Blue smoke when starting from a standstill

Just this weekend I began noticing that when I am stopped at a red light or anything for a bit when I go, I get a puff (good sized) of blue smoke out the exhaust. I don't notice it when I'm driving. Any ideas?

 

[Barnes]

Drive the car, and decelerate for a while down a hill in gear. Then look in the rear view mirror and hit the gas. See if you get a puff of blue smoke.

 

tried stuff like that, I don't really notice much. However I have crappy tint on the back window which makes it hard to see stuff like that. I can smell it sometimes too. I could get someone to come with me and watch for it if I really need to.

 

[2of9]

possibly valve seals are leaking from the head. see if there is oil residue around your exhaust manifold. If there is, then it's your valve seals leaking.

 

[turbowop]

My money is on valve seals. 99% of the time that is the issue based off your symptoms. It's a common issue with these motors once they get a bit of mileage on them. When mine were bad, they did exactly as you describe and on decel down a long grade the car didn't smoke. Only when accelerating from an idling standstill.

You can either pull the head and have it rebuilt, or do them with the head on the car.

 

update, i've got oil squirting out of the exhaust manifold when you rev it up. we pulled the spark plugs and they look clean. I can take a picture of where its leaking oil out tomorrow in the daylight. my friend looked at it and thinks I need a new turbo that the seals are probably shot

 

[turbowop]

Oil squirting out the exhaust manifold? I wouldn't think that to be a turbo issue, unless the oil were coming out below it. I wonder if you have a really bad valve seal. My plugs always looked clean when I had issues with them as well. You can really tell when it's valve seals if you pull the exhaust manifold and the exhaust ports in the head are almost wet with oil.

 

crap, that sounds worse. i'll get some pics tomorrow. I just need to figure it out and get it fixed, I have to drive this thing everyday.

 

I pulled my turbo tonight and this is what I see in one exhaust port, the other 3 look fine. looks not good =( any help with this one?

 

[Barnes]

My exhaust ports pretty much looked like that when I had bad exhaust valve seals and exhaust valve guides. You *could* change the valve seals with the cylinder still on the head, and see if that fixes it. However, if you do that and it still smokes, it's probably the guides.

Also, are any of your plugs oily looking?

 

nope I pulled the plugs and they are clean.