Not happy - serious problem

Originally Posted by alfaspence

compression test the cylinders.... (if you were local to me i'd do it for nowt, can't wait until june can you ? )
that way you would get a clear picture of cylinder health.
Stems seals? Not a hope at that mileage!!! they are having a girraffe!
I have noticed with the older 12v Alfa v6 units, that if a cylinder missfires due to ignition/fuel related issues, it WILL give a haze of blue smoke under load!! (my old engine did it, and on start up)
Get a third opinion before you let someone tear into that motor

Thanks, might try and get a compression test done.

I'd be surprised if you had a valve seal problem at all: not due to normal wear and tear anyway.

Don't think it's due to the exhaust fitters either - not sure how they (or you) could have done it.

Feel for you on this.

Originally Posted by JackGTA

could they have been having a bit of fun with the car while it was in?

Not un heard of but very rare nowadays

i'd forget the stem seals for now....

A compression test is not going to be cheap, expect a couple of hours labour (by the time they have removed the intake, head cover, coil packs and plugs)
If you have a friend in the know, it would be an advantage...

Best not to speculate too much at this point as it could cost £150 to and upwards of thousands to put right

Start cheap, then work at the expensive later, a few quid well spent on a proper diagnosis could save you alot of ££ in the long run...
(AND THATS WHAT IAM HOPING FOR YOU!!)

Good luck

Just for the record, when stem seals "go" they normally give a little smoke when cold, and then normally just on the overun...
(caused by the vacumn in the cylinders when the throttle is shut) this also includes gear changes

Had a poke around and found this from AMSOIL.

Seems just about anything can cause increased il consumption so I'm blaming it on the cat (pussy type). Quite an interesting article though.

Originally Posted by JackGTA

Thanks, might try and get a compression test done.

Rather arrogant pm sent....

Originally Posted by alfaspence

Just for the record, when stem seals "go" they normally give a little smoke when cold, and then normally just on the overun...
(caused by the vacumn in the cylinders when the throttle is shut) this also includes gear changes

What happened to the futurama avatart?!! I really liked the flibble going on...

My car also has a puff of oil smoke for a about 5 secs then disappears when the car is cold from start??? But then disappears??

How you sort out your car

i see that there is a lot of ******** scenarios going on by the dealers and garages. Please make sure your oil level is not too high. High oil level can increase crankase pressure and then force oil out of the breathers and back in the intake and hence create smoke. Look at the simple things first, make sure the oil level is a little below the max mark on the dipstick.

Hmm I think that may be the problem it is kinda high I'll drain it there.

Originally Posted by Chris155

What happened to the futurama avatart?!! I really liked the flibble going on...

here ya Chris, just for you what was wrong with my engine anyway?