Car on, rough idle, lots of smoke, Car OFF.

[epborden]

I turned on the cam today, the engine idled unusually rough, lots of exhaust smoke (white) and then engine light flash, and the car goes off.

Recent problems I've had this past week is my car shuts off because of the 15 year old stock battery terminals that the previous owner NEVER changed...new ones on the way.

Took out the air box and battery today to investigate. Put it all back in exactly the same. Turned the car on and rough idle/engine shaking, white smoke from exhaust...=/

Well, that happened tonight, and I don't feel like going out there in the dark to fix it...

What do you guys think happened? (could be number of things, list what you think it could be from what I've said)

My poor camry..I feel its pain It's unhappy

Nothing else has been done this week to it...strange

[epborden]

Just went out with a flashlight to look at the engine bay, which looks all assembled fine, same problems though...

[oismail]

Just some basic things it could be:

-PCV Valve
-Spark plugs and wires
-Distrubutor
-Battery terminals (like you said)

Don't know about the white smoke, maybe cuz its cold out? or maybe your engines consuming oil.

[epborden]

hmm
Maybe it could be the PCV valve? Somehow knocked loose or out when I was disassembling the airbox/pipes?

Could be oil I guess, but it ran fine all yesterday with no problems what-so-ever until tonight...

I'm going to look at it tommorow morning

[epborden]

Ugh....my cam is dying =/

[jwa276]

Originally posted by epborden
Ugh....my cam is dying =/

it sounds like it.... a blueish white smoke means you are burning coolant (antifreeze)- which tells me its probably a blown head gasket... i would recommend towwing it whereever you get it worked on- by turning on the engine you could cause further damage... i.e. you might have to get the heads machined and repaired.

hope everything turns out ok! this happened to mine and i had to get the top end rebuilt.

jon

[epborden]

191,000 miles

Time to get rebuilt....

I hope Martha Stewart still has some stolen cash for me to use...

[88 LE]

3S-FE's have a PCV system, but no PCV valve.

The white smoke could be condensation (normal when the engine is cold) or a blown headgasket (piston / pistons drinking water).

You said the engine light flashed. Have you tried pulling the codes?

[epborden]

No not yet, but there is physical problems with the engine...

Do you think that maybe previous codes stuck and the engine is reacting accordingly?

If its the codes, I was fooling around quite a bit trying to get the battery terminals to work and the battery to be of use....

Eh, the engine light flashed after it was on and having issues, it stalls out and shuts off at idle

It seems like I can drive it ok, I reached 40mph speeds on a road back to my apartment, but the engine is just shaking..

For example: Smooth for a second, shaking...Smooth for a second, shaking

I'm taking it to Meineke tommorow morning just to get it looked at because I don't have the time myself...

How should I pull the codes, like I said I've been fooling around with the electrics and maybe it got stuck..

Just to include this with this post, I really don't think I could have blown a gasket, because it was fine when I parked it. I then disassembled the air box and battery to clean out that area of the engine bay, then reassembled it. I then connected everything back to the battery. I then turned on the car and this starts to happen, engine having issues, studdering/shaking...let it idle and it shuts off at engine light flash. White smoke, not white blue, just lots of white, was a nice day today too so not really cold outside.

[88 LE]

Originally posted by epborden
[B]How should I pull the codes, like I said I've been fooling around with the electrics and maybe it got stuck..

Key in ignition, but only turn it to where the dash lights come on.

Jumper pins TE1 & E1 on the diagnostic connecter (under the hood).

I then disassembled the air box and battery to clean out that area of the engine bay, then reassembled it. I then connected everything back to the battery. I then turned on the car and this starts to happen, engine having issues, studdering/shaking...let it idle and it shuts off at engine light flash.

Did you unscrew the plug from the AFM when you removed the airbox?

[epborden]

Originally posted by 88 LE
Did you unscrew the plug from the AFM when you removed the airbox?

I was looking for the "obstruction" I've heard about from Talisman, but I didn't see anything that look quite obstructing. So I just reassembled it.

Don't think I messed with AFM...

[epborden]

Haha, omfg man Camry's rule. I went outside after letting the car sit for hours and cool down. Now remember it was having major issues. I went back out there just now and did absolutely nothing to it except turn it on like I'm going to drive somewhere. Car sounds just fine, not a problem in sight. No lights, engine isn't going bonkers. Toyota is the best ever. It fixes its problems without me even doing anything. I'm still going to meineke, why not just tune it up anyway

Thanks 88, your always a help

Also, let me fix this in this post so I don't have to make another, the airbox, there is an obstruction? I didn't see one..

Edit: The car runs fine, but now there is this mid-tone buzz coming from where the airbox/battery is...bazaar

Runs great though! LMAO

[88 LE]

Originally posted by epborden
Also, let me fix this in this post so I don't have to make another, the airbox, there is an obstruction? I didn't see one..

Not sure what your talking about.

The only thing I consider a obstruction is the AFM and the big plastic box inside the fender.

[calvic]

Sounds like a dead cylinder intermitently. Check that the plug wires are on the spark plugs tight. If the plug wires are real old could be causing problem. Mine does the same thing when I wash the engine until the ignition drys out.