White smoke on start up

Stoney#1

Stoney#1

Stoney
Just wondering if there is any way of telling fi the motor has the two cooling circulation lines that could leak coolant into the exhaust manifold by model or year. Mine is an 82 X. It will blow whitish soke out when started cold. Once running for a few minutes the smoke is gone and will not come back until after the engine sits and cools down. Does not use oil, still right up there where it belongs.
Any suggestions?
Stoney
 
if you are NEVER lossing collant then you do not have the issue. (white smoke must be comming from somewhere else) (rain water collecting in the exhaust? maybe) (or condensation?)
 
All of the fuel injected heads have the coolant passage openings.

I would vote for water vapor condensing in the exhaust at startup. If you were to drive it twice in a day, does it smoke the same amount both times or is there nearly none when you have your second "cold" start of the day?

I noticed my 87 has similar behavior but my 85, which I started driving yesterday, does not.
 
One of my 82's has been doing this for 10 years now. There is white smoke initially when I start the car after the car has been sitting for an extended period of time. When I'm driving the car frequently there is no smoke. There has never been any coolant loss at all. I have put about 13k miles on the car in the past 10 years so it hasn't seemed to affect anything important. I always figured I would address the issue when something else forces me to.
 
I am assuming the smoke is coming from the tail pipe. Have you established that it is water vapor? If the smoke has a blueish tent and possible oily smell, it could be oil accumulating around worn valve guides when the engine sits for a while then sucking into the cylinders on start up.
 
The smoke is coming from exhaust pipe, I would call it white, not bluish. Some moisture does come from exhaust when first started but disappears a few minutes after running
It only smokes when it is first started after sitting overnight or longer, after that even if cooled off there is no noticeable smoke
Not a chance of moisture from rain, it doesn't go out even if there is a whisp of rain in the air
Only 44,000 miles on engine, could valve guides be worn already?

Stoney
 
Stoney#1 said:
The smoke is coming from exhaust pipe, I would call it white, not bluish. Some moisture does come from exhaust when first started but disappears a few minutes after running
It only smokes when it is first started after sitting overnight or longer, after that even if cooled off there is no noticeable smoke
Not a chance of moisture from rain, it doesn't go out even if there is a whisp of rain in the air
Only 44,000 miles on engine, could valve guides be worn already?

Stoney
Click to expand...
Just guessing about all this you know. 44K in 35 years means the car sat a lot. Guides should be good if car was maintained properly. If it is oil then the rubber guide seals might be dried and cracked.
 
valve seals would be bluish/white & hangs in the air longer than coolant white smoke. Coolant also smells like burnt celery according to my brother in law. I dunno about that, however it has a distinct odor you should be able to identify by smelling it after startup before it dissipates.
 
I am guessing it is a condensation issue (do you live in a damp (high humidity area).) you might try putting a tin can over the exhaust when you park it and then see how much white smoke you get the next cold start.
 
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