I started to see blue smoke from my exhaust the other day. It definitely smells of oil. It appears to be only happening at low speeds or when I am stopped. Before I look into the need for new valve seals or rings, I would like to eliminate some easier possibilities. One thought was to check the oil trap.

The volvo manual, when explaining the oil trap system, indicates where the gases from the crankcase are drawn into the air intake just ahead of the air inlet to the turbo. I checked the throttle body by detaching the air hose and looking for any oil and see no evidence of any, either at the throttle valve or in the air hose.

The oil trap explanation also seems to indicate that at high vacuum (low speed), the crankcase gases are feed into the intake manifold after the throttle butterfly valve through a small vacuum hose that is also attached just before the turbo at a 'tee' with the larger hose. I am aware of where the hoses are attached prior to the turbo because I pulled my turbo out a few months ago for rebuilding. I checked all the hoses that I can see attached to the throttle body but none of them seem to be the one I am looking for. I can't seem to trace it from the turbo area back to the intake manifold.

It doesn't appear to be on the vacuum diagram label on the hood. I also checked my haynes and chilton manuals but no luck.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

check your manual again, i do not believe there is a flame trap on turbo models.

could be the tubo failing and pumpming oil into the exhaust, when was the turbo changed, was it rebuilt or a new turbo? oil in the exhaust will clog the catalytic convertor if you don't fix the problem it will cost you more in the long run.

Dan

Dan, thanks for the reply. I didn't think about oil being introduced by the exhaust side of the turbo.

I am referring to the oil trap, not the flame trap. The manual I was referring to is from Volvo and I found this in the section describing the functions of various components of the turbo engine. I have seen several posts where it was thought that only the NA engines had an oil trap so I was suprised to find that turbo engines use it also. You are correct in that the turbo's don't use a flame trap but they still suck the gases from the crankcase and process them through the intake. My thought was that perhaps the oil trap wasn't draining back into the engine and had gotten to the point where not just the gases were being drawn into the intake. My flat rate book indicates it is a 2.2 hour job just to remove and replace the intake manifold just to get at the oil trap to check it out. I don't want to do that unless it is neccessary.

I sent the turbo out to be rebuilt several months ago. The bearing was failing. When I reinstalled it, the power was up considerably I haven't had any problems until a few days ago when I noticed the smoke. I don't plan to drive it any more until I get the problem resolved. I have heard that cat's are expensive.

Currently I have 132,000 miles on the speedometer.

Thanks.


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Don 93 & 95 854 GLT, 95 855T

I ALSO HAD TO CHANGE THE OIL TRAP ON MY 244T IT WAS UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND A REAL PAIN TO GET TO, I DON'T WHERE IT IS LOCATED ON THE 850'S I HAVE NEVER CHANGED IT ON MY 850. BUT YOU ARE CORRECT THAT THE OIL TRAP CAN CAUSE PRESSURE BUILD UP IN THE CRANKCASE AND LEAD TO MORE PROBLEMS IF NOT SERVICVED.
I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE IS A WAY TO CHECK THE TRAP, I REMOVED THE ONE FROM THE 244T AND CLEANED IT OUT, IT WAS FULL OF CARBON AND BLOCKED, ALSO WERE THE HOSES GOING TO THE TRAP WERE FILLED WITH CARBON.

GOOD LUCK, LET US KNOW HOW IT TURNS OUT.

DAN

How often should the turbo last?
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89 764 GLE 150k/ 86 745 GLE 240k

MY 97 GLT TURBO HAS THE ORIGINAL TURBO WITH OVER 1OOK MILES ON IT, I HAD A 244 TURBO AND THAT NEEDED A NEW TURBO AT 85K MILES. THE 850'S TURBO IS WATER COOLED ALSO AND SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER. IT MOSTLY DEPENDS ON THE OIL YOU USE AND HOW YOU CARE FOR YOUR CAR, LETTING THE TURBO SPOOL DOWN AND COOL FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE YOU TURN THE CAR OFF,AND LETTING IT WARM UP BEFORE YOU DRIVE IT AND THE USE OF 100% SYNTHETIC OIL WILL EXTEND THE LIFE.
DAN