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Hi guys, Upon starting, my '99 Camry,4 cyl, lets out a brief but visible (from inside the car) puff of grey smoke. Is it anything to be concerned about ? Mike
Smoke from worn valve seals usually happens at start up in both hot or cold weather after the car has sat over night (or many hours). Cautiously smell the smoke; see if it smells like water vapor, oil or fuel. Water vapor is usually white; smoke from worn valve seals can be white. Being a gray smoke might be the cold start fuel injector system has a problem or a leaking fuel injector. If worn seals, as time goes on, the smoke will last longer after startup.
Valve seals is the usual culprit.....however, my cold start valve/injector has a slight leak and because of that, it causes a slight flooding situation after it sits overnight. When this happens, the car takes more cranks to get it to turn over and when it does, I get a cloud of smoke out of the exhaust. The cloud of smoke is from the raw gas that doesnt get burned due to the flooding.
I know this is the problem for me and NOT the valve seals cause Im not losing one drop of oil...even after a 400 mile trip, my oil level remained unchanged.
Question: Does your Camry take longer to turn over in the morning?
Valve seals is the usual culprit.....however, my cold start valve/injector has a slight leak and because of that, it causes a slight flooding situation after it sits overnight. When this happens, the car takes more cranks to get it to turn over and when it does, I get a cloud of smoke out of the exhaust. The cloud of smoke is from the raw gas that doesnt get burned due to the flooding.
I know this is the problem for me and NOT the valve seals cause Im not losing one drop of oil...even after a 400 mile trip, my oil level remained unchanged.
Question: Does your Camry take longer to turn over in the morning?
You might want to have the cold start valve replaced. That raw gasoline that is coming out of the tale pipe is first going through the catalytic converter. It will eventually ruin the converter. You will end up replacing both the cold start valve and the converter. Replace it soon while you will only have to replace the cold start valve.
You might want to have the cold start valve replaced. That raw gasoline that is coming out of the tale pipe is first going through the catalytic converter. It will eventually ruin the converter. You will end up replacing both the cold start valve and the converter. Replace it soon while you will only have to replace the cold start valve.
Mike
Yup, that's exactly what my buddy told me.......
I dissconnected the electrical connector for it yesterday, Im thinking that that will solve it for now?? Im in VA on vacation, so as soon as I get back to Brooklyn, Im gonna pick one up. I tried the local parts guy out here in Virginia, but it's special order, so Ill just till I get home. My other idea is to permanently dissconnect it and replace the union bolt on the fuel rail with a regular one to plug it up as well as the one on the valve itself....is the cold start valve/injector all that neccasary?? Ive heard that other guys have done this before............
I was thinking of letting it go but , thanks for the warning, What does this valve do? Does it act like a choke and give a richer mixture. I hear the coverters are expensive. Mike
I was thinking of letting it go but , thanks for the warning, What does this valve do? Does it act like a choke and give a richer mixture. I hear the coverters are expensive. Mike
The cold start valve is like an extra injector that squirts extra gasoline directly in to the intake plenum, to facilitate starting up a cold engine. It makes the mixture richer, so in essence it does what a choke on a carburated vehicle does; except that the choke on a carburator closes to cut off the amount of air in the mixture. That lesser amount of air to fuel ratio, makes the richer mixture. The cold start valve get's it's signal from either a cold start time switch on older Camrys or directly from the ECT (engine coolant temp sensor) on later models. Even newer Camrys don't use a cold start injector at all. They simply change (lenghten) the duration of the pulse of the main injectors dependant on engine temperature, again as dictated by the ECT sensor.
Today the Camry sat for only 3 1/2 hrs in 80 degree weather and there was some smoke. Could I disconnect the Cold start valve like IvanHoe said? and/ or shunt it off ? Where is a good place to buy a CS Valve (I hope it's not a dealer only part) ? Mike
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