White smoke on startup, then disappears - head gasket?

[islandboy57]

I took my mom's car to my cousin's house for an oil change and when she pulled up in front of me to switch cars, I noticed white smoke coming out of her exhaust. The car had been sitting for 24 hours. The smoke goes away after a minute or two and does not come back when the engine is warm, and it does not get worse if revved when warm.

Important info:
- 1995 1MZ-FE w/ 78K miles
- White smoke on start up when engine is cold (ambient temp is 75 degrees)
- Disappears in a minute or two
- No white smoke when engine is warm, and if warm, does not get worse when revved
- Haven't checked the coolant level, but no overheating [temp needle stays just below the middle mark]
- There's a new 'old car noise'; nothing loud or horrible sounding but before all you could hear was a slight whistling/whirring sound when the car was on which actually sounded neat - now you can hear some kind of mechanical noise. Doesn't get louder when revved..it's just constant. I thought of this when I saw a gen 1.5 ES300 the other week and you couldn't even tell it was on as it creeped by.

My cousin said it could be a blown head gasket, and he's going to test it later. Something about using his air compressor to test it.. Anyway, I've been searching TN and the internet, and it seems some people say any white smoke on start up is bad (cuz coolant collected while sitting overnight) while others say if it disappears after a brief moment, it's normal.

Thoughts?

[geoff5093]

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.

Does it look like this?

[abew330]

I AGREE ^^^^^^^^^

i have the same smoke on start up then then goes away after a while.. OR will still if its real cold out

[islandboy57]

In comparison to that Subaru station wagon, I'd say my mom's car has about 1/3 the amount coming out. It's not real thick - it's fairly transparent.

[geoff5093]

Originally Posted by islandboy57

In comparison to that Subaru station wagon, I'd say my mom's car has about 1/3 the amount coming out. It's not real thick - it's fairly transparent.

Ya that car has alot coming out, but around here that is perfectly normal, especially during the winter. Im sure its nothing to worry about.

[aussie_gen1]

Sounds like oil leaking into the cylinders thru the valve stem seals, between the valves and valve guides, from the top of the engine, when left sitting for a while. If it bothers you, get a leakdown test, i think it's called, to test the integrity of the valve stem seals.
It doesn't sound too harmful for the engine, but will use a little oil and annoy you.

[Axel Kain]

if its white and only lasts a min. or 2, its usually just condensation in the exhaust, collected as it cooled. 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.

keep an eye on your coolant level, check your oil to see if its foamy after driving, if you get foam-headgasket is dead.

it could be the valve seals, but its not gonna hurt anything...i only see that mine are leaking after its been sitting for awhile, i start it, and revv it.

[alotawatts]

Is it smoke or steam ?
Constant steam would be headgasket

[marc780]

It's normal. water vapor always condenses inside the exhaust system at night. Then puffs out some for a little while until the exhaust system gets hot and blows it out.

[DoubleEdgedWomb]

During the cold times of the year, every car I've ever driven has done that. Surely they can't all have had bad head gaskets.

[mike7869]

that car should not do that where its warm.. but i had the same problem with mine.. you can tell the difference between steam and white smoke.. that smoke is thiker. and does not fade as fast.. but does it when ever it wants.. and it goes away after a second or 2, and im not leaking oil. with a head gasket tho, u will keep having the white smoke and it won't go away.. you can also look in you oil to see if there is coolent..

[Aussie_Camry]

Yeah thats just normal mate... 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. And if your coolant level isnt going down (dont think you mentioned?) then its defintely not the head gasket

[toyomoho]

Take a whiff of the whatever is coming out; you will know if it is water vapor or coolant. If oil could be worn valve stem seals. If water could be condensation. If coolant, the coolant level will drop over time. If you are worried about a blown head gasket have the coolant tested for exhaust gases and system pressure tested. Both are simple tests.

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by toyomoho

Take a whiff of the whatever is coming out; you will know if it is water vapor or coolant. If oil could be worn valve stem seals. If water could be condensation. If coolant, the coolant level will drop over time. If you are worried about a blown head gasket have the coolant tested for exhaust gases and system pressure tested. Both are simple tests.

Thanks. Will do that tomorrow when I detail the car; there is zero white smoke unless the car has been sitting overnight. I appreciate everyone's help and input. My mom's Camry only has 78K miles and I honestly expect it to go another 10 years no problem.

[Trdkamuri510]

despite what everyone else says i can tell you its the valve stem seals.. if you look closely the white smoke is actually blue.. that is oil burning.. as others have said. it gets past the valve seals into the cylinder.. then when startup after sitting, it burns off.. hence the smoke.

its not a blown head gasket. its not water vapor cause i can garuntee u it will happen even when its 100 degrees out.