Volkswagen Passat (2001 - 2005) - 01 2.8 Exhaust white smoke after 2 months left sta

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Fri 23 Oct 2009 22:53
01 2.8 Exhaust white smoke after 2 months left sta - Sydney
My first post:

I need to sell my beloved VW Passat 4motion but it has been SORN off road for a couple of months - I have started it every 2 or 3 weeks for a few minutes during its time on the driveway but today when I checked its battery was flat. It started immediately with jump leads but there was a fair bit of white smoke coming out of the exhaust at all revs. I thought it might clear as the engine warmed but 15 minutes later it was still there (including 5 mins at 3000 revs). I checked the oil and it had some white gunk.

I'm not sure if the head gasket has gone while sitting on the driveway or if here is some way damp has got in with recent rain and cold? I'm not sure if I should run it longer to see if it clears or if that might damage the engine - as it's currently SORN and no insurance I can't get it to a garage for anyone to have a look. Should I change the oil and see if that fixes it? (cheaper than a head gasket!).

By the way, the engine oil looks clear, it's only on the oil cap there is the white stuff. The engine temperature needle stayed right in the middle where it should be.

Thanks for any input.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 24 Oct 2009 15:33
01 2.8 Exhaust white smoke after 2 months left sta - Dynamic Dave
there was a fair bit of white smoke coming out of the exhaust at all revs.


Or was it condensation steam?
I checked the oil and it had some white gunk.
I'm not sure if the head gasket has gone while sitting on the driveway or
if here is some way damp has got in with recent rain and cold?
By the way the engine oil looks clear it's only on the oil cap there
is the white stuff.


Oil is not getting hot enough for long enough. Same scenario as the district nurses car where it only pootles around town all its life and the inner rocker cover, oil filler cap, and breathers get gunked up with mayo.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 24 Oct 2009 22:04
01 2.8 Exhaust white smoke after 2 months left sta - Kevin
If it is clouds of white smoke, as opposed to condensation/steam, it's usually brake fluid and the most likely cause is a master cylinder leak. Check the level in the fluid reservoir.

Kevin...
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 24 Oct 2009 22:13
01 2.8 Exhaust white smoke after 2 months left sta - bathtub tom
>>I have started it every 2 or 3 weeks for a few minutes

Probably the worst thing you could have done. It sounds like it's got a build up of condensate which it's now burning off. What it needs is a long, fast run of fifty miles or more. Difficult while it's on SORN.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 25 Oct 2009 00:31
01 2.8 Exhaust white smoke after 2 months left sta - Sydney
It looks like steam to me but not exactly sure how to tell - see if it condenses on something?

From the sounds of it I can run it longer to try and sort it and hopefully not break the engine. Obviously I feel bad if I have caused this - what regime should I have run if storing a car off road for a couple of months? Run it for longer more often? At what sort of revs?

Really appreciate the input, has put my mind a bit more at rest. Thanks.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 25 Oct 2009 00:56
01 2.8 Exhaust white smoke after 2 months left sta - bathtub tom
>>what regime should I have run if storing a car off road for a couple of months?

Nothing!
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.

Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide