200tdi Blue oil smoke after oil change

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ifloochies

Well-Known Member
So, as the heading states, I've recently noticed I have a lot of blue oil smoke out the back from startup until after a few minutes when the engine starts warming up and then it all goes away.
This only started after my last oil and filter change.
Used Shell 10w40 Rubia diesel oil for the first time as I was driving cross-country and I couldn't find my usual lubricant.
Also noticed that when it's cold, the joint between the turbo outlet and the exhaust downpipe appears to be a bit wet with oil.
I have checked the turbo for play and there hardly seems to be any. There's the usual slight up and down play, but zero lateral movement in the turbine shaft. There isn't any oil at the discharge pipe either, and the intercooler is basically bone dry since I plumbed the crankcase breather to discharge into a separate holding tank in the engine bay.
What am I dealing with here? Is it the turbo seal failing at the exhaust turbine side and letting oil out into the exhaust instead of the usual failure mode where they would fail at the compressor end and fill the intake with oil?
Or is it a case of the oil used being too light and leaking past the turbo seals?
The engine is a Disco 200tdi auto with 227k on the clock.
Always been serviced religiously and has been used basically as a highway cruiser on extended cross-country trips for years now.
 
Years ago I put 10/40 in a 300tdi, it drank the stuff like a fish, back to the 15/40 and it never used oil again.
What you want is good old cheap as chips mineral 15/40.
 
decent 15/40. The cheap stuff will soon be cooked by the turbo. Expensive things, turbos.
I'll be using 10/40 as Ive already got some.
 
I have the same issue. See my thread in the Defender bit.

I think it's a combination of 10w40 semi synthetic oil and the fact my 92 200tdi only has 79k on it and doesn't get used enough.
 
Finally got around to changing the oil, but unfortunately it's still putting out loads of blue oil smoke when cold...:( 200tdi turbo.jpg
It can be seen in the attached photo, how joint at the downpipe is thoroughly soaked after startup in the morning.

Just the other day, I had someone else suggest that I check for a blockage in the turbo oil drain pipe at the bottom as a blockage in that could cause similar problems.
Anyone ever had an experience with this?
 
The return pipe has quite a large diameter hole so would be very surprised if its blocked, but easy enough to check.
 
If it is just at start up it would suggest valve stem seals or head gasket failing.
IE oil weeping into cylinders over night
 
If it is just at start up it would suggest valve stem seals or head gasket failing.
IE oil weeping into cylinders over night

So which of the 2 is the most likely culprit, and how do I narrow it down to the one?
Another question I have has to do with why the problem seems to go away when she warms up. I would assume if it was valve stem seals, it would smoke all the time, or wouldn't it?:confused:
 
Valve stem seals will do exactly what you are experiencing, but on the 200 the valve stem seals do come away from the valve stem leaving a direct path for the oil, with the rocker off you can clearly see the valve stem seals through the valve springs with the aid of a torch.
 
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