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Why Do I See Traces Of Oil On My Porsche Exhaust Pipe?

Exhaust pipes are meant to transfer the gases from the combustion chamber in the engine outside as well as muffle the noise produced in the engine. Their main work is to discharge fumes from your Porsche, therefore if they have traces of oil on them, it points towards problems from within the engine. However that is not always the case as it may be as a result of a small problem that can be fixed easily. Read on to get to understand the probable causes of presence of oil traces on your Porsche exhaust pipe.

Black Soot

First of all, you should check the end of the exhaust pipe well. The traces of oil you see may not necessarily be oil all the time. Sometimes it may be black soot that has formed a liquid that looks like oil. This happens especially in cases whereby the car owner has not cleaned the exhaust pipe for a long time. As a result, the exhaust pipe collects soot and eventually the soot layer becomes very thick. When the exhaust gases mix with the soot, it forms a liquid that looks like oil but is not actually oil. To confirm this, you can put your finger inside the exhaust pipe and you will see soot on your finger. However, caution must be taken as the exhaust remains hot for a while after the engine is switched off. You should also put on gloves to protect your fingers.

Clogged PVC Valve

When you notice that your exhaust pipe is emitting blue smoke you may have issues with your PVC valve. To confirm this you need to check the spark plugs to see whether there is some oil smeared on them. The PVC valve transmits gases to the combustion chambers in the engine. When it becomes clogged, the increased amount of gas in the engine creates a lot of pressure. This pressure pushes the oil past several seals and eventually into the exhaust pipe.

Ruptured Head Gaskets

A ruptured head gasket can also be the cause of traces of oil on your exhaust pipe. The responsibility of the head gasket is to act as a seal between the block and the heads of the engine. A ruptured head gasket allows one or more fluids into the exhaust system. Oil being among these fluids is let past the seal and into the exhaust pipe. Therefore if you see oil on your exhaust pipe, you might want to have your head gaskets checked. That being said, a delays in repairing a ruptured head gasket can lead to other consequences that make it very expensive to use your Porsche. This is in the form of an overheated engine, poor fuel economy and reduced engine performance. You should therefore have your head gasket checked and repaired immediately if you suspect it has issues.

Worn-out Valve Guides Seals

Valve guides regulate the amount of gas flowing into and out of the engine. In order to function properly the guides have seals around their shafts. Over time, the seals may wear out causing oil leakages. The oil leaks into the exhaust gases and is expelled from the exhaust system. This is why you find traces of oil on the exhaust pipe in addition to blue smoke.