A Fix to the White Smoke Coming Out?

[MrSkagenWatch]

Hi, ditto what I wrote.

Here's the scoop, my 92 Camry 2.2 I4 spews out a puff of white smoke on start up when the engine is cold (its stops right after).

The engine itself is an old man - 280,000 miles - as I inherited this car from my father when it had 275,000 miles. I know how it is caused - steam from condensed water in my exhaust - and I don't think its a head gasket leak (as I persume that only occurs when you continously spew out white smoke)

but anybody know a simple fix to this problem?

- Thanks

[Dave's]

Think it's pretty much normal. My '92 with 237K does it and it's worse in winter.

[Cyorke]

If it is actually white smoke then it is completely normal. If you drive it short distances on a regualr basis it will probably be more noticeable. That is because the exhaust never gets hot enough to burn off all of he moisture that the engine produces.

Look at it closely when you start it up and make sure it doesnt have a blue tint to it. IF it does it is more than likely oil burning. OIl burning will have the blue tint to it and will also linger and sorta float around the back of the car. IF it is steam it will jsut disappear very quickly.

[felkajamine]

^yeah like mine!

i got the blue tint to it, and im burning a lot of oil...it's at the top of my list to do.

the white smoke should be normal. how baout this, you say it disapears after a little bit of driving, how about after a little bit of driving you floor it? does it smoke when you put a little bit more than usual gas to it?
!
i got burnt rings on mine, that's my problem!

[Cyorke]

Yeah startup is normally valve stem seals but if it continues it is normally rings. However I have sen some valve stem seals get bad enough that it will continue to burn constantly. I used to work witha guy who had an old Chevy truck with a 350 and he had to change out spark plugs every two weeks or so because they would foul out from all the oil. He finally got around to replacing the seals and no more oil burning.

[Aestivalis]

Yeah man thats normal. I freaked out shortly after i bought my 89 V6LE and it was doing that. Then I talked to a few car experts and they told me it was perfectly normal. Don't worry about it dood.