Engine Problems Lots of White Smoke

HELP Hope someone can give me an idea on this problem. My 2001 996 3.4L Tiptonic has just covered 50000 miles and has been serviced by JCT leeds and now Porsche sheffield. A couple of weeks ago I took the car out and after a couple of miles the car lost power then a massive amount of white smoke poured out of the exhausts. I pulled over and got the car towed to the Porsche Centre Sheffield who had the car for 3 days and then found no fault. I picked the car up and took it for a long drive and all seemed fine. I took out the car again about a week later and the same happened again lots of white smoke so thick you cannot see anything behind you. This time I let the smoke die down and drove the car to Porsche Sheffield where it drove fine with a small amount of blueish smoke from the right exhaust. Porsche did there tests and informed me that they couldn't visually find anything wrong and wanted to strip down the engine at my cost £4000 or replace the engine to cut my losses as they put it £12000. One point is I fitted a V-Flow Induction Kit to the car just before these problems started and since getting the car back I have taken this off and found lots of an oily substance in the throttle body. Anyone else had this problem Please Help. Steve Migration info. Legacy thread was 90701

This is from another forum.. and I'm not a mechanic but this sounds rational to me. "White smoke is usually coolant being burned inside your engine. Somehow coolant is leaking inside, and being burned with gasoline, and it produces white smoke. First I would recommend that you make sure the car is not leaking coolant from a hose or other source. When you get home, and park the car for the night, slide a peice of cardboard under the car, and place it underneath the engine. In the morning, slide the cardboard back, and look for any antifreeze leaks. If there is a leak, you should fix it first, before anything else. Coolant leaks are "generally" very simple to find, because they often happen around the hoses. Once you have any leaks fixed, keep and eye on the coolant. If the coolant gets low, and there is no antifreeze on the ground.... then it is being burned. Most likely the headgasket is cracked, and it's allowing coolant to seep into the cylinder and that's why you are loosing some coolant. Headgasket replacement is probably the only answer." I cant beleive that competant engineers would not know what white smoke means! Go to a recommended independant Porsche specialist - or if you are under Porsche warranty see the Service manager and demand that a proper diagnosis is done. (Cylinder leakage tests and coolant water tests looking for gasket problems.) Best of luck - its a bummer. Migration info. Legacy thread was 90703

steve, it is unfortunatelly almost certinly head gasket problems or internal engine. get it checked out in an indie, if they recomend replacement engine, dont panic, you can pick them up from breakers for £3k - £5k depending on mileage, or do an exchange with ninemister, who will give you a more poweful engine in return, for not much more. good luck Migration info. Legacy thread was 90712

Not surprised that OPCs are unable to diagnose the problem and only recommend complete refitment. That's because few OPCs have any engineers at all - all "technicians" mostly just recent students who can only read from the PET guide and the instruction manual. I'd recommend getting yourself to a reputable Indie near you. Indeed, Ninemeister in Warrington, Cheshire (Colin Belton) should be able to diagnose the real problem and suggest a course of resolution. Migration info. Legacy thread was 90729

Cheers for your help. I spoke to a guy at Autofarm and he suggested it could be a coolent problem or maybe a cracked cylinder liner but I can't work out why I'm getting oil in the throttle body. I thought it was down to the transmission breather pipe which connects into the airbox just below the throttle body and was throwing transmission fluid in which was burning. Will try the guy at Ninemeister cheers Migration info. Legacy thread was 90984