Very Smokey Exhaust at Track Day
 

Hi Guys,

Just got back from Cold Tire Domination HPDE at NJMP and I had to cut my day short due to a very smokey exhaust at start up. Still had a blast though!

A little background:Car had 1800 miles on it, oil change 1000 miles ago at 800 miles, Royal Purple 0W-20. I have not pushed the car anywhere near the level before today. Car has no forced induction, just Perrin intake and exhaust and a tune from EFI.

Today:

-I ran two sets of ~6 laps, with a break inbetween for other HPDE groups. We had lunch and I started my car and a big puff of smoke poured out from the exhaust. My instructor saw it from the garage about 25 yards away and he thought "someone was BBQing." Stopped the engine and a minute later restarted, a smaller puff of blue smoke came out.

Checked oil dipstick and the levels looked fine.

Turned the engine over again 1 hour later and another puff of blue smoke, and also noticed smoke coming out of the exhaust (like what you get from a cold start but less) which smelled like it was burning engine oil.

- Drove the car back home and my friend who was tailing me told me that he didn't see any more smoking coming from the exhaust. Drove for 10 miles and we stopped for gas and when I started the car there was no smoke at all.

Drove the rest of the way home (2.5 hr drive) Let car settle for ~20 minutes as I wrote this post and I checked the oil dipstick again and the levels look fine.
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I'm planning to take the car to a Subaru dealership. I travel a lot so I don't have much time for a back and forth with them in trying to diagnose the problem.(coupled with the fact that I have a distrust for dealerships) I would like to get an idea of what the potential issues could be.

The general consensus from a few instructors there was it could be a bad PCV valve. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

You could try installing a catch can in an effort to see how much oil it collects and under what conditions. If it isn't collecting much oil and you are still getting smokey starts then you have issues.

You haven't fully broken the car in. HPDE can cause a relatively new engine to have excessive blow by. If the rings seat, it may go away, but it may not.

Good luck. Many other possibles, but this is high on the list.

Shawn



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Well, Pokeguyjai, since it was its first hard drive on a track after only 1800 miles, it may just be getting set in.

I suggest you have the "tune" checked .... :iono:

humfrz

I talked to a few friends and they said that oil overfill is probably the cause. I went back and took a clearer look at the dipstick and it is indeed overfilled. (I was worried about a lack of engine oil, not too much of it hence my mistake :slap:)

Any thoughts on the need for a compression test? I think it is probably 1 quart - 1.5 quarts over and has been since the last oil change 1000 miles ago. The car feels fine, runs very smoothely and there is power but I cannot comment how it feels compared to other 86s since I have not driven any others.

Didn't think to check the oil levels since I had the oil change done at a very reputable shop (will not name names since I am ultimately responsible :bonk:)

Thanks gents.

Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. It wouldn't be the first engine to run around with a quart too much oil in the crankcase.

I would drain out the excess ..... make sure you're getting an accurate reading on the dipstick ..... and ..... always check the oil level after anybody changes the oil .... including yourself ...;)

humfrz

Thanks for the advice.

I am new to the world of motor sports and am learning a lot as I go. I've definitely been bitten by the bug and loving every second of it, for better of for worse. :cheers:

Get a catch can and make sure your oil is at the proper level on track.

Same thing happened to me at my track day a while ago. Car had under 1000 miles on it.

I just kept driving though, didn't bother ending the day early. Smoke went away after that first instance and never came back. No problems whatsoever, car doesn't use up any oil either, up past ~6000 miles now.

As others have said, always check oil, mines usually a bit more than full when heading to track, but only just. Catch can on a boxer engine is a good idea. Have to fit mine soon. :P

...

Reputable shop changed your oil, and overfilled. And you're responsible, not them?

Not so reputable in my book. No need to name the venue but you're most definitely not responsible here.

People have no problems naming shady dealers, but why the hesitation for a "reputable shop" that overfills oil?

-alex

Next time your grilling invite me over.:party0030:

I did, I sent out a smoke signal!

Thanks for your response.

We are all all human and I don't expect perfection. I still feel that they did me right and the person who worked on my car was very knowledgeable and professional. The work they did on my car has worked well and I still plan on going back to them for more stuff. In the end, the overfill was of no real consequence because there has been no long term damage (thus far).

In the end, big boy rules apply and it was my responsibility.

Professional or not, the responsibility is THEIRS, not yours.

I don't care what shop this is. You can keep it a secret till the day you die, but you need to admit it is THEIR responsibility and screw up, not yours.

You didn't change the oil, it's not your job to figure out if they did theirs or not.

Beyond that, you're very lucky it didn't do more harm. Overfilling too much + track events often results in spun bearings from aeration of oil.. trust me, I've done it myself on a borrowed car at the track.

-alex