Car does not seem to burn excessive oil.
Hello Barry, Two causes for your problem comes to mind. Smoke after initial start up and/ or extended idle could mean bad valve seals. Some time ago I had a car with a leaking vacuum modulator on the transmission. Intake vacuum was sucking the trans fluid into the intake manifold. Your car may or may not have a transmission modulator. White smoke usually means it is burning engine coolant.
Hi Barry:
Dwight is right on track with his analysis.
To help isolate the problem I would suggest letting it idle for a while until the smoke situation is happening. Shut the engine off and go have a cuppa while it cools down.
Then pull the spark plugs. Keep them organized so you know which cylinder they came from. Have a really close look at the tips. They should tell you which cylinder(s) are the source, and also quite possibly what the problem may be. While you have the plugs out you may also wish to do a compression test to complete your "information gathering".
Cheerfuls
Agreed, white smoke could be engine coolant leaking into cylinder caused by blown head gasket or cracked engine block. Another way to confirm this - check oil, if milky white to brown, coolant is in oil. Stop driving and get into shop ASAP.
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The most common cause of blue exhaust smoke is oil leaking past engine seals and into the cylinders where it then mixes and burns with the fuel. This is most frequently seen in older or high mileage cars with worn seals and gaskets. It only requires a very small amount of oil leaking into the cylinders to cause excessive blue exhaust smoke.
Blue exhaust smoke only at start-up can indicate worn piston seals or damaged or worn valve guides which may also cause a rattling noise. An external engine oil leak can drip onto hot engine and exhaust parts causing what appears to be blue exhaust smoke. Other possible causes of blue exhaust smoke include: piston wear, worn valve seals, a dirty or non-functioning PCV valve, worn piston rings, an intake manifold gasket leak, worn engine oil seals and possibly even head gasket failure.
Oil leaking into the cylinders can cause a rough idle, misfire and fouled spark plugs. In addition, a reduction in power and oil loss can be indicators that the blue exhaust smoke is caused by an internal engine oil leak. Internal engine oil leaks can also allow fuel to mix with the oil in the crankcase which will degrade the oil and prevent it from adequately protecting the engine.
Operating a car with a severely dirty oil filter, air filter or improperly functioning PCV valve can also sometimes result in engine oil blow-by, oil loss and blue exhaust smoke. Periodically checking the engine oil level with the oil dip stick will indicate if there is excessive oil consumption. Higher viscosity engine oil can sometimes temporarily reduce the amount of blow-by; however, this is not generally recommended. Excessive blue exhaust smoke indicates a possible internal engine oil leak that should be inspected by an ASE certified mechanic.
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