white smoke

[camerontarver]

not to sure if its anything to be worry'ed about about but.

When i star the car and leave it idling for a few minutes. It looks like there's a fire on my drive "with out the flames". I get a crap load of white smoke that has a strange smell cant really say what it smells like. If i rev the engine even more smoke a lot of it. buBt after driving to the end of the street. The smoke goes away when the car heats up it seems.

note it does not smoke all of the time when i start

 

[GrantP]

Valve stem seals?

 

[Colly]

Valve stem seals?

That would tend to be blue smoke normaly as ur burning oil, white smoke is normally head gasket

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

Piston rings or head gasket if you're unlucky, cracked block if you're really unlucky. Simple moisture and coldish weather is usually the answer though.

Check your coolant levels to see if you're losing any, also if copious amounts of water are coming in through the head gasket, you might see oil mixed in your header tank - might want to check that too.

 

[Benjiman46]

It's just condensation in the exhaust evaporating mate, don't worry until you start loosing coolant.

Just to be on the safe side, go to a decent garage and get a "block test" a device that's wedged in your coolant expansion bottle, and the fluid inside changes colour if your head gasket is fubar.

Until it's proven, don't worry

 

[karl210]

Where abouts in manchester are you? im in oldham and ive got a compression tester you could use if you want? should diagnose if its the headgasket on its way out.

Is it common for the heads on these engines to warp? mine does the same as the op's and smokes on startup, i checked the compression and im at 170 - 170 - 155 - 170. would this just be a case of a new headgasket or will the head need skimming?
I came from a rover background and when a headgasket went on one of them you might aswell bin the engine.

 

[Benjiman46]

Is it common for the heads on these engines to warp? mine does the same as the op's and smokes on startup, i checked the compression and im at 170 - 170 - 155 - 170. would this just be a case of a new headgasket or will the head need skimming?
I came from a rover background and when a headgasket went on one of them you might aswell bin the engine.

Not at all common no, they're very strong engines. What kind of smoke are you getting on start up? Are you loosing coolant? It's also rare that the head gaskets go on these engines too...

As with every head though, if the head gasket has blown, it will require a full skim and pressure test to ensure it's not the head causing the H/G to blow. Also just before the head goes back on, the block should be rubbed with a sharpening stone and WD40 to remove any traces of old gasket and imperfections on the block.

 

[camerontarver]

my oil and coolant levels are both good. No sign of coolant in the oil or oil in the coolant.So i would say the head gasket is good.

i would say benjiman was correct with the " condensation in the exhaust evaporating " that's what i first thought but the amount of smoke was unreal. Today was quite a dry day. So after work i went out started her up and no smoke.

 

[s33nyboy12]

Mines same on cold start but I drive it once a week if that. Just put it down to lack of use....!

My coolant, oil, coolant bottle , Dipstick , and oil cap are showing no signs of blown head gasket symptoms. Maybe just s3 / a3
Mayo on oil cap, rainbow oil in coolant tank, water marks on Dipstick, bubbles in coolant tank. Not running at run temp. There common ones.

Any head gasket replacement should never be done without skimming And pressure testing. And you might swell do cam belt and water pump whilst your at it.

Sean