Blue smoke

[woody skyblue]

Can anyone help please.
I get a large ploom of blue smoke from my exhaust when I start up .... but only when the engine is hot..... cold starts are great. I get no smoke on running or idling. But when I pop into the shop on my way home for example ....when I start up .. blue smoke ...
The car has just had a service... I would like to got back to the garage armed with some info.... as i am useless when it comes to cars. ..

[Salamura]

Valve stem seals. When the engine is hot the clearance between the valve stem and the valve guide opens up and the oil is less viscous, and if the seals are old they will allow oil to sip up past them and into the combustion chamber, leading to blue smoke. When the engine is cold the clearance between the valve and the stem is smaller, and the oil is more viscous, so it doesn't necessarily sip through as much,

[Trevor450]

Check the oil level. Sounds like it may have been overfilled.

[E-bmw]

Salamura said:

Valve stem seals. When the engine is hot the clearance between the valve stem and the valve guide opens up and the oil is less viscous, and if the seals are old they will allow oil to sip up past them and into the combustion chamber, leading to blue smoke. When the engine is cold the clearance between the valve and the stem is smaller, and the oil is more viscous, so it doesn't necessarily sip through as much,

^^^^Wot 'e said.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

What have they done?

[woody skyblue]

It wasn't overfilled. I have had to top up oul recently as it's burning oil.
What I can't understand is why has it only stared after the car went in for a service.

[GreenV8S]

woody skyblue said:

it only stared after the car went in for a service.

This is new information and puts the problem in a different perspective.

Take the car back to the people who serviced it, and explain the problem you're having.

[woody skyblue]

I have taken the car back .. but they can't find anything wrong... I want to take it to another garage as I am now totally fed up with them. I was hoping for a starting point and some help that I can pass on to another garage.

[GreenV8S]

woody skyblue said:

I was hoping for a starting point

Explain the history. Get the car hot. Do a hot start. Show them the smoke. Step back and let them get on with their job.

If you think any professional mechanic is going to appreciate being told what the internet told you might be the problem, you can't have dealt with many of them.

[bmwmike]

What engine ?

[woody skyblue]

It's a. 1.9cdti vauxhall vectra
It's done 110 000
I do approx 7000 miles per year.
It drives really well..... never had a ptoblem with it.