[zmaster]

A little cloud of white smoke comes out of the exhaust pipe everytime I get out of First gear or reverse. Any ideas on what might be causing this?
92 pickup w/ 136000 miles on it.

 

[KGRoberts]

White smoke is usually water vapor. Do you notice that your engine is using coolant? Faulty head gasket is typically the culprit.

 

[F014tomcat]

When does it happen? I know my truck does it when I first start it up on a cold morning.... but once it gets warm it goes away.

 

[zmaster]

I recently replaced my radiator(and hoses)...and all the gear oils (front/rear diff, transmission oil) ...the white smoke only happened for a little while usually after running for sometime. But, now I don't seem to notice it happening anymore...I'll be keeping a eye on it though. I don't seem to be running out of coolant.

 

[D'mon]

Actually, white smoke can also come from burning oil. Check your tailpipe. If it has a black oily coating, you are burning oil. Put a paper towel over the tailpipe while youre running, then smell teh paper towel. It will give you an indication.

You could also be running rich, I think that could cause it also. You did not mention if you are carb'd or fuel injected, so I can't suggest anything for that other than try a good dose of Sea Foam in the next tank of gas.

D'mon

 

[Rycam]

Generically, it sounds like oil is getting past worn valve stem seals. A fuel rich condition shows blackish smoke. If this happens when cold, then I suppose it could be water vapor. If the smoke smells sweet at idle, look for coolant usage.

Worn valvestem seals let oil drip into the cylinder from the head.
A puff of smoke happens when you start the engine or change gears. This is especially true when the engine is fully warm, as warm oil (thinner oil) is drawn past the seals easier. This problem is aggravated the when engine is started after a warm sit and/or under high vacuum conditions such as shifting the lower forward gears and reverse.

To get a better idea, Have friend drive your truck, while you follow from behind.

 

[zmaster]

Rycam,

I think that's exactly what's happening. Because a little puff of white smoke comes out of the pipe everytime i shift gears. Is it time for a new engine? I better address this issue soon...wouldn't want to have a blown engine or anything.

 

[Rycam]

If a little smoke comes out the tail pipe, I wouldn't worry about it at this time. There are plenty of cars that pass California smog with such a problem. Millions of Camrys alone have this problem. My parents 1990 Camry has puffed on start-up for over ten years and still passes smog.

I would not likely do anything as I AM ASSUMING that the valvstem seals are letting a little oil drip down the intake valve where it is burned (the smoke). The intake valves can become caked with the oil deposits over thousands of miles and turn the trumpet shape of the valve into a rounder mushroom.
Oil also drips from the exhaust side too. The difference is that these valves are cooked and blasted clean by the exhaust gases. The hot exhaust side of an engine places more stress on all of the valvetrain components including the seals. The intake side is cooled by incoming air/fuel mixture.

At minimum, you should perform a compression check (worn piston rings also can create white smoke). Warn piston rings suck, but quart of oil cheaper than a rebuild. You should also keep track of how many miles it takes to use 1 quart of oil. An engine that pours oil on the driveway is no help here.

A "blown engine" happens by over-revving, over-heating, or under-lubricating...not by extra oil consumption.

 

[slipknot490]

White smoke is water, Gray smoke with a bluish tint is oil, and black or dark dark gray is running rich. You need to determine the exact color first. The way you described it as happening when you shift, I would say oil burning. Not much of a problem now but you may want to save up for a rebuild in the near future.

 

[D'mon]

You can tell if it is the valve guides very easily. Watch the tailpipe as you start. If you get a big puff of smoke, it is the guides. Generally though, you will not get valve guides causing smoke while running normally. The combustion chamber us under pressure almost all of the time during the 4 cycles, only being neutral (barely) during the intake stroke. However, from your vehicle sitting and not running, the oil pooled at the valves will run down the valve stems, dripping into the combustion chamber. When you spark up, it burns off this oil, causing a cloud of smoke for a few seconds until the engine has burned the oil off. I would not think it is the valve guides, rather the oil scraper on one or more pistons is worn, or the cylinders are ovaled out. This would cause oil to get in on top of the piston on each downward stroke, thereby getting into the combustion chamber. Hard to tell without a teardown and rebuild. I'd say "live with it!". I'd also suggest not using Sea Foam or another engine cleaner, it may clear away the varnish or sludge taht is minimizing this issue. I've made that mistake myself.

D'mon
:chug:

 

[zmaster]

Thanks for all the reply. It runs...it passed the smog test...gonna just live with it and save for a future rebuild/new engine.

 

[Porkch0p220]

i got the same problem... i have a camry.. i when i start it when it was sitting around for while it blows a puff of white smoke... i talked to toyota they said just some oil is sitting in the valves and when you turn the motor over it gets burned, they said it is not harming anything and its not going to get worse. they said its fine

 

[Sidney]

If you have the 3L V6 equipped with the Toyota 3VZE engine then you might have the headgasket begining to leak,take a paper towel or napkin and place it on the tailpipe and see if you get a sweet smell.
Also remove the rad cap with the engine cold and start her up then see if you get air bubbles.Another approach is get a leak down test on your engine or go to any local heady duty garage like any Capterpillar dealer and buy a fluid analysis kit for around $15 and take a sample of your old engine oil.
If the headgasket is defective Toyota will replace it free of charge under their "silent recall" and they will give you a free rental car,if your local dealership refuses to honour the recall call another dealership and give them the VIN if that fails call the Toyota Regional Office for your area of the USA and they will give your local dealership 48 hours to comply.

21 Toyota headgasket & oil sludge recall sites:

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ic/ic110028.htm
http://www.the-summit-group.com/rec/4x4/toyota.html (3.0L,V6,headgasket recall)
http://home.att.net/~ccatanese/ford/toyota_warranx.htm (3.0L,V6,headgasket recall)
http://home.off-road.com/~kemanuel/V6-HG.htm
http://www.geocities.com/brian894x4/v6headgasketrecall.html (3.0L,V6,headgasket recall)
http://www.off-road.com/toyota/4runner/topqs.html
http://www.alldata.com/recall/make/Toyota_Truck.html
http://www.alldata.com/TSB/60/94601650.html
http://www.yotarepair.com/Campaigns.html (3.4L,V6,headgasket recall)
http://home.off-road.com/~bibelheimer/3.4v6_headgasket.html (3.4L,V6,headgasket recall)
http://www.jasperengines.com/pdf/5SFECoolantLeaksTB.pdf
http://www.lemonaidcars.com/secret_warranties.htm
http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#Toyota Sludge
http://www.toyota.com/about/news/product/2002/04/03-1-consumer.html
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/04/04/toyota-sludge.htm
http://www.petitiononline.com/TMC2003/petition.html
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/TSBScans/sb621323.pdf
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/TSBScans/sb628694.pdf
http://groups.msn.com/ToyotaOwnersUniteforResolution/headgaskettsb.msnw
http://groups.msn.com/ToyotaOwnersUniteforResolution/headgaskets.msnw
http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ic/ic100052.htm

Sidney
Repairs tv's,vcr's,home/car audio out of my home
E-mail:[email protected]
Dartmouth,Nova Scotia
Canada
1985 Toyota 4-Runner,22R-E,W56,RN60LV-MSEK,rusted rear step/towing chrome bumper with 241 000 KM


:banger: