[ladelberg]

My car has been smoking lately as well but the symptoms are a little different. If I allow the car to idle for 30 seconds to a minute and then start moving, big blue puff of smoke from tailpipe. If I stop and start moving again within 30 seconds (a short light for example), no noticeable smoke.

The engine has 241K miles so it may just be something to live with until the engine is replaced..

have not found ring kits yet - at least not for less than a running engine..

 

[cdndvl]

Sounds like valve seals to me... Try to decelerate (creating a large vacuum) and then step on it... You should puff a little blue there too... If it doesn't blow blue any other time, it's most likely valve seals... Do a compression check to make sure...

If you leave it too long, it will also take out the O2 sensors and your catalytic converter !!

 

[Jstrong01]

yep

mY CAR SMOKES FROM THE ENGINE AND I THINK OIL IS LEAKING ONTO MY ENGINE! DO I NEED NEW VALVE SEALS OR WHAT???????? IF SO HOW MUCH DO THEY RUN [email protected]

 

[cdndvl]

No... If your engine smokes from the exhaust manifolds (Oil dripping from somewhere onto them), it is usually from your Valve COVER gaskets or your side cover gaskets... They are really simple and quick to do... Definate DIY, but find out for sure where the oil is coming from... No use in spending money on parts that won't fix your problem... It is usually a good idea to wash the engine off first if you are having a problem finding where the oil is from...

Good luck

 

[ladelberg]

I tried this experiment repeatedly to the best of my understanding, rapidly decel and then accel quickly. The only time my car smokes is when idling for more than 15 - 20 seconds. I am assuming it really smokes after idling at all, just not perceptively.

I have not done the compression test yet as I don't have a compression gauge, on my list of needed tools, perhaps if my wife lets me, I will comtemplate the purchase of one, haha.

 

[cdndvl]

OK... Are you sure the smoke is blue and not black ?? Black smoke would indicate an over rich mixture... Unbunt gas out the tail pipe... When was the last time a tune-up was done ?? Does it smoke out the tailpipe while idling ?? Put a white piece of paper there to find out how oily it would be....

Maybe tell me a little more about the smoke... Colour, thickness..Etc...

A compression gauge is only about $35.00 CDN... I'm sure you can convince your wife that it's cheaper for you to buy the tool than to pay someone with the tool to check...

Good luck;

Hope to hear more about this nagging problem ...

 

[ladelberg]

Definately NOT black smoke, gray/white with a slight blue hue. I would not say it is overly thick but it varies based upon how long it has been idling - kinda like when someone blows cigarette smoke out, maybe slightly more dense.

I just tuned it a few weeks back - remember, my timing problems due to the goofy solenoid...

I pulled the plugs when I did the valve adjustment. They had been replaced 600 miles prior, they were black, but not the shiny black like when oil on them, more a flat black. They were all identical and I believe that is caused by a rich mixture if I remember correctly??? (Dang, my rotary rx7 was a lot easier to figure out with such problems - haha).

I did the paper thing several times (when I bought the car etc) and nothing shows on it. It does not smoke when idling and hot, when cold, it puts out some blue smoke as well but most cars I have owned do that including new ones - pistons have to expand afterall.

Let me know if there is anything more I can tell you about it or the conditions under which it occurs.

 

[ladelberg]

To add a small detail, I followed my wife home today and she drove the Legend. When she downshifted and accelerated after turning, a tiny puff came out as well, I would never had seen it sitting in the car, only from behind..

 

[slugman]

Dunno if this will help much...
Assuming your o2 sensors are good, let it warm up to normal operating temp, poke a needle into the wire coming from the o2 sensor, then measure it with a DMM (I've heard low impedance multimeters will kill the sensor, but as I only have a rather expensive fluke I don't know ). Should average out to around .5V. If it's sitting at like .7V hmm, if its at .8v or .9v i'd be very suspicious of it running really rich.