Smoke coming from dip stick hole
10-09-2008 | 02:53 AM
#1
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From: South Coast
Smoke coming from dip stick hole
I'd been out for a drive yesterday, mainly in town, stop start stop start which lasted around 40 minutes before I got home.
Parked the car up and nipped indoors for no more than 5 minutes then came back out again to check the oil level.
Whipped the dip stick out and noticed what I can only describe as 'whisps' of smoke coming from the dip stick hole. It wasn't billowing out or anything, just steady little whisps. There wasn't any stench of burning oil and the colour on of the oil on the dip stick was the regular golden colour. Oil was midway between top and bottom x. The one thing that did stand out, maybe I've never noticed it before, was that the entire dip stick was coated all the way up its length with oil.
So is this something I need to worry about ? Could it just be a combination of just doing a 40 minute city drive, only leaving the car for 5 minutes before checking oil and it being a fairly crisp morning ? Is it possible that it was merely vapour from a hot engine being shown up on a cold day? Or is it possibly something more sinister that I will have to get checked out ?
Parked the car up and nipped indoors for no more than 5 minutes then came back out again to check the oil level.
Whipped the dip stick out and noticed what I can only describe as 'whisps' of smoke coming from the dip stick hole. It wasn't billowing out or anything, just steady little whisps. There wasn't any stench of burning oil and the colour on of the oil on the dip stick was the regular golden colour. Oil was midway between top and bottom x. The one thing that did stand out, maybe I've never noticed it before, was that the entire dip stick was coated all the way up its length with oil.
So is this something I need to worry about ? Could it just be a combination of just doing a 40 minute city drive, only leaving the car for 5 minutes before checking oil and it being a fairly crisp morning ? Is it possible that it was merely vapour from a hot engine being shown up on a cold day? Or is it possibly something more sinister that I will have to get checked out ?
10-09-2008 | 03:49 AM
#5
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 10,653
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From: Market Harborough, Leics.
Originally Posted by LTB,Oct 9 2008, 10:53 AM
I'd been out for a drive yesterday, mainly in town, stop start stop start which lasted around 40 minutes before I got home.
Parked the car up and nipped indoors for no more than 5 minutes then came back out again to check the oil level.
Whipped the dip stick out and noticed what I can only describe as 'whisps' of smoke coming from the dip stick hole. It wasn't billowing out or anything, just steady little whisps. There wasn't any stench of burning oil and the colour on of the oil on the dip stick was the regular golden colour. Oil was midway between top and bottom x. The one thing that did stand out, maybe I've never noticed it before, was that the entire dip stick was coated all the way up its length with oil.
So is this something I need to worry about ? Could it just be a combination of just doing a 40 minute city drive, only leaving the car for 5 minutes before checking oil and it being a fairly crisp morning ? Is it possible that it was merely vapour from a hot engine being shown up on a cold day? Or is it possibly something more sinister that I will have to get checked out ?
Parked the car up and nipped indoors for no more than 5 minutes then came back out again to check the oil level.
Whipped the dip stick out and noticed what I can only describe as 'whisps' of smoke coming from the dip stick hole. It wasn't billowing out or anything, just steady little whisps. There wasn't any stench of burning oil and the colour on of the oil on the dip stick was the regular golden colour. Oil was midway between top and bottom x. The one thing that did stand out, maybe I've never noticed it before, was that the entire dip stick was coated all the way up its length with oil.
So is this something I need to worry about ? Could it just be a combination of just doing a 40 minute city drive, only leaving the car for 5 minutes before checking oil and it being a fairly crisp morning ? Is it possible that it was merely vapour from a hot engine being shown up on a cold day? Or is it possibly something more sinister that I will have to get checked out ?
Its possible that the PCB is blocked, but most likely its just oil mist condensing in the cold air.
10-09-2008 | 04:11 AM
#6
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From: South Coast
Originally Posted by lower,Oct 9 2008, 10:49 AM
Has the car done a high mileage?
Its possible that the PCB is blocked, but most likely its just oil mist condensing in the cold air.
Its possible that the PCB is blocked, but most likely its just oil mist condensing in the cold air.
What is the PCB ? Printed Circuit Board ?
10-09-2008 | 04:38 AM
#7
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 10,653
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From: Market Harborough, Leics.
Positive crankcase breather or PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) if you prefer.
It basically connects the crankcase to the inlet so that the crankcase runs at a slightly negative pressure and blow by from the pistons or oil mists are sucked into the inlet manifold and burnt.
If it gets blocked up you can get a slight pressure build up in the crankcase which can push oil past the seals or push out the dip stick.
It basically connects the crankcase to the inlet so that the crankcase runs at a slightly negative pressure and blow by from the pistons or oil mists are sucked into the inlet manifold and burnt.
If it gets blocked up you can get a slight pressure build up in the crankcase which can push oil past the seals or push out the dip stick.
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10-09-2008 | 04:43 AM
#8
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 25,566
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From: Heart of England
What is the PCB ? Printed Circuit Board ?
It's actually a PCV
The one way valve that vents pressure in the the intake.
Right sdie of the cover towards the back.
Next time stick a bit of kitchen towel over it, you need to work out if it is oil or water.
