HELP!! Smoke from engine 08 specb not temp. related.

I have an 08specb with 1900mi. I noticed smoke and smelled burning today as I pulled into a parking lot. Temp gauge was perfectly normal; little below halfway. Popped the hood and the somke was coming from the left (passanger side) of the engine; seemed to be coming from underneath. Smoke and smell disappeared after about 5mins. Drove the car home after errand and didnt smell/notice anything until I pulled into my driveway and there it was again. Check oil to be safe, it was fine. I have noticed that when I take my foot off the gas the tranny makes a grinding noise which stops if I either shift to neutral or step on the gas. Differential or Diff. fluid?!? Obviously I am calling my dealer first thing monday but I wonder if anybody could give me any info/ideas before then.

When I first got my 08 LGT.B, I was prepared for the cosmoline burn-off that new Subarus go through, but it seemed excessive -- I'd be sitting at a stop light (with the engine good and warmed up), and smoke would be wafting out of the hood scoop.

 

Eventually I took it in, and it seems there was a seal in one of the turbo oil lines with a little drip of a leak -- and the drip was dripping onto the exhaust header, passenger side.

 

The dealer kept it overnight and tried to fix it, but that fix worked only for a few days (I was putting lots on miles on intentionally to get through the break-in period). So I took it back, and they kept it for about a week while awaiting a new part. They grumped about how this leak seemed to be happening with a number of the new 2.5T engines (not only in Spec.Bs).

 

The new part, though, seems to have done the trick. It's been at least 1500 miles of all sorts of driving since, and all's good.

 

This is obviously a warranty fix -- because my car was brand new (only a couple of days old the first time), they gave me a loaner and then did the second time, too. I don't know if you'll manage to get that perk, but at least you can be reassured that they can fix it, assuming it's the same sort of leak I had. HPH

Thanx. I am not too worried with the warranty, just a little curious. I will let you know how it turns out.

Turbo oil supply tube leak. The banjo bolt needs to be tightened.

My car is also makeing a grinding noise when I let off the gas, but mine is na. The dealer said they couldn't figure out what the noise was and the tech line told them to replace most of the exhaust. It didn't fix the noise and soa is sending someone to look at my car next week.

...Or a split axle boot....

they might be unrelated, the grinding has been going on for a while, the smoking just started. Smells like an oil leak as described by drcloud. the grinding sounds like the tranny but it could be normal for the 6 spd.

The 6sp is pretty noisy on decel in 1st and 2nd. Normal.

I have an 08specb with 1900mi. I noticed smoke and smelled burning today as I pulled into a parking lot. Temp gauge was perfectly normal; little below halfway. Popped the hood and the somke was coming from the left (passanger side) of the engine; seemed to be coming from underneath. Smoke and smell disappeared after about 5mins. Drove the car home after errand and didnt smell/notice anything until I pulled into my driveway and there it was again.

 

Check out this thread http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68363

 

That's how mine started. Smoke coming from the passenger side of the engine. It maybe a leak in the oil feed line for the turbo. This is starting to become more common... Get it inspected sooner than later, mine has been in the shop for 8 days and counting.

Car is going in on wed. They seem to think the grinding is normal as well, but they will check it out. Offered no guesses on the smoke, I didnt want to step on any toes and tell them what I think is wrong, I will just see how it plays out. We shall see, I will update asap. thanx again for all the help.

got the car back, it was indeed a cracked pipe that feeds oil to the turbo. they said they had difficulty locating the crack because it was a very thin pipe, the crack itself was facing away from their vantage point, and it only squirted oil under heavy throttle. But it has been replaced, under warranty of course, and the car seems to be driving smoother under heavy throttle (probably just wishful thinking).

Just had this happen with my car 2 days ago...it's in the shop now and it's a leaking oil supply pipe to the turbo.

 

It was pretty funny though because whenever I pulled up to a stoplight smoke would just start billowing out of the hood scoop.

I have the same smell but I am thinking it is just the cosmoline smell since the car is so new and the fact that it is N/A

Mine has ~16k miles on it and is just a year old. It happened all of a sudden. The dealership just called and said that they have to order the part so I'll be stuck in a rental for a couple of days.

I had a similar problem and it was the waste gate stuck open, eventually making the turbo smoke after smelling for a couple months like burning oil. Had to replace the turbo,

got the car back, it was indeed a cracked pipe that feeds oil to the turbo. they said they had difficulty locating the crack because it was a very thin pipe, the crack itself was facing away from their vantage point, and it only squirted oil under heavy throttle. But it has been replaced, under warranty of course, and the car seems to be driving smoother under heavy throttle (probably just wishful thinking).

 

Golly, I feel smart!