White smoke under the hood.
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Registered User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 131
From: Houston, TX
White smoke under the hood.
I posted this under the FI section, but there are a few learn'ed 'engineers' I know that scan this section and not the FI...and I want to hear their opinion 
.
There is possible a ring issue, but why does the car run and the gauges read consistent to pre-smoke?
The day after Christmas I took the TA to run around town a bit. It was roughly 30 degrees outside...which is unusually cold for Houston. I couldn't have been driving around for more than 10 minutes (casual driving) when I noticed some white smoke coming from under the hood at a stop light. I pulled over to take a look and saw the smoke out of the breather on the passenger valve cover and out of the oil stick. I drove home and noticed the smoke dissipated as I started moving. Once I got home, I popped the hood and it was still smoking. I revved the motor and it appears to lesson. Car is running fine. Good vaccuum on the boost gauge, good A/F on wideband, and 'normal' idle for the car. Accelerates smoothly. No smoke out of the tail pipes either.
At the risk of getting flamed, I have no PCV system on the car...just the breather on the valve cover. Has this finally caught up with me?
I didn't drive it again until today, and exact same situation occurred. I beat on it a bit and the car runs just as good as it ever has, but smokes when I come to a stop. Oil level was within range when I checked it and not blown up the dipstick...as in the crankcase isn't getting pressurized. Oil color appeared normal and smelt like oil.
All that being said, is this just what happens eventually with blower cars and I need to put a PCV system on it. I know it is hard to justify what is 'normal' blowby, but some guys say smoke is expected and you need a PCV system, and others state that smoke means your rings are shot (both from forum readings).
I guess my questions are:
Why would the car seem completely fine except for the smoke if the rings are bad?...and by 'fine' I mean the AFR, vacuum, and power are consistent with what they have always been?
What is a decent PCV setup without getting unmetered air in (yes, i have searched)?
The motor is not 5k old and I have had no other issues. Unfortunately, it sits for extended periods (1-2weeks at times) and never gets driven extended distances (under 15mi spurts).
Any ideas?
.There is possible a ring issue, but why does the car run and the gauges read consistent to pre-smoke?
The day after Christmas I took the TA to run around town a bit. It was roughly 30 degrees outside...which is unusually cold for Houston. I couldn't have been driving around for more than 10 minutes (casual driving) when I noticed some white smoke coming from under the hood at a stop light. I pulled over to take a look and saw the smoke out of the breather on the passenger valve cover and out of the oil stick. I drove home and noticed the smoke dissipated as I started moving. Once I got home, I popped the hood and it was still smoking. I revved the motor and it appears to lesson. Car is running fine. Good vaccuum on the boost gauge, good A/F on wideband, and 'normal' idle for the car. Accelerates smoothly. No smoke out of the tail pipes either.
At the risk of getting flamed, I have no PCV system on the car...just the breather on the valve cover. Has this finally caught up with me?
I didn't drive it again until today, and exact same situation occurred. I beat on it a bit and the car runs just as good as it ever has, but smokes when I come to a stop. Oil level was within range when I checked it and not blown up the dipstick...as in the crankcase isn't getting pressurized. Oil color appeared normal and smelt like oil.
All that being said, is this just what happens eventually with blower cars and I need to put a PCV system on it. I know it is hard to justify what is 'normal' blowby, but some guys say smoke is expected and you need a PCV system, and others state that smoke means your rings are shot (both from forum readings).
I guess my questions are:
Why would the car seem completely fine except for the smoke if the rings are bad?...and by 'fine' I mean the AFR, vacuum, and power are consistent with what they have always been?
What is a decent PCV setup without getting unmetered air in (yes, i have searched)?
The motor is not 5k old and I have had no other issues. Unfortunately, it sits for extended periods (1-2weeks at times) and never gets driven extended distances (under 15mi spurts).
Any ideas?
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 137
From: Flint-town, mi
Re: White smoke under the hood.
i am certainly not a learn'ed' person in dealing with this kinda stuff but from all the trolling and learning i have done on this board i thought maybe it could be just plain old condensation. i have read on here that cars that tend to sit for periods and/or are never driven on 'lengthy' trips can get condensation buildup. especially with the temp being that low maybe it makes condensation build up even more than normal. however i would think you would see some smoke from the tailpipe as well. maybe not though since it is a fi application something might make that different. i dunno just some thoughts that may be completely way off base i dunno. any slightly looking milky buildup under the fill cap/breather(s)/dipstick?
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