Ruh Roh....puffs of white smoke, and its not the chronic.
05-11-2007, 09:39 PM
#1
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Ruh Roh....puffs of white smoke, and its not the chronic.
So I was a red light today coming home from work and I was looking in my rear-view mirror, making sure the blond milf on the cell phone didn't ram her Escalade emblem up my ***, I noticed white smoke trickling away from the rear of my car. A little shocked, i revved the engine and nothing happened. Thinking it was the jalopy next to me, I moved on.
At the next red light (and clear of the jalopy and the milf), I looked up and saw puffs of white again! Argh. Once again, I revved the engine and nothing happened. For the next few miles home, I had my eyes glued to the rear-view and still no smoke. Once I got home, I let the car cool down a little and did some revs in the driveway, only once did a little white puff of cloud came out and I couldn't repeat it after trying for almost 10 minutes.
I have no clue what it could be, anyone?
Engine runs excellent, no overheating, normal oil pressure, normal a/f. The only thing I could think of is that my catalytic converter has seen it's last days due to the AWFUL smell it is emmiting and the constant rattling. Could that be the culprit??
Thanks.
At the next red light (and clear of the jalopy and the milf), I looked up and saw puffs of white again! Argh. Once again, I revved the engine and nothing happened. For the next few miles home, I had my eyes glued to the rear-view and still no smoke. Once I got home, I let the car cool down a little and did some revs in the driveway, only once did a little white puff of cloud came out and I couldn't repeat it after trying for almost 10 minutes.
I have no clue what it could be, anyone?
Engine runs excellent, no overheating, normal oil pressure, normal a/f. The only thing I could think of is that my catalytic converter has seen it's last days due to the AWFUL smell it is emmiting and the constant rattling. Could that be the culprit??
Thanks.
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05-11-2007, 10:47 PM
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I've never seen or experienced a leaky head gasket before, are you guys SURE it couldn't be anything else? Vacuum lines? Little gnomes smoking crack?
I researched it some on m.net and someone mentioned a liquid head gasket/block sealer. So I drove to the Vatozone with my loud pedal to the floor to buy some and still no smoke!!
At least I have the sealer now, so I'll start with that on my next day off.
I researched it some on m.net and someone mentioned a liquid head gasket/block sealer. So I drove to the Vatozone with my loud pedal to the floor to buy some and still no smoke!!
At least I have the sealer now, so I'll start with that on my next day off.
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05-11-2007, 10:55 PM
#6
i'm not sure what your exhaust setup looks like, but on mine, after a good rain, if my car is parked in such a way where rain can get into the exhaust, i'll get a bit of white smoke pouring out for a bit until it burns the moisture out.
That could just be a south Louisiana thing.
EDIT: I see you are from SoCal, so let me explain the above. Rain is moisture that falls in in the form of droplets from the sky. Perhaps you've seen the phenomena on TV.
That could just be a south Louisiana thing.
EDIT: I see you are from SoCal, so let me explain the above. Rain is moisture that falls in in the form of droplets from the sky. Perhaps you've seen the phenomena on TV.
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05-11-2007, 11:04 PM
#7
I wouldn't dump any "sealer" into your cooling system until you're more confident what is going on. A head gasket rupture usually has other symptoms as well, like milky coolant in the rad., watery oil, losing coolant, etc.
It could easily be condensation in the exhaust burning off.
It could easily be condensation in the exhaust burning off.
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05-15-2007, 03:30 PM
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OK guys, went out for a closer look today. Here's what I found:
1)Let the car idle for about 5 minutes and white/greyish smoke started blowing out of tailpipe slowly. It comes and go. I went down and smelled it and it smelled like burnt oil mixed in with normal exhaust smell.
2) The Bailey BOV is covered with a thin coat of oil, as well as the stock air pipe right below it.
3) Pulled spark plugs (colder plugs from FAQs) and numbers 4 and 1 were significantly darker then numbers 2 and 3. Not sure if that means anything, just an observation.
4) Coolant looks like coolant.
Ideas?
Thanks guys.
Nester, does the turbo seal leak at boost or at idle also?
1)Let the car idle for about 5 minutes and white/greyish smoke started blowing out of tailpipe slowly. It comes and go. I went down and smelled it and it smelled like burnt oil mixed in with normal exhaust smell.
2) The Bailey BOV is covered with a thin coat of oil, as well as the stock air pipe right below it.
3) Pulled spark plugs (colder plugs from FAQs) and numbers 4 and 1 were significantly darker then numbers 2 and 3. Not sure if that means anything, just an observation.
4) Coolant looks like coolant.
Ideas?
Thanks guys.
Nester, does the turbo seal leak at boost or at idle also?
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05-15-2007, 03:51 PM
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Valve cover gasket is new, the oil is just coating a portion of the BOV, and INSIDE the bov and directly underneath it. I'll try to get pics if it happens again. I wiped it off and went for another drive....
Welps, right after that I typed the above update, I capped off the breather vent on valve cover with a little air filter I have laying around and blocked off the nipple on the greddy u-tube with a rubber plug, went for a drive. No smoke. It's idling right now, but so far, no smoke.......
Nester, you meany. :P
Welps, right after that I typed the above update, I capped off the breather vent on valve cover with a little air filter I have laying around and blocked off the nipple on the greddy u-tube with a rubber plug, went for a drive. No smoke. It's idling right now, but so far, no smoke.......
Nester, you meany. :P
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05-15-2007, 06:55 PM
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i'm not sure what your exhaust setup looks like, but on mine, after a good rain, if my car is parked in such a way where rain can get into the exhaust, i'll get a bit of white smoke pouring out for a bit until it burns the moisture out.
That could just be a south Louisiana thing.
EDIT: I see you are from SoCal, so let me explain the above. Rain is moisture that falls in in the form of droplets from the sky. Perhaps you've seen the phenomena on TV.
That could just be a south Louisiana thing.
EDIT: I see you are from SoCal, so let me explain the above. Rain is moisture that falls in in the form of droplets from the sky. Perhaps you've seen the phenomena on TV.
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