Belching white smoke... D@mm!t

NIKwoaC · Jun 24, 2010

On a couple occasions, my car has puked a bit of white smoke. Seems to usually happen when I stab the throttle after it's been running for a while. It never was too bad, so I've ignored it- until now. Yesterday, after driving the car home about 45 minutes in traffic, I backed it into the driveway and let it idle while I moved trash cans so I could get it into the garage. My driveway has a bit of a slope to it, if that matters at all.

Anyway, I got back in the car after maybe a minute, and gave the throttle a blip as I slipped out the clutch to get the car moving and avoid rolling down the driveway. I was greeted with a thick plume of white smoke, but it went away immediately- as in, it didn't continue to belch smoke, only right off the tip-in.

The car has just under 90K on the odo, so I can't imagine I'm having a lot of cylinder wear/ blow-by. I have NOT done a compression test. I HAVE always been good about running synthetic oils and doing oil changes.

I DO have a somewhat rigged vacuum line/PCV system that I fabbed up when I installed the Explorer intake. I'm really hoping it's just a PCV issue.

Thoughts? Sorry for the long winded post.

srtthis · Jun 24, 2010

pictures of the PCV system?

NIKwoaC · Jun 24, 2010

srtthis said:
pictures of the PCV system?

Don't have any. But it's basically: lower intake >> PCV screen >> PCV valve >> rubber fuel line >> brass barb fitting >> upper intake. Make sense?

srtthis · Jun 24, 2010

NikwoaC said:
Don't have any. But it's basically: lower intake >> PCV screen >> PCV valve >> rubber fuel line >> brass barb fitting >> upper intake. Make sense?

yea... its exactly how mine in actually.but mines using the normal PCV line. this is gunna sound like a very odd question... where do you have the line going into the intake? directly into the air intake stream under the intake or near the stock location.

im thinking if you have it direct in the intake track like under the intake your going to see more oil coming into the intake if this is truely the problem and in the stock location (bottom of the hump in the back of the intake) it wont see as much air flow volcity and cause the oil to puddle more and just drain back down when its at idle and cruse but when you smack the gas a lil bit would get sucked up and cause the cloud you normaliy see

Chrome_Rust · Jun 24, 2010

Same thing happened the the "one who must be obeyed's" 90 notch. turned out to be a bad mastercylinder seal to the booster. it would seep brake fluid and when the car was running it would vacumn that small amount of fluid into the intake and blow white smoke. but only when you would rev it like you did. Could not figure where the brake fluid was going, because the car was dry underneath...

Just a thought...

NIKwoaC · Jun 24, 2010

Chrome_Rust said:
Same thing happened the the "one who must be obeyed's" 90 notch. turned out to be a bad mastercylinder seal to the booster. it would seep brake fluid and when the car was running it would vacumn that small amount of fluid into the intake and blow white smoke. but only when you would rev it like you did. Could not figure where the brake fluid was going, because the car was dry underneath...

Just a thought...

Hahaha, you need to PM me the identity of this "one who must be obeyed", because now I'm curious.

Brake fluid you say? Hmmm. I'll look into that. It's a new MC, since I just put it in for the brake swap. HOWEVER, it IS re-manufactured, IIRC, so it may be suspect...

BlackGT89 · Jun 24, 2010

Sounds like you might have oil getting sucked up somewhere under high vacuum, like past the valve seals / guides. If it's not the master cylinder / brake booster as noted above you might suspect your heads. Also make sure your EGR is not leaking coolant into the engine.

Lawbreaker5.0 · Jun 24, 2010

Uhmmmm. I always thought blue smoke=oil. White smoke=coolant. So if it's white l would think it's coolant. Verify what the smell is and you'll know what's burning coolant or oil.

90lxcoupe · Jun 25, 2010

let it sit and idle like that but dont rev it and just shut it off, and pull the plugs and see if you can figure out if its coolant or oil

twistedwankel · Jun 25, 2010

NikwoaC said:
On a couple occasions, my car has puked a bit of white smoke. Seems to usually happen when I stab the throttle after it's been running for a while. It never was too bad, so I've ignored it- until now. Yesterday, after driving the car home about 45 minutes in traffic, I backed it into the driveway and let it idle while I moved trash cans so I could get it into the garage. My driveway has a bit of a slope to it, if that matters at all.

Anyway, I got back in the car after maybe a minute, and gave the throttle a blip as I slipped out the clutch to get the car moving and avoid rolling down the driveway. I was greeted with a thick plume of white smoke, but it went away immediately- as in, it didn't continue to belch smoke, only right off the tip-in.

The car has just under 90K on the odo, so I can't imagine I'm having a lot of cylinder wear/ blow-by. I have NOT done a compression test. I HAVE always been good about running synthetic oils and doing oil changes.

I DO have a somewhat rigged vacuum line/PCV system that I fabbed up when I installed the Explorer intake. I'm really hoping it's just a PCV issue.

Thoughts? Sorry for the long winded post.

Our bone stock 93 Crown Vic with 68k miles on it has done that intermittently for years now. Only after the car sits at idle for an extended period. I notice it only when backing out of our drive and hitting the gas or after the car idled for 15 minutes wife waiting with AC on and taking off.

I attribute it to water vapor collecting in the muffler. You mentioned backing your car in so that would make it collect even more water. Perhaps the drain holes are plugged? I noticed when police cars would idle for hours and they would take off up a hill at work a lot of actual water would pump out.

I have never had any type of fluid loss in the last 4 years we owned this car. And it occassionally occurs even after we got the EGR tubes cleaned out and a new sensor. It can be significant but goes away quickly and I never noticed any smell as it was behind the car and I noticed it in the mirror only.

I drove this car 3000 miles @ 75mph a couple months ago and it never happened once. No surprise!! I wouldn't lose any sleep over it unless it becomes constant and then you will be looking at a head gasket replacement.

RsStanG1987 · Jun 25, 2010

maybe the gasket between the throttle body and spacer is bad alowing coolant in that way?

BlackGT89 · Jun 25, 2010

Lawbreaker5.0 said:
Uhmmmm. I always thought blue smoke=oil. White smoke=coolant. So if it's white l would think it's coolant. Verify what the smell is and you'll know what's burning coolant or oil.

True enough, but sometimes people see the color of smoke differently. Just the fact that it does it after a long idle (high vacuum conditions) indicates that it's valve seals. I mentioned the EGR also since it might be leaking coolant and produce "white smoke" also.

To the original poster, take your car down a long hill, let it engine brake for a long time, then when you are about to run out of hill, mash the gas. If you get a huge cloud of smoke, then it's more than likely the valve seals / guides.

NIKwoaC · Jun 29, 2010

Sorry I let this thread fade out. I got married, so I was a little tied up.

Thanks for the replies, fellas. Here is some new info:

1. I quickly popped the MC lid and checked the fluid level, and it is still high. Like I said before, its a new reman unit, so I doubt I'm sucking brake fluid.

2. Car does not have EGR, and does not have coolant lines running to the EGR spacer. I don't know how else it could pull in coolant.

3. I could be colorblind...? White... Blue...? If I'm not mistaken, sometimes it can be a very, very faint blue, right?

I think I'm going to install an air/oil separator and see how much oil I collect. I'll also run a compression test at some point. Good plan?

If it is valve seals, I could honestly give a **** less. I've heard that is common with these cars, and I already have plans to scrap these junk irons for a fresh set of aluminum heads this winter.

BlackGT89 · Jun 29, 2010

NikwoaC said:
Sorry I let this thread fade out. I got married, so I was a little tied up.

Excuses, excuses ! Just kidding, congrats !

Did you try engine braking down a hill ? If it is the valve stem seals I've heard they can be replaced with the heads still on the engine, just need an air compressor and a few tools.

Belching white smoke... D@mm!t

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