white smoke at start

hello there just looking for a little friendly input from you guys

i have a 1999 A3 jetta 265,000km. i am burning 1L every 3500km and do most if my driving 130km in cruise or stop and go in the city (yes 5-40 syn at required). to add to the story lately i have seen a cloud of white smoke at startup that stops after 5-10 sec. no burning coolant and temp are good.

my mecanic want to rip apart the engine...head gasket, maybe rings, maybe injectors.

i would like to drive it till stops...is there an advantage to rebuilding now and not later?

thanks for the advise

cory

I agree with you. Engine is good for much more than those miles.

Have you ever serviced your injectors? Your nozzles are pretty worn by now. Could be allowing fuel to drip into the compustion chamber when sitting. Consider a new set of injector nozzles, and I suspect the startup smoke will go away.

As for the "oil burning", are you sure it's burning it? Check the plastic tube from the CCV valve to where it bolts to the block on the front of the engine. There is an excellent chance it's leaking oil where you can't see it. Shows up as a soaked belly pan and your TDI "marking" it's parking spot with oil drips. Change this, and your oil usage may go down. Part number: 028103491J. Also check your valve cover gasket on the back of the valve cover. Sometimes leaks there.

One other fairly common leak area on the A3's in the oil cooler. This is just above your oil filter. There is a seal that is similar to an O-ring that can leak. This is the part http://www.worldimpex.com/item_detail.html?sku=42452

Is there a gasket that you need with this? I leak a little oil (about 1 qt every 5000 mi) and have been thinking of replacing this part. The original part is a two piece system. If I remember right, there is a sensor in the way that has to be removed to replace this?

There are no drips coming down from the engine. At least since after I replaced the oil cooler seal.

i really am not that good around cars...
the car is not and never has been leaking and oil but has been burning about the same 1L/3500km for the last 40-50km(265km now). the white smoke is something new, my mecanic want to start rebuilding the engine, IS THERE A GREAT BENEFIT TO REBUILDING NOW AT AN EST. COST OF 2000-4000 CDN. could i continue to drive it? is it possible to get another 60000km? thats 2 years driving for me!