Oil Discharged From Dipstick Tube!

StevePD

Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Location
EastPA
TDI
2005 Passat Wagon TDI,115k ,2006 NB TDI,30k
Gents, thanks in advance for your input. Car has 77k, BSM done, meticulously maintained. A few thousand miles ago noticed a decent smoke plume at cold start-up and this has continued. Also if car idles 5 minutes or more, car smokes like hell until on the highway for a few minutes. It is a bluish-grey smoke. No coolant loss noted BUT I have noticed some oil consumption. Today I opened the hood to check the oil and found that the dipstick was OUT about 2 inches and oil had sprayed onto the underhood insulation blanket and surrounding area! Oil is still on the hatched dipstick mark. Car now parked. Advice appreciated, THANKS!
 

thundershorts

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Location
west chester pa
TDI
2015 passat tdi sel premium 2015 golf s tdi gls tdi b5.5, 2002 eurovan,Peugeot 505 td,Citroen cx25 prestige
fuel consumption normal? bluish smoke is oil, either fuel or engine oil. you state oil level is in normal range. does it "puff" out the dipstick tube at idle? any detectable "miss" at idle? what is the amount of oil consumption? have the glow plugs been changed or do you have the original Bosch oem glow plugs? What you have may be something which has happened to several others here on this forum. a glow plug tip drops off and scores the cylinder.
 

thundershorts

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Location
west chester pa
TDI
2015 passat tdi sel premium 2015 golf s tdi gls tdi b5.5, 2002 eurovan,Peugeot 505 td,Citroen cx25 prestige
my advice would be to schedule an appointment to have the latest software/glow plug recall done at a vw dealer. look at the glow plugs that come out. I wouldn't say anything to them other than its been hard starting below freezing.
 

Alchemy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2000
Location
N/A
TDI
None thanks to dieselgate
Another possibility in addition to the plausible GP theory...

Sounds like crankcase pressure buildup, especially given the dislodged dipstick. There is a PCV valve that comes off the front of the valve cover that has a little metal reed valve in it. It might be possible that this valve has become stuck or gummed up somehow?

Reason I say this is that at one time I had a Mann Provent installed on my Passat (prevents oil from getting into the intake system). In cold weather, the accumulator would freeze up, and I would have symptoms as you mention.

I recently replaced the valve cover gasket, and cleaned the PCV valve as long as I had it apart.

Steve


Gents, thanks in advance for your input. Car has 77k, BSM done, meticulously maintained. A few thousand miles ago noticed a decent smoke plume at cold start-up and this has continued. Also if car idles 5 minutes or more, car smokes like hell until on the highway for a few minutes. It is a bluish-grey smoke. No coolant loss noted BUT I have noticed some oil consumption. Today I opened the hood to check the oil and found that the dipstick was OUT about 2 inches and oil had sprayed onto the underhood insulation blanket and surrounding area! Oil is still on the hatched dipstick mark. Car now parked. Advice appreciated, THANKS!
 
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thundershorts

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Location
west chester pa
TDI
2015 passat tdi sel premium 2015 golf s tdi gls tdi b5.5, 2002 eurovan,Peugeot 505 td,Citroen cx25 prestige
Steve's excessive crankcase pressure theory caused by the stuck reed valve may be valid, checking blow by with oil cap off/loose could rule this out. again, its a question of degree of blow by amount being more than normal.
 

Alchemy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2000
Location
N/A
TDI
None thanks to dieselgate
If the blow-by is normal (i.e. no piston issues caused by GP failures) and the reed valve is stuck/blocked, pressure will build. So, if the problem goes away by loosening the oil fill cap, then it is a pressure issue caused by excessive blow-by or a stuck reed valve, or both...

Oh, I believe you will get some oil discharge with the fill cap off. I would leave it loosened but just resting in place. I left mine off after an oil change once, and it got real ugly in the engine compartment.

Steve's excessive crankcase pressure theory caused by the stuck reed valve may be valid, checking blow by with oil cap off/loose could rule this out. again, its a question of degree of blow by amount being more than normal.
 
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