Noise and smoke - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

no1tmorrow · 01-21-2017, 12:29 PM

Good afternoon all,

So I got down to my motor today to look at the ticking and the smoking issue I have.

Smoke appears to come from the passenger side. Starts about 2-3 minutes after I start the car. Let it run for like 10 minutes and it continued.

Ticking.. I recorded an amazing video. I mean an awful video that you should only listen to the noise not the shaking and running around the car.

https://youtu.be/moIZijNgn9Q

Thanks for any and all help.

Luccia at Pelican Parts · 01-23-2017, 09:18 AM

Bump! Anyone got any advice for this user?

As for the smoke, does it smell like burning oil anywhere? You could have a leak that is being burnt off once it hits a hot component. Post your Boxster year and info for users as well.

Boxster tech articles that may be useful to you now or in the future: Porsche Boxster 986/987 (1997-2004) Technical Articles | Pelican Parts.

911monty · 01-23-2017, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luccia at Pelican Parts

Bump! Anyone got any advice for this user?

As for the smoke, does it smell like burning oil anywhere? You could have a leak that is being burnt off once it hits a hot component. Post your Boxster year and info for users as well.

Boxster tech articles that may be useful to you now or in the future: Porsche Boxster 986/987 (1997-2004) Technical Articles | Pelican Parts.

I'd bet Jake Raby would have a pretty good idea.....

Sounds like a rod to me. Any recent overrevs? New bumps on the case?

Anker · 01-23-2017, 09:42 AM

OK, I'll jump in:

What color is the smoke? Blue or white?

When you stop the car, does anything drip to the ground? Is it oil or coolant? Where under the car does it drip?

Does the ticking start immediately when you start the car? Does it change when you have driven it and the car has warmed up?

Boxtaboy · 01-23-2017, 09:44 AM

Maybe give a little more background info?... what is the model year, type (eg. 1999 Base Boxster), where is the smoke coming from (eg. pass side below car?...top of engine? behind car?) A failing Air/Oil Separator (AOS) might be one possibility. Ticking engine could be bad lifters. Have you done anything lately like change the type of engine oil?, or has this been happening since you got the car?

no1tmorrow · 01-23-2017, 10:00 AM

Thanks for all your replies. Lets see if I can answer all the responses.

It is white smoke. Not heavy a heavy smoke. It smells burnt. It appears to be coming from the passenger side.

I have never seen a drop of anything on the garage floor.

My car has been in my garage for 2 weeks and not started. After starting it this weekend the smoke took about 1-2 minutes before I could see it coming out of the engine compartment. I am hoping to get out there this week and pull the front motor cover off to see if I can see a better location of the strange noise.

I have a 2002 S with 75k miles.

I hear the ticking of the engine but there is a second noise that doesn't match the speed of the idle. Tried to show in my incredible Emmy winning video.

I have owned if for about 6 months and haven't driven it much because of the missing 2nd gear. Was looking at getting another Transmission but now hesitating because of the strange engine noise.

Anker · 01-23-2017, 11:27 AM

White smoke is coolant smoke. Check the water pump and the coolant hoses. You may not see moisture but you will probably see deposits like the ones shown on a recent photo in this forum (within that last couple of days). Since you see smoke I suspect the problem is a bad head gasket or (hopefully not) a cracked head.

I would ignore the ticking for now and concentrate on the white smoke, and for God's sake, keep the coolant level topped up.

Check the oil dipstick and the oil filler cap for mayonnaise. If there is any, stop driving the car! This means that coolant is getting mixed into the engine oil and you will eventually destroy your engine.

Once you have identified the coolant leak and fixed that you may also have found the source of the ticking noise.

Good luck!

no1tmorrow · 01-23-2017, 03:28 PM

So took off the metal plate in the engine compartment.

Started car and let run for 10 minutes tonight. Lighting wasn't best so didn't see smoke. Just smelled like burnt oil a little. Also sound never happened tonight.... GRRRR and GREAT all in one.

So basically sounded great.

Stupid question since I have learned that i am not a mechanic. The white smoke I am seeing (not tonight), is it possible it is a light grey and not white? I know, I am the one looking at it, not you all. Just haven't had any temperature problems or need to add antifreeze.

Thanks again.
Thom

no1tmorrow · 01-23-2017, 04:01 PM

Forgot to add. Oil Cap is dry and dipstick looks like oil, no milk.

Anker · 01-23-2017, 04:33 PM

Make sure there's plenty of coolant, warm the car up and see if there's any smoke. Ideally have someone else drive behind you to see if there's any smoke and where its coming from.

Monitor the coolant level carefully until you are convinced that the car doesn't use any. If it does, find the leak, and as I said before, you should not drive a car that uses coolant.

If no smoke, no coolant use, no smoke, then drive as you did before.

Anker · 01-23-2017, 04:45 PM

There is one possibility that you should consider.

You may have broken off a vane in the water pump and the ticking noise may have been the vane (or vanes) clattering around in the pump, and the white smoke may have been coolant expelled from the water pump seal as the vanes were being shattered. The smell may have been coolant being burned off rather than oil.

There are two things you can do. The simpler, and riskier, one is to keep an eye on the temperature gauge and if it goes unusually high, get the car towed home or to a place where they can replace the water pump. The other, safer, method is to pull the water pump and replace it. You may as well replace it even if it is OK.

I suggest you do the test drive as I suggested in my previous post, but also keep an eye on the temperature gauge.

My druthers would be to replace the pump. Cars don't repair themselves. They just break more and more. Its like the IMS, you sleep better when you kn ow there's a new bearing with a fix in there.

78F350 · 01-23-2017, 04:49 PM

I just watched the video. Odd noise. My first guess is that you are out of power steering fluid, or have the wrong type and the pump is cavitating.

My scary noises have been rattling heat-shield on the exhaust and a failed clutch on the AC compressor. The AC compressor made a cloud of foul smelling smoke when the clutch seized.

Anker · 01-23-2017, 05:42 PM

If its a power steering pump the noise will change as you move the wheel from side to side and stop moving it. Easy enough to test. If its out of power steering fluid it will be very obvious as you turn the wheel.

To me the sound sounds very much like a loose part in the water pump, and I would not characterize it as ticking. I would also check all of the serpentine belt pulleys.

Here's yet another thing I'd do: Remove the front engine panel, quick and easy. Remove the serpentine belt, also very quick and easy. Inspect the belt and inspect and turn all of the pulleys. Could very well give you some idea where the problem is. It does NOT sound like an internal engine noise like piston slap, big end slap or lifter ticking. Sounds very much like some accessory system failing. My money is still on the water pump. Power steering pump failure would give all kinds of other symptoms.

356Guy · 01-23-2017, 07:41 PM

I'd be reluctant to drive it. Get it on a lift and listen from underneath (don't lie underneath a running car on jack stands). Hopefully it is just the water pump. That's a maintenance item anyway. When I first listened to the noise I thought timing chains/tensioner. Hopefully that is not the case.

no1tmorrow · 01-24-2017, 05:42 AM

Guys thanks for all your replies, I am really optimistic and hopeless at the same time.. I did take off the engine panel last night and started the car. But Last night it decided to not make any noise. I will check the fluid tonight and restart the car to see if the noise has magically returned.

Side note. Seeing all the help I am getting makes me want to work on my car instead of just giving up. You guys/gals(maybe) are great. Thank you very much.

Stupid question of the day. Is it safe to drive around the block with engine exposed?

no1tmorrow · 01-25-2017, 03:03 PM

Noise gone again for 2nd day. Moved steering wheel around, power steering sounds great.

Two questions

1. Can I drive with engine covers off?

2. Could the engine oil seperator produce the smoke/smell?

Anker · 01-25-2017, 04:56 PM

1. I am pretty sure the answer is yes.

2. Yes. But it would be blue smoke, not white as you reported.

no1tmorrow · 01-25-2017, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anker

1. I am pretty sure the answer is yes.

2. Yes. But it would be blue smoke, not white as you reported.

1. Awesome thanks

2. A guy could hope.

Figured if I drove it Ang it started smoking more and/or making that strange noise, I could pull over and try to see if I could pinpoint one or both issues.

steved0x · 01-25-2017, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by no1tmorrow

1. Can I drive with engine covers off?

I've done it with the engine cover behind the seats off. It was noisy, hot, and I made dang sure not to let my arm or anything else get back there as if it gets caught in the belt you are in for a world of hurt.

jvfante · 01-25-2017, 05:55 PM

Try listening for the noise through a short piece of garden hose (or similar tubing) through the front inspection area or the top of the engine compartment. You'll be able to locate the approx. source. It sounds to me like broken metal or a bad bearing in the water pump, as others have mentioned, but it could be one of the idler bearings or the AC clutch, Alternator bearing etc that are run by the fan belt. Best of luck.