SMOKE on cold start - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

thetailwind · 07-28-2005, 08:58 PM

Car: 91 MR2 NA
What could possibly be wrong? When I start my car from a long sit or a cold start, when the engine starts to turn over, it smokes for about 5 seconds. The engine revs higher than in a warm start. It Revs probably to around 2000 then drops to 800usually it goes from low to mid 1000 rpms then drops to 800. I dont think it would be the head gasket because it stops shortly after ignition. Give me your past experience, knowledge, advice. Thanks...

JekylandHyde · 07-28-2005, 09:27 PM

Let me guess ... this smoke has a slight blue tinge to it?

No worries (at least not big ones), this is highly typical of the 5SFE engine.
It's the valve seals. When the car sits for long times, some oil seeps past and into the combustion chamber and when you start the car up ... it combusts

blue smoke = oil burning in the engine
white smoke = coolant burning or oil burning after the combustion chamber
black smoke = running rich or the car is on fire

Anyway, you can most likely drive your car another 100,000 miles like that.
You just should keep a vigilant eye on your oil.

***MR2Jedi*** · 07-29-2005, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JekylandHyde

black smoke = running rich or the car is on fire

.

spiderman3k · 07-29-2005, 10:10 AM

If it is white flaky dry smoke and has a strong smell, it might be the valve seals. I just had that problem and got it fix this week. The parts are cheap but the labor is expensive. I was lucky I found a place that did it for a low price.

***MRQtwinturbo*** · 07-29-2005, 10:24 AM

does it smell sweet??..it would be coolant burning if it does....

thetailwind · 07-29-2005, 04:35 PM

no. it dosent smell sweat. I thought it was the valve seals also. Thanks jekylandhyde.

MR-355-5sfTe · 11-20-2005, 08:01 PM

I just went through this 3sfe swap... everything seemed to be going great until the temperature dropped to about 25 degrees.... went out to start her up, and she blew the biggest james bond smoke screen I've ever seen... nice and blue... and I've noticed that it'll start smoking at a long redlight.... but it stops once I get moving again... and it doesn't blow any when I'm running it fairly hard?? so I'm hoping it's just the valve seals ... but that doesn't explain WHY it smokes at the stop light.... kinda odd. maybe I should contact the guy I got this "jdm" engine from... it might have ALOT more miles than he'd said.

NESW20 · 11-23-2005, 11:04 AM

valve seals and possibly also your guides are worn. when you're idling, the engine is pulling a pretty good vacuum. this causes a large pressure differential between the intake ports and the top of the head, which forces more oil down the valve stem and then into your combustion chamber.

if it doesn't smoke when you're running it hard, then your rings are probably still controlling oil and sealing fairly well.

-Mike