Is my car broken ?

[nzsapper 82]

Morning All

1. It the past when I have chopped it down a gear or two the car has blown grey smoke for about 2 secs, then each repeated cycle of this the cloud of smoke has diminished to the point that within 3 cycles its no more. Jeff Gray have said this is most likely the valve clearances and not a major issue if not using oil. The car hasn't been using oil.

2. This morning things changed. Caught at intersection, pulled out into 100kph traffic so had to apply the right pedal more than really necessary and I then noticed a very large cloud of grey smoke behind me. Once I had some clear open road I slowed down and threw it into second from third at about 60/70kph and smoke everywhere and persisted for longer, back to third no smoke, put under load when in third and a small amount smoke. Repeated scenario and eventually no smoke.

3. No lack of performance

4. Will check oil levels once it has cooled down

Any ideas on what I might be looking at here?, should I be concerned ? because I am slightly.

Cheers Paul

[E30-323ti 66]

Maybe valve guide seals (different from valve clearances).

I presume you've decelerated to 60/70k buy just closing the throttle, before putting your foot-up-it again.
This engine vacuum could be enough to pull the oil past the valve guides.

To give that theory a real test, find a decent hill to engine brake down, and check out the back when you re-apply the throttle at the bottom.

Oil smoke is generally a bluish-grey colour, over fueling will be blackish with water being white (steam).
Plain old grey could be just 'sh*t' getting blasted out of the exhaust, could pay to check that a muffler or cat hasn't disintegrated, but this would normally have some loss of performance (blockage) and/or some increase in noise. 

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Your symptoms sound similar to my old 325, the valve stem seals were gone.

[nzsapper 82]

Thank Guys, been a while and no more issues, all I have done I is purchase a K&N filter?