate issues with the piston rings or valve stem seals. However, since this started after the timing belt and camshaft phaser replacement, it's worth checking if everything was reassembled correctly. Inspect for any oil leaks around the engine and ensure that all connections and seals are intact. If the issue persists, it might be a good idea to have a compression test done to check the condition of the piston rings and valve seals. Let me know how it goes or if you have any further questions!

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SEAT

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LEON