White Smoke From Engine Bay

JordanB21 · May 13, 2012

I've seen it before and dismissed it as just kicked up dirt, but this time I noticed it pouring out of the vent on the passenger side and up from the black cowl. I have no idea what it could be and my car runs very smoothly as of recent.

What could this be?

Note:I'm not much for posting a lot of threads this often but smoke isn't really something I want to let hang around and come out of my car.

thanks everyone

Venom351R · May 13, 2012

Blue smoke usually indicates burning oil, white smoke is more indicative of a blown head gasket but I'm not positive if it will come up through your vents Ive often seen people say white smoke out of the tail pipes. And while a blown head gasket is less common on a non modded engine VS one with boost or different heads it is still possible. Does your car over heat or if you pop the radiator cap does the coolant appear milky in color? Those are two common issues for head gaskets.

notch351 · May 13, 2012

could be your heater core does it give off an odar

revhead347 · May 13, 2012

Most likely it's an oil leak. Likely the valve cover gaskets are leaking and pouring oil on the exhaust which burns off into a white smoke. It then goes up into the cowl area, gets sucked up and blown into the car through the vents.

Kurt

JordanB21 · May 13, 2012

I do know I have a 'very' minor oil leak, so minor that my oil has only dropped an eighth in the last 4 or 5 months. It shouldn't be a blown gasket, I only say this because the engine is a 'new' old engine pulled from another car(always a possibility) and originally it was replaced for that reason.

It does have this temperature issue, not that the gauge picking up from actual temperature issue. When I turn off my car and the lights are still on the gauge picks up to the red, when I press the breaks and the car is off it picks up to the red, and the same when I press the windows up and down button.
If I turn off the lights after it picks up it'll slowly inch back down and then if I turn back on the electronics the temperature sensor I guess is then sensing again and it jumps back to the O or R in normal.

I'll be sure to smell it tomorrow after driving though. It runs fine (other than that whole transmission thing).

revhead347 · May 14, 2012

That's not a temp issues with the gauge, that's an electrical issue. Bad battery or bad ground.

Kurt

99FiveOh · May 14, 2012

I had a car with a funky temp gauge once. It would go up a good amount when the lights were turned on (engine on though). But yeah, electrical issue for sure. As for the smoke it would help to know what it smells like.

JordanB21 · May 14, 2012

okay, today I smelt it and there's no particular odor to it, it's dank but not anything I could particularly describe. I did look under the hood today too though. It's particular coming from the center of the car, but a bit more over to the passenger side. Like where the EGR valve and manifold(behind the manifold) is where it is coming up from. I looked at the back of the heads since they're visible and it doesn't appear to be coming from the heads.

Venom351R · May 14, 2012

Could be coming from the valve cover or the intake. Oil leaks are hard to pin point. The middle of my intake had a leak and the oil was traveling down to the back of the engine running down the back of it and dripping off where the tranny/engine bolt together and still running down further along the tranny.

JordanB21 · May 14, 2012

Well I can describe it as a burning smell but it isn't strong, that's what an oil leak's smoke smells like, isn't it?
Assuming it's coming from the intake or passenger valve cover, how dangerous is this to the engine?

revhead347 · May 14, 2012

Oil leaks aren't terribly dangerous. Just annoying and stinky.

Kurt

JordanB21 · May 15, 2012

Well I guess till after I get my transmission rebuilt this will be something that I will just have to deal with seeing. But I'll keep an eye on it.

revhead347 · May 15, 2012

Have them change your rear main seal when they do the transmission.

Kurt

JordanB21 · May 15, 2012

Alright, lets hope that'll fix it or atleast help if the problem turns out to be bigger than that.

WhiteCobra95 · May 17, 2012

Have you checked your PCV valve? did it pop out and you're just geting crankcase vapors from the back of the intake? Could also be a shot china-rail seal to the intake, but I would check your PCV valve and make sure it's in good, and maybe that rubber seal in the back of the intake. my .02

JordanB21 · May 17, 2012

Here's to hoping it's the PCV, i'll check tomorrow afternoon while it's running and take an in depth look (more than 2 minutes) at where it is coming from and if it's from the PCV valve.

Yours and everyone elses .02 is always much appreciated by me, any and every suggestion or comment is welcome!

White Smoke From Engine Bay

JordanB21

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Venom351R

notch351

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revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

JordanB21

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revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

99FiveOh

JordanB21

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Venom351R

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revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

JordanB21

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revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

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WhiteCobra95

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