2011 SHO white smoke

[PandaPlusSHO]

Hey there new to this forum been trying to find some answers for a situation i’m having with my car.
Some information about my car:
• I drive a 2011 Ford Taurus SHO with around 115k miles
• I live in a year round cold climate, Alaska.
• Regular maintenance on oil change and filter
• Been driving smooth for a year since i bought it with no issue up until December 2023.
• Haven’t drove the car since i’ve seen the issue of white smoke coming out of the car, January 2024, I just immediately parked it and turned it off (drove less than 25 miles since the sight of white smoke)

The visual issues:
• Blows White smoke out of exhaust smells more like oil more than anything (definitely not sweet smelling)
• Low Idle (around 500 RPMs or lower)
• Coolant Level is relatively the same never had to top off.
• Engine oil gets lowered from time to time. At the day of writing this post, I’ve seen about half a quart of oil on the floor just before the exhaust tail pipe, not even coming out of the tail pipe.
• Car does NOT overheat. (Been parked in a heated garage so it checks out)

Things i’ve done:
• Oil Change to check quality of oil. No milky residue nor has anything to do with the oil leaking with the coolant.
• Changed the spark plugs just to see if it was an issue the spark plugs were old and the manual change them for the first time. Once it reaches 100,000 miles. I’m pretty sure previous owner did not do that. Spark plugs were just dirty with carbon nothing crazy and nothing wet.
• Changed the PCV valve and Hose with Ford Parts at dealership.
• Did a radiator flush to see if anything was clogged coolant just looked liked used coolant and the flush became clear pretty quickly.

I’m just stuck at this point i’ve been doing research and it could either be a/multiple bad piston rings or a bad/worn valve guide. My thing is are those really the issues? Went to one mechanic to get an “oil change” when i first noticed the white smoke and without even doing the change or looking at the car he immediately said “looks like a head gasket leak” and started throwing prices about buying a used engine… WITHOUT looking under the hood from what he told me. Looked Shady in my option. Please i’m stuck on what i should do I love this car and visually it’s in great condition I don’t wanna just sell it to some Joe. Thank you in advance!

 

[SHOdded]

could be as simple as moisture steaming off on cold start

if it happens even with engine warmed up, i would inspect the turbos and turbo piping/intercooler for pooling oil

if everything is good but for that white smoke and oil level drop, that is what i have for you atm

pcv system issues can sometimes be resolved with heavier weight oil, e.g. 10w30 instead of 5w30. i would resist the temptation of dropping to 0w, instead opting to use a block heater if at all possible.

what oil are you running, brand/weight/etc. at low temps/below freezing, it is advisable to stay moderate on the throttle till the engine has had a chance to warm up past 100f, or when you start feeling good heat coming out of the vents. otherwise you risk windowing the block.

 

[PandaPlusSHO]

i have been using Motorcraft 5w30 for at least 2/4 oils changes and Mobil 1 for the other 2/4. The thing is it’s thick white smoke even after the engine warmed up. Do you think even with the PCV valve and hose being new it would have an issue? I’ll definitely check those turbos like you were mentioning for sure! You don’t think from what I described it could be something i have to take apart my engine for? That’s a whole project with free time.

 

[PandaPlusSHO]

Photos of what happened for the first time since December 2023. Just oil mainly through the passenger side of the exhaust system. the vehicle is currently on jacks.

 

[Texas Marauder]

With that much oil under the car, I'd check the turbo oil supply lines, especially the rear one. Also check the oil return drain lines. They aren't under pressure but, possibly just rotted or broken.

 

[SHOdded]

i have been using Motorcraft 5w30 for at least 2/4 oils changes and Mobil 1 for the other 2/4. The thing is it’s thick white smoke even after the engine warmed up. Do you think even with the PCV valve and hose being new it would have an issue? I’ll definitely check those turbos like you were mentioning for sure! You don’t think from what I described it could be something i have to take apart my engine for? That’s a whole project with free time.

it's hard to say. run thru the checks first. if there is buildup in the intercooler, and it is being pulled into the intake, then you have fuel oil water in the combustion mix, and it is a simple matter relatively to empty the intercooler. turbos are an 8 hr job for an experienced mechanic (both) if it comes to that.

new pcv isn't a guarantee of the issue being resolved, tho

 

[154SHO]

I’m just going out on a limb here and saying you have a rear turbo issue whether it’s a feed or return idk. You need to get up in there and find where the oil is coming from. If it’s coming out of the exhaust all together I’d say you blew a seal on one of them. If it’s coming out of the end of the exhaust it’s definitely a seal issue and will require replacement of which ever one went. I could be wrong but that’s what it screams to me with that amount of oil.


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[154SHO]

I’m just going out on a limb here and saying you have a rear turbo issue whether it’s a feed or return idk. You need to get up in there and find where the oil is coming from. If it’s coming out of the exhaust all together I’d say you blew a shaft seal on one of them. If it’s coming out of the end of the exhaust it’s definitely a seal issue and will require replacement of which ever one went. I could be wrong but that’s what it screams to me with that amount of oil.


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[PandaPlusSHO]

After everything i read from you guys, Im going to invest my free time looking at the turbos and the feed line and/or the return lines. The mechanic I went to was a 65+ gentleman who didn't even wanna do an oil change on the car and there were 0 leaks whatsoever when I dropped my car off a month ago. It was my negligence to not get a second opinion from another mechanic especially one that has experience with turbocharged engines. (He immediately said head gasket leak without even looking into the car and threw prices for a used engine like how I described in the OP.) ... Its hard living in Alaska but im stationed here so lol

I didn't wanna drive around the car not knowing what the issue was which is why it was parked for a good month and a half now. I will definitely report back about my findings just in case someone else has a similar issue. Thank you all!

 

[kryptto]

Hey Panda, make sure the battery is being charged or on a trickle charger, with those temps and time the battery will die.

Never working on the turbos myself - the advice about oil supply lines is an issue for our car - just could be coincidence it was around the time you had her serviced.

 

[PandaPlusSHO]

Just recieved a quote from the Ford Dealership with a quote estimating near $10k… I was considering buying the Turbocharger and the gasket kit from a website like Rockauto and having a mechanic install those parts. The “metal” in the coolant is from a last resort sealer and leads no concern to me being that i flushed the system 3-4 times prior there would still be traces prior but it’s not “metal” from an unknown source. Most of the Nuts and Bolts are unnecessary being as they were missing even before the issue of my car 1+ year since purchase. I just want to know should i scrap or see through with fixing it? Thank you in advance

 

[BradM]

From their description, it seems you have bottom end noise (rod knock). That alone would cause me to not invest in a turbo yet. Then you need a head gasket and valve seals, meaning a leaky turbo is the lowest ranked issue IMHO. I'd rethink your path forward and look at investing in a used engine first. A turbo core isn't very expensive and is a very simple repair (you can do this yourself when the engine is out). But doing the turbo now still leaves you with a dying engine.

 

[PandaPlusSHO]

From their description, it seems you have bottom end noise (rod knock). That alone would cause me to not invest in a turbo yet. Then you need a head gasket and valve seals, meaning a leaky turbo is the lowest ranked issue IMHO. I'd rethink your path forward and look at investing in a used engine first. A turbo core isn't very expensive and is a very simple repair (you can do this yourself when the engine is out). But doing the turbo now still leaves you with a dying engine.

For sure a used engine seems like the overall choice in terms of priority. I’m not too worried about replacing the turbos i just know i won’t have the equipment to do it effectively without the engine being out. Does anyone know any legit website or auto companies that can crate ship or regular ship an engine for a decent price?

 

[BradM]

I never sourced one so I'd check eBay first. Verify that the Explorer and Taurus engine are the same (I believe they are) so you have more choices. Shipping is going to be an issue for you. Also try car-part.com to see if there is local yard that may have one near you.

 

[Texas Marauder]

For sure a used engine seems like the overall choice in terms of priority. I’m not too worried about replacing the turbos i just know i won’t have the equipment to do it effectively without the engine being out. Does anyone know any legit website or auto companies that can crate ship or regular ship an engine for a decent price?

I have found parts thru this link.

Quality Replacement Parts | Find Used Auto Parts | Online Locator

Choose From Over 157 Million High Quality Used Auto Parts. Buy Online.

www.hollanderparts.com

 

[2013SHOpp]

So I just spent the last year working on my sho. Every time I would get the car together something else would go bad so been through this. Your best option is a used engine off ebay. Obviously find the lowest mile engine you can find. Explorer, flex and sho, and police versions with ecoboost motors will do. 2013 to 2019 will work. Get the engine and the buy new turbos later.