Smokin

[Guest]

This may sound like a really stupid question, but I didn't even think about it until my brother pointed out that my engine sounds like it has tappets from a 84 golf when cold not a VVT Boxer engine. Is this normal? It's not so bad when the engine has reached running temp but noticable when cold. She performs well, but as this is my first Boxster and I have nothing to compare her to. It's an MY03 with about 5K on the clock. Smokes a bit when cold but I have been told this is normal and she doesn't use much oil either.
Can someone tell me this is normal as I have become quite paranoid...

Thanks

Adam.

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: Adam Creasey

This may sound like a really stupid question, my engine sounds like it has tappets from a 84 golf when cold not a VVT Boxer engine. Is this normal? It's an MY03 with about 5K on the clock. Smokes a bit when cold but I have been told this is normal
Adam.

When in doubt go get your OPC to check it out.
As its under warranty its gonna cost you nought []

My 03 smokes on start up and that looks so cool out of those BIG pipes []

 

[Helen Goff]

When in doubt go get your OPC to check it out.

i second that[]

 

[Helen Goff]

as i unerstand it all Boxsters smoke when cold.

 

[Ivor]

I have an August 03 Boxster and it smokes when its cold, like this weekend, but this quickly disappears as the engine warms up.

I'm not worried as it is definitely related to the outside temperature. And no, I haven't used much oil either in 6K miles.

 

[Elliot Davies]

Flat 6 boxer engine plus a dry sump when cold = a bit of smoke on start up.

Dont worry until it smokes when hot IMO []

 

[Jonathan Collins]

If it's 'smoke' is related to outside temperature it is just water vapour, a normal product of combustion. As Elliot rightly says it's common for this configuration of engine to give off a bit of blue oil smoke on start up, my 3.2 carrera does it the first time it is started up each day. It varies in ammounts for no apparent reason, it even went for a couple of weeks without doing it at all, might have thought it was out of oil apart from the fact that it uses hardly any!

 

[JCB..]

Occasional blue smoke on start-up is a feature of a Flat Engine - ask any Air-cooled VW nut for confirmation. Amount can vary from a puff to a cloud depending on who is walking past at the time.

It's normally attributed to a piston coming to rest during the induction phase which results in a small amount of oil being sucked past the rings.

What is shouldn't do is continue to smoke - don't confuse winter water vapour with smoke.

Your tappets should rattle for a second or two - the time it takes for the oil pump to pressurise - another feature of hydraulic tappets. If your telling us that your engine rattles until warm I'd take it in to get it checked.

JCB..

 

[Guest]

Thanks all for putting my mind at rest. I will get the tappets checked out but it all sounds quite normal now you've all confirmed the same.
Sorry it's taken so long to respond but it's my laptop thats gone up in smoke now.

If only everything was as reliable as a Boxster......