White Smoke from Exhaust!!!

[Aussie_Camry]

Hey All,

In the last month or two I have noticed white smoke coming out of my tailpipe..... I have read other threads on this but none seem to fit perfectly to my situation. I intend to take it to a mechanic but I just wanted to get an idea of what the problem may be. I personally suspect its something to do with the headgasket, maybe a leak, not fully blown though or Id be getting tonnes of smoke coming out.... but it doesnt really have all the symptoms of such a problem. Heres everything I can think of to help anyone make a judgement on it:

* The smoke comes out on start up, and on acceleration for a short period and then stops completely. It doesnt come out once the car has been driven for the day... just after its been left for a while such as overnight
* I havent had any problems with the car over-heating.
* I have noticed that the radiator water needs to be refilled regularly, around once a fortnight to be safe, and I suspect this is the cause of the problem.
* When the smoke comes out, it doesnt linger in the air, and it isnt huge amounts of smoke but certainly its not just condensation. Water droplets also come out, although this may just be condenation.
* I noticed today some coolant next to the engine block, which worries me because this could be a cracked block perhaps? But I would have thought there would be signicant issues for me if this was the case... like massive amounts of coolant loss, overheating, lots of smoke etc
* The oil isnt milky colour
* The car runs perfectly, when its cold its not the best but this is just normal I assume, once its at opeating temperature its perfectly fine.
* My radiator water has green in it... Im assuming this is coolant.
* The radiator water has rust at the bottom of it, so the radiator is nearing the end of its life

With all this in mind... is it possible that it is the headgasket.... and that it stops smoking after it heats up because the crack or whatever expands and thats why it only smokes when it hasnt been used for a while? Ive read that somwhere.... in anycase, am I damaging the car by not getting this fixed asap (Keeping in mind that it hasnt overheated once or experienced any temperature fluctuations)? Because even once I get a disagnosis from a mechanic I still dont have much money to repair it

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Dave's]

If you're sure it's not condensation, (and you may be able to collect some with a white rag and look and smell for coolant) then yes it is possible for the head gasket to leak coolant directly into a cylinder and seal when the engine warms but this probably won't happen for long. It could also leak coolant out the side of the engine where the gasket is between the head and block. It will only get worse. Don't know how much damage will be caused by coolant going thru your valves but I've seen it happen short-term with no apparent ill effects. Best of luck.

[Aussie_Camry]

Thanks for that m8

Another question if anyone is willing to field it..... the car is under a warranty in which the engine block is covered if damaged by internal components. I dont have much mechanical knowledge so I was just wondering, if its a problem with the head gasket, would this be something that would have been damaged by an internal component of the engine block? Just want the heads up before I ring the warranty people

[toyomoho]

How many miles do you have on the car?


Can you have someone stand behind the car at first startup and take a brief whiff of this smoke? This might separate out burning oil from water vapor.

There a few symptoms here of worn exhaust valve stem seals.

If a blown head gasket, it will only get worse over time as will bad seals. It could be a cracked head. Water in the cylinder can cause scoring. It is possible to have a leaking head gasket with no oil showing up in the coolant or water in the oil. Does the coolant seem to have bubbles in it? Do you see any other coolant leaks to explain the loss?



I suggest you talk to the dealer. Have them look at the car, do a compression test, check for error codes on the computer? Have them satisfy your questions and concerns. Document these concerns with the dealer if the cars situation gets worse in the future.

In my epinion it is also best to handle concerns when the car is still under warranty rather then wait. Remember, you paid for warranty service as part of the purchase price. If it is a bad head gasket, cracked head or valve stem seals, this are expensive to repair. Best to do it on the Toyota’s dime.

[Aussie_Camry]

Ok, here are the answers:

1. It has 90,000 miles on it
2. I have smelt it, its not oil. And with the radiator water always being low, I think it has to be something related to coolant getting into the combustion area
3. I havent noticed any bubbles in the coolant
4. I havent seen any other leaks at all

The warranty isnt with Toyota as well, its a second hand car Ive had for about a year

Thanks for the replies, keep em coming if you can shed some more light on this 'situation'

PS. Just an additional question if anyone can answer it, if it is the head gasket, how much roughly would it cost me to get it fixed (more than $1000AU - please not!)? The option of doing it myself is totally ruled out though.

[toyomoho]

A few more things to check. Heater core for leakage, check carpet under heater for moisture. Radiator overflow tank, these are known to crack.

Does the oil looks OK, not a whipped texture, brown in color. The white smoke smells like steam?

Here are a few things to try. Some might not be practical for you.

Let the car sit overnight. Pull the plugs and place paper towels over each cylinder hole. Make sure you mark each towel so you know what cylinder it was covering. Then turn the engine over. Any water in the cylinder will be blown out and into the towel for you to find.

Or better yet pressurize the coolant system to 20psi and wait a couple of hours. A shop can do this or pressure pumps are available at auto stores. Then do the paper towel test.

Engine cold, radiator cap off. Fill the radiator with coolant to the brim. Start the engine and race it. See if the coolant is pushed back out of the radiator. If a blown gasket or cracked head, the exhaust gases may force the water out. Some times this can be very violent. Be careful, as coolant is toxic and attractive to animals and small kids.

Take a look at the spark plugs. Does one or more (usually adjacent cylinders) look different? Perhaps cleaner, as in steam cleaned? You might try this shortly after you have run the engine a minute after a cold start up. See if one or more plugs have water on it. The water that is coming out the exhaust pipe.

A compression test may reveal a low cylinder(s), again usually adjacent to each other.

I have heard you can take a sample of the coolant fluid to a radiator shop or auto repair place and if set up, they can test it for hydrocarbons. A sign the exhaust gas is in the coolant.

The idea is to know with a great deal of confidence if it is a heat gasket or cracked cylinder problem. Most likely you will not be able to determine which. Unless the motor was overheated, it is most likely a head gasket.

Did you ever overheat the engine or run out of water?

A good shop should be able to run down this problem, it is common on cars in general.

1000AU is about 730US. Can you have someone repair at this cost? If only the heat gasket, yes. But it depends on the shop hourly rate. Toyota lists a repair time of 7.5 hrs plus $65 for a gasket. An independent shop may have a much cheaper hourly rate. Removing and replacing a head gasket is not complicated, it does take time.

Some concerns. If the head is cracked this will add to the expense. It may be able to be welded, but you will not know until you have it inspected. Often a mechanic can tell from looking at the removed gasket if it is just a gasket problem. Sometimes a good used head can be found. The head can be OK but warped. This is common and would require resurfacing the head. This is not a big deal but is another cost. Often car owners also have the valves reground but this adds to the cost.

Check around for estimates. This problem is again common for cars in general. A decent shop can provide a good estimate and explain all the issues. A good home mechanic can also do this repair easily. The head can be sent to a shop if it needs resurfacing or repair. Perhaps you know someone who works on cars.

90K is not that many miles for a 5SFE. As such I would defer first to the warranty. A blown head gasket or cracked head on this engine is not normal wear and tear. The cost of repair can add up depending on what is found after disassembly.


Post back with what you have found out.