[8D] ok here we go again i have a 89 760 turbo that compared to my range rover is a very good vehicle not much of a comparison though, my problem is after i drive for a while and then have to sit in traffic or idle for a little while it will start smoking and pretty bad and pretty embarassing i might add,but as soon as i accelerate i goes away and buys me a couple minutes before it starts the smoking again, if i turn the car off for a minute or to and then restart it also buys me a couple minutes, i just started this a couple weeks ago until then it seemed good, i dont notice excessive oil in my intercooler either any help ideas or want to buy a good car let me know

 

Sounds like the Turbo is going bad.

 

if the turbo is going bad then why doesnt it smoke all the time, youd think it would smoke worse at higher rpm when oil pressure is up then when idling when its down, and if it was the seals it should also smoke all the time not just when it warms up and it sits and idles for a while give me something to go on not the same answer im going to hear from everyone cause i heard the samething on the first problem i had and it was an 8 dollar repair not the turbo.

 

What color and density is the smoke?

 

the smoke is blue and theres a distinct oil smell when it does it and its pretty dense, as soon as you pull out it will go away until you stop and idle for awhile again, i have 15w40 oil in it if also noticed about 2 miles from my house it will do this in the morning after cold soak, when i stop at the red light 2 miles away it will also do this within about 40 seconds of idling but if i put it in neutral it wont smoke this trick also works when its hot, any help appreciated

 

Realy sounds like the turbo seals. Check inside your pre-intercooler pipe see how much oil is there. You can also remove the intercooler and place it upside down and see how much comes out. If either or both have a good amount that will seal the deal.

On a side not have you done an oil change or added oil latley? Check the oil level and see if made your running a little extra.

 

it did it slightly when i used 10w30 but as soon as i changed to 15w40 it started really bad, theres no more oil than normal on the hosed or pipes or in the intercooler than normal or when i did not have this problem, im thinking more of a restriction in my turbo oil return line than just the turbo seals this car only has 115000 miles on it and it was pretty well taken care of. im also thinking it could be a pcv system problem cause it keeps blowing on the the vacuum line connections apart. i was just wondering if anyone has ever heard of this, im not saying that the turbo seals arent bad but why doesnt it do this all the time if its just the turbo seals i mean if there bad there bad and there always going to leak

 

If it does this then the Vent system is clogged and it is building up to much pressure.

 

I have this exact same problem with the 1989 760 Turbo Wagon I just purchased last week!! Of course I didn't notice the issue until a few days after I bought it. And it seems to come and go. But like Charlie Brown's car, it occurs upon acceleration after a stop... and while idling after driving for several minutes.. but again.. only sometimes.. it's all very confusing.

I've tried to do as much research as possible in forums such as this, but the answer always seems to be: "Turbo is going bad."

I'm kind of a naive girl when it comes to car stuff, and I'm definitely new to owning a turbo Volvo, but I wonder... is there more than one thing that can go wrong with the turbo? When one says, "The turbo is going bad," does that mean the whole thing is dying? Or is possibly just a bad seal or hose or filter or whatever else is up under there?

I have an appointment with the best Volvo place in town to have her looked at, but not for three weeks. Meantime, I guess I'll just keep my fluid levels up and try to endure the embarrassment of puffing smoke in everyone's faces.

And I'll continue to do research and try to self-diagnose. I realize I sound like a Turbo Volvo dummy.. but what can I say... I am!

So school me on this Turbo business!

 

Usually it is a bad Turbo. It is almost beyond doing a seal and will need to be rebuilt.

But make sure it isn't over full on oil.

Make sure the Vent system isn't clogged.

 

Here's a stupid question, but does the type/weight of oil used make a difference with this problem?

 

Not really 20/50 might help a little but not that much.

 

hey ill try to help you some first you really have to watch who you listen to even on here, second the first thing everyone says is that the turbo is bad, there are other things that can cause the same problem, volvo knows that there going to leak some oil out of there turbos thats why they have the oil drain in the intercooler, thicker oil can cause the problem to be aggrevated even more, you need to make sure that your pcv system is in working order, or not clogged, a restriction in the oil return line from the turbo could cause oil to back up and basically drown the turbo in oil causing it to leak, now if it is the turbo you can replace just the seals rebuilding them really isnt all that hard, i have some web sites where you can buy the rebuild kits or reasonably priced rebuilt turbos that can save you hundreds on a turbo if yours is bad, if you want them ill get them to you. i just get tired of the first thing out of everybodys mouth is the turbo is bad and if the shaft is in good shape you can successfully rebuild them, everyone including the local volvo specialist told me my turbo was bad on the first problem i had and i fixed it for 8 dollars so just keep aware, if you need anymore help just let me know

 

Thanks, Charlie. I get frustrated by the same answer from everyone, too. Today I spoke to a friend who used to have a turbo Volvo wagon. I asked him if he ever had trouble with the turbo. He said, "Yeah, I had to have it replaced. They did it at such-and-such a shop." I asked him what were the symptoms he experienced of the turbo going bad. He said, "I didn't notice anything wrong. It didn't smoke or make noise or anything. But they said it was bad, so I was like, 'Whatever.'" I couldn't believe it. It was like an $800 job he paid for, with no symptoms! Imagine! Anyway I don't want to be a sucker, so I'm going to eliminate every other possibility before I take it to the Volvo place in a few weeks. I'm sure the first thing out of their mouths sight unseen will be, "Bad turbo!" Anyway, I didn't notice any blue smoke today at all, even in stop-and-go rush hour traffic, so it's all very mysterious. I'll keep you posted on my problem, Charlie, and keep me posted on yours!

 

2 Things usually happen when the turbo goes bad.
1. The turbo pumps way to much oil through it and ends up burning the oil.
2. The turbo seizes up.(Which is usually noticed because it is slower than a Non-turbo car.

When the turbo's get rebuilt the Center section with the impellers gets changed out.
They usually reuse some of your parts like the cases.

After checking the Vent system then look towards the turbo.
There is an Elbow looking thing inbetween intake runners 3 and 4 with a small hose going to the intake.
Remove the small hose from the intake and see if the nipple is clogged. Also check the elbow for cloggage as well.
It could also be a clogged vent box. If the elbow looks good then drive it for a day or so with the dipstick up alittle and see if the smoke goes away. The excess pressure will go out the dipstick tube.

 

(Please forgive my shamful lack of knowledge and lingo... I'm still learning)

I took my baby to Oil Can Henry's a couple of weeks ago... they determined that the oil was leaking from the main intake doohickey into the engine. They said it was spattered so badly all up underneath the car that it was no wonder it was burning off and making smoke. They cleaned up the underside, and replaced the oil with a mixture of high-grade oil and sealant to help with the leak. Since then, I have not leaked a drop, and the blue smoke has disappeared.

I'm having the Turbo unit checked out this week.. we're going to check all the hoses, valves, vent thingies, and whatnot. But so far, it seems that the Turbo is running fine, not burning oil, and kicks like a mule when I need it to!! And I've been following proper procedure and letting it idle after hard driving before shutting it off.

I love this car!!!

It's only real problem is the steering.. sticky and tight. I suspect a bad pump. Having that looked at as well.

 

It could be your RMS ( Rear Main Seal ), that is near the turbo.

 

Here's something that may help to extend the life of your turbo a bit. You'll want to get a second opinion on this because Im not 100%, I just know this because my friends Saab's turbo was going and his mechanic told him this. Floor the **** out of it. A turbo is perfectly balanced while boosting, and when in boost puts no wear on the bearings. When you idle a turbo it tries to spin lopsided and eventually wears out the bearings, this could also be what is burning the oil. Never using your turbo is actually bad for it (so Ive heard). So at least once a week, when the engine is nice and hot, floor it and have some fun on the highway. Can anyone confirm what I have said, because again, Im no mechanic. Thanx.