Smoke & oil use

Exhaust smoke and oil consumption · what to check

Colour tells you what is burning. A puff on start-up and a haze at every throttle opening are very different conversations.

Quick answer

Smoke & oil use appears as a documented fault on 25 models in our library, across 25 separate faults. The most common areas involved are Engine, Turbo.

What it usually means

  • Blue smoke · oil burning, usually rings, valve guides or turbo seals.
  • White smoke that does not clear when warm · coolant entering the engine.
  • Black smoke on a diesel · over-fuelling, air restriction or a failing sensor.
  • Oil top-ups between services on a modern engine · treat as a documented fault, not normal.

How to check it on the forecourt

  1. 01Have someone watch the exhaust on a cold start while you sit inside.
  2. 02Accelerate hard in a low gear on the test drive and watch the mirrors.
  3. 03Check the oil level against the last service sticker for consumption.
  4. 04Pull the dipstick and look for fuel smell or a milky film.

Models where this is documented

Each entry links to that model's full fault page, with onset mileage, severity and what to inspect.

Audi A42009–20161 matching fault
  • 2.0T TFSI excessive oil consumption from worn piston rings (early builds).· 60,000+ miles
BMW 2 Series2014–20251 matching fault
  • Timing chain and turbo issues on early three-cylinder units· 70,000+ miles
Chevrolet Cruze2011–20191 matching fault
  • 1.4T turbo wear.· 90,000+ miles
Citroen Dispatch2016–20241 matching fault
  • 1.6 and 2.0 BlueHDi turbo and DPF issues on stop-start work· 70,000+ miles
Fiat Doblo2010–20221 matching fault
  • 1.6 and 2.0 Multijet diesel turbo and DPF issues· 70,000+ miles
Fiat Punto2005–20181 matching fault
  • 1.3 MultiJet diesel injector wear and turbo issues· 90,000+ miles
Fiat Talento2016–20241 matching fault
  • 1.6 and 2.0 dCi turbo and DPF issues on stop-start work· 70,000+ miles
Ford Edge2015–20231 matching fault
  • 2.0 EcoBoost coolant intrusion into cylinders.· 70,000+ miles
Ford Grand C-Max2010–20191 matching fault
  • 1.6 and 2.0 TDCi DPF blockage on short-run cars· 70,000+ miles
Ford Transit Connect2013–20231 matching fault
  • 1.5 TDCi injector and EGR faults· 80,000+ miles
Land Rover Discovery Sport2015–20251 matching fault
  • Ingenium diesel timing chain and turbo faults on earlier cars· 70,000+ miles
Land Rover Freelander2006–20141 matching fault
  • 2.2 TD4 injector and turbo problems· 90,000+ miles
Mercedes-Benz E-Class2013–20251 matching fault
  • Injector and turbo actuator faults on older diesels· 90,000+ miles
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter2013–20251 matching fault
  • Injector and turbo wear on very high-mileage vans· 150,000+ miles
Mitsubishi ASX2010–20231 matching fault
  • 1.8 DI-D diesel injector and DPF problems on short-run cars· 60,000+ miles
Mitsubishi Shogun2007–20191 matching fault
  • 3.2 DI-D injector and turbo issues, sometimes cracked pistons on neglected cars· 100,000+ miles
Renault Kangoo2013–20211 matching fault
  • Injector and glow plug faults on dCi diesels· 100,000+ miles
Renault Master2010–20241 matching fault
  • 2.3 dCi turbo and EGR failures on hard-worked examples· 90,000+ miles
Renault Trafic2014–20251 matching fault
  • Injector and turbo issues on high-mileage dCi units· 120,000+ miles
Subaru Outback2015–20191 matching fault
  • FB25 oil consumption on some engines.· 60,000+ miles
Toyota Avensis2009–20181 matching fault
  • D-4D diesel injector seal leaks causing white smoke on start-up· 80,000+ miles
Toyota Camry2012–20171 matching fault
  • Excessive oil consumption on the 2.5L 2AR-FE — some cars burn oil between changes.· 60,000+ miles
Toyota Land Cruiser2009–20231 matching fault
  • DPF and injector faults on the 2.8 diesel· 90,000+ miles
Vauxhall Movano2010–20211 matching fault
  • 2.3 dCi turbo failure and EGR clogging· 90,000+ miles
Vauxhall Vivaro2014–20251 matching fault
  • Injector and turbo issues on high-mileage diesels· 120,000+ miles

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