Smoke at Start, weak speed pick up, water level reducing

[bhatti]

I purchased a VW Golf GT TDi 150 BHP with ARL Engine Year 2002 few months ago. I hardly did 5000 miles with before i discovered that oil pump malfunctioned and my engine is gone and i will have to rebuild my engine.

I rebuild my engine paid huge some of money. I hardly did 50 miles away from the work shop when i first time saw a warning light STOP check coolant, i called my work shop to ask what is this, they said nothing to worry your water level sensor malfunctioning we will change it don’t worry keep driving as we have checked the water level its ok.

I kept on driving its was very nice, engine sound was perfect, engine power and pick up was very nice, while i was sprinting the car its heat indicator suddenly touched the red line. And car started producing white smoke, I stopped the car checked the water level and there was no water in it one pipe was leak. I changed the pipe put some water in it start the car back again. It was alright. I called work shop as told them all about, i asked them is my head gasket is alright as my engine over heated, they said no problem it has metal head gasket and this type of overheating can not cause anything to it.

I kept on driving the car, it was alright in driving, but since then In the morning it starts with a click when cold taking hardly 2 seconds, at start it produces no smoke at all for the first approximate 10 seconds but after wards it starts producing white smoke not heavy but more than normal which lasts for next 5 to 10 minutes before it disappears or until the engine warms up.

There is no leak at all, from any pipe, i never found a single drop of water under the car, no matter cold or heat up. but every day meaning driving for about 40 Miles it reduces its water level.

IS IT NROMAL BEHAVIOUR? Or My Head Gasket is gone. How can i check head gasket if it’s alright, during last few weeks I have checked number of time the hardness of radiator pipes when engine is at heat and also have attempted opening radiator cap when it’s hot. I never found hardness in pipes when engine is at heat, and never found any extra air pressure in radiator it self when engine is at heat, there are no sign of oil contamination in water as well as water contamination in engine oil.

At the same time after doing 800miles i have another problem that In first and second gear, if i try to pull the car with high thrust it produces black smoke like any diesel car at pick up, but never gains speed as quickly as it should being a 150BHP.

I want to know following:

1) What can be the reason for reduction in water level?

2) What can be reason for white smoke at Cold Start?

3) What can be reason for not attaining speed quickly in initial gears?

IS THIS A TURBO OR HEAD GASKET OR ANYTHING ELSE ?

[cruiser647]

Hi!

Err, the white smoke at start up could be OK. When it is cold, your engine will always produce extra smoke/steam (due to low external temperatures at the moment - think of a steam train, they always look as if they produce more steam when it's cold)

Water level reduction could be due to the wrong ratio of G12 coolant to water. I hope you used the G12 red coolant and not the normal blue stuff? If you used the blue stuff, then take it to a VAG indie and get it changed straightaway.

Speed wise - probably MAF will need changing. It measures the air flow and adjusts the fuel content accordingly - or a split turbo hose somewhere along the way. Also, speed wise anything over 1500 rpm should get your car moving along VERY nicely but over 4K and you'll have nothing, so don't bother redlining it.

Check the oil cap for mayonnaise!

Hope that helps!

[bhatti]

i feel like so much relieved, thanks cruiser647 so very much.

I can understand the reason for smoke now.

I have changed the coolant as you said. Lets see in next few days how dose it works. As due to snow i am not driving at the moment.

Regarding speed, what i did yesterday i put injector cleaner into fuel tank, and the speed situation become even worts, any how tomorrow i will change MAF and will get back to you. Lets hope for the best ;-)

[alexc]

The initial overheating/loss of water might be down to the garage not filling up/bleading the water system throughly, there may have been air locks within the cooling system.

Just keep an eye on it, check the levels regularly and see how you go.