White/Blue Smoke, Using Oil, Inlet Manifold Very Oily?

Hi Guys, my 1.8 DX engined gti is using alot of oil and there are plums of white, slightly blue, exhaust coming out when under load. I've been told the likely problem is valve stem seals. I did wonder whether it could be the head gasket but if I change the valve stem seals then I would be changing the head gasket, at the same time, so I would be sorting out both potential causes. The thing is the inlets, in the inlet manifold, are covered in thick oil.

Obviously the car is buring oil due to the smoke, and the need to keep topping up the oil, but what is casuing the oil to be in the inlet manifold? Any help would be really appreciated.

Hi mate I've got the same issue, last week I noticed cream under the oil cam and now on the dip stick I got it confirmed it's the head gasget thats gone, it's going in to the garage on Friday so I thought I'd park it up till then, All I've done is move it out of the garage to the drive today and loads of blus smoke is coming from the exhaust and smells like burning oil.
Has anyone got any idea what else has gone?  :x

I need to add that this seams to have only happened since I got my rocker cover powder coated. I did make sure the gauze was masked off. I'm hearing that maybe the oil could be being sucked through the rocker breather pipe into the inlet manifold.

Anyone had anything like this?

I had slightly blue smoke and that was due to a groove down the cylinder in the block.  I thought it may have been the piston rings and done a full engine rebuild.  It wasn't until I removed the head and moved the piston down the cylinder that I saw the real cause.  If I was to hedge a bet I'd think it was your piston rings mate.

Well bit of an update:

I've had the head crack tested and rebuild with new valve stem seals, replaced the head gasket and replaced the rocker cover but it still seams to be sucking oil into the inlet manifold. I checked the airbox and the flap was covered in oil  :dontknow:

Any ideas anyone?

Is there anything that could be blocked that is causing the oil to be sucked out  

were the valve guides checked? It could be ring/bore wear like mentioned....oil control rings could also be gunky....were they inspected when the head was off???

Valve guides were checked and replaced as necessary. I'm away from home at the mo but my brother tells me that the smoke seems to be going so it maybe that the oil in the inlet manifold is just burning off but I am going to have a look when I get home in a few weeks.

get it compression tested.

That will tell you if theres a ring issue.  If one cylinder comes out lower, drop a bit of oil down the plug hole and do it again. If it goes up then the rings are the problem. if it doesn't then it's the headgasket.

If the figures are all within about 5% of each other than the problem is likely valve seals/guides.

Jon.