Im kind of surprised that the valve stem seals are already shot. If you get an abnormal result, you can tell the cause of leakage. Cant find anything concrete online. You will need some special tools and a little finesse to get the job done right. This fluid is placed inside the exhaust system to aid in lowering the temperature of the cars motors. Why exactly is there white smoke on startup then disappears, and what does it mean? The valve cover could be pulled and the valve train area inspected for oil sludging or coking. Any clues on what the root cause could be? What should you do after figuring out what makes white smoke from exhaust at startup? But if you spot it early, know what to do and act on it, these problems can be fixed. Leaks prevent the motor from cooling down, which can lead to overheating. You should complete your maintenance between 1500 and 2500 kilometers from your starting point. All Rights Reserved. How cool is that? If you notice White smoke on start-up, which then disappears, it may be due to the transmission fluid. When a car is producing blue smoke it means oil is getting into the combustion RELATED: Black Smoke From Exhaust Causes & How to Fix it. Whichever the case may be, when your car starts making smoke signals, it is best to take it as a warning sign. Identify the tube that is connected from the intake manifold to the valve cover and follow it until you find the PCV valve. At any rate, it shouldnt be taken lightly and should be considered a sign that something in your car needs to be fixed as soon as possible. The engine vacuum will suck the oil past the guides, showing blue smoke. Magnus is the owner and main author of Mechanicbase. However, you want to make sure you know what the problem is before you make it worse. The coolant is responsible for reducing the engines temperature. Below are reasons why your car puffs a white smoke on start-up, which then disappears: If you see White smoke from your exhaust pipe in cold weather, this can be caused by the temperature, although it is not an alarming issue. What Is LS Windage Tray Torque? Common reasons include the buildup of water in the exhaust pipe and a leaking head gasket that causes the engine to consume the coolant. Car exhaust can tell you a lot about the condition of your vehicle. This will cause blue smoke to appear and it will be quite smelly. This is another reason why you should always pay attention to the smells coming from your vehicle. Thats all. If your car has a glow plug, the best way you should do is replacing it with a new one. Sadly, when the head gasket is leaking, you may also need to have a cylinder head replaced. It could also be that oil consumption is continuing even if you don't notice it. White Smoke On Startup Then Disappears - Is It Serious? In some cases, blue exhaust smoke is a sign that a part has failed, such as the turbocharger or PCV valve. The outside temp was about 33F and it sat overnight. (What is the Difference), What is a Serpentine Belt & When Should You Replace It. I got alittle worried by it to in my first winter owning a car after hearing about white smoke being bad, but it isnt the headgasket, that would be a constant amount of smoke. The air filter ensures that unwanted dirt is filtered out even as air reaches the cylinder. If the smoke is coming from under the hood when you arent driving, its a telltale sign that oil is leaking. Once the oil has infiltrated the engine, it mixes with fuel to create blue smoke. So, it is the only solution to avoid such a problem. A coolant leak is mainly caused by either internal engine issues or a damaged cylinder head. This article will enlighten you on why your vehicle puffs a White Smoke On Startup Then Disappears and solutions to this issue. If the system runs into a problem, the transfer of fuel in your car wont be accurate. See Also: 6 Reasons Oil is Dripping Out of Your Tailpipe. The reason I say that is you can see the engine starts but the smoke is delayed by about 2 seconds. The high temperature in the car can cause it to burst. You have the option of doing this yourself or at a service center. There are several reasons why white smoke comes out of your exhaust every time you start your car. While this can cause problems over time, such as fouling the spark plugs, or damaging the cat, as long as the oil consumption is within Toyotas spec, me, Id live w/it. Aside from white smoke, there is also an unpleasant odor, or even a sweet smell, that you and everyone else in the car will notice. When they fail, the oil can flow into the wrong area. Oil is used to cover the top of the valves where the rocker arm applies pressure. This means more heat will be generated in the engine, which will heat and cool the gaskets, causing them to dry and crack. or 2, its usually just condensation in the exhaust, collected as it cooled. He Loveswriting about Automotive Diagnostics and Repair, Trouble codes, Buyer guides for various car parts and accessories, and lots more. As mentioned above, oil can escape from the gasket between your engine block and the head and drip onto the hot exhaust parts of your drivetrain. The valve seals, piston rings, and PCV valves in your car will not last forever. One reason is that it could be a buildup of water in the exhaust pipe. To repair or replace a faulty fuel injector or O-ring, you must determine which fuel injector has been damaged. The only reason I could think of for valve seals being gone (if that is the cause) would be if the engine has suffered some chronic or severe overheating. Then the oil gets mixed with the Air and Gasoline and gets burnt, causing the blue smoke. Wipe down the engine to ensure there is no oil left behind that could cause blue smoke. A leakage inside the piston ring or valve seal is yet another issue that causes white smoke when starting the car, then goes away. It could also be caused by a dirty air filter or transmission fluid issues. So before you fix the turbo, you should investigate what damage the Blown Turbo did. First of all, remove the valve cover and do necessary cleaning to rid your engine of debris. Reasons for blue exhaust smoke include bad valve seals, valve train wear in general, the PCV valve, burning transmission fluid and more. blue smoke at morning startup | Toyota Nation Forum The same thing happened to my '96. And if you run your car 10,000 miles between oil changes, the oil will be less efficient at reducing friction in your motor. An example of a damaged fuel injector is if it gets stuck permanently in the closed or open position. If theres an issue with the parts, the fuel supply into the car will not be quick and accurate. Most likely the seals on your valve guides are worn out. It doesnt cost a lot to replace the PCV valve. Every single one of those cars had coked up valve trains and clogged oil return passages. This means, while you used to only see gray smoke exiting the tailpipe on a normal day, you will now see some blue smoke coming out of the exhaust system. Must be since your in Hawaii, but around here in the winter pretty much every car has white smoke that comes out, even after being driven for a while. The gasket can get damaged or leak in the liquid lines which transport the essential coolant and oil. The surplus fuel mixture wont adequately burn in the motor if enough energy is given. It means your car is being inefficient in its operation and the causes should be explored as soon as possible. But if your exhaust is blowing white smoke in a warm climate, there could be an internal issue that requires your attention. Whatever is causing it, the vehicle is operating inefficiently and should be repaired. It can also be caused by oil dripping onto hot engine parts. If you determine this is not the case, then the next likely causes are blown gaskets, a damaged fuel injector, or excess condensation. if its white-water (also if you smell it, and it smells sweet its coolant), blue-oil, black-running rich, and finally white/grey puffy-then you have an injector on constantly, causing unburnt fuel to exit the exhaust, but ive only seen that once. When blue smoke is present, it means that oil is burning up and coming out of the exhaust pipe with the burned fuel. If its an old used car thats worth more than it costs to replace the engine, you may have to bite your tongue and bring out that checkbook. This can plug up oil return holes and cause oil pooling in that area. FYI OP, when theres a problem with the valve guides or their seals, thats the symptom. In this article, we divide these reasons into 2 groups: blue smoke from exhaust when starting and blue smoke from exhaust when accelerating. Decorate your laptops, water bottles, notebooks and windows. Hm, okay, I haven't seen anything about this in the manual, and I have read it a few times over. I do have a bore camera so that should be a quick way to see if oil is in the cylinders. After the initial cloud which is the oil that has oozed into the valve ports the problem may still be there; just not as noticeable. If you find any trace of damage on the intake manifold or the intake gasket, you have found the part that needs to be fixed. It transfers the air and gasoline combination inside the automobile alongside the manifolds. White Smoke On Startup Then Disappears [Causes and Solutions] - Road Sumo The combustor receives the fuel from the fuel injector. It means that the engine has been using up the coolant, which escapes into the combustion unit. Objective is removing spring from the Valve and the Rocker Arm. The exhaust pipe contains a liquid that acts as a coolant for the car's engines. I remember a classic scenario when looking at a 2002 Mitsubishi Montero. - White smoke on start up when engine is cold (ambient temp is 75 degrees) - Disappears in a minute or two. Bar's Leaks Oil Seal: https://amzn.to/3GhGp9PMost Common Cause: Valve Seals. What happens is that the piston rings or the valve guide seals or other components of the engine are worn or broken, causing oil leaking. On the other hand, it could be a symptom of a serious internal issue with your cars engine. In addition, it assists in lubricating the parts to help the car move without difficulty. It is advised that you bring your car to a professional mechanic; but if you decide to do the fixing yourself, below are a few steps or methods to help you: The first thing to do to fix white smoke on start-up, which then disappears, is inspecting the intake gaskets and replacing it if it is bad. Simple to fix and can be done on the car without removing the head if you want to go the cheap route. Or maybe you experience blue smoke coming from your engine bay upon startup every morning, no matter the weather. Should You Still Drive With Blue Smoke From Your Tailpipe? The work of changing the Valve seals will be dependent on whether the Engine has an Overhead Cam or not. But when white smoke suddenly comes out of your exhaust pipe when you start your car, then just as suddenly disappears, you may think that its nothing serious but is it? Blue smoke coming out of exhaust is a warning signal that you can not ignore. It would explain the rough idle because that one cylinder wouldn't be producing power like the others?