Outer Limits 4x4 Board

What causes white smoke from the exhaust when the engine is cold? The smoke smells like petrol, the spark plugs were fouled and not firing very well so I replaced all the plugs, this doesn't seem to have fixed it though. The coolant level doesn't look like it's dropped and the oil and water do not look like they are mixing, it is very definitely a heavy white smoke (not blue or black) I don't think it is just a case of steam, there is enough white smoke under heavy acceleration when the engine is cold to smoke out an intersection. Yet once the engine has warmed up the problem totally goes away. So what does it sound like guys? Weak spark? Over fueling? Dodgy PCV valve? Any help would be great

White smoke can be brake fluid.... It comes from the master cylinder leaking into the booster, then the booster sucking it into the manfold.

It might be a coincedence that its when its cold, as it has also sat for a while and therefore may have built up?

Just a thought.

MF

Sounds stupid, but could just be a bit of moisture. My car will do it for a few minutes when I turn it on. The dew and moisture get into the exhaust overnight and then just blow away in the morning.

its could also be moisture/dew thats settled in the exhaust tract thats isevaporating as the hot gas charges down the cold pipes? this goes double for stuff thas settled in the airbox, intake etc (you will be amazed how 'wet' a suzuki car will start and run)

not sure how a pcv would induce white smoke but the brake fluid thing could be a go, just be sure to check first if there is a hose connected between the intake and booster in the first place. i see a lot of hese disconnected/blocked off for some reason.

What engine you got? If it smells very very fueley and runs rough as guts when its cold, it may be overfueling and 'washing' oil into the chambers. Is it carb'd of efi?

Dan

Valve stem seals

crazynic wrote:Valve stem seals

That would give a burning oil smell, not fuel.

If this thing is EFI it's very likely to have a faulty coolant temp sensor giving incorrect readings to ECU and causing it to overfuel.

head gasket ? Check oil + water levels

Mike_1324, I had a look in the hose that goes from the brake booster to the intake manifold and it was clean as a whistle, no evidence of any oil/fluid.

cmarico and Santos, Although a possibility I think it is too much for that to be the case, it smells of petrol and it hangs in the air and doesn't disperse very easily.

JrZook, It is the 2litre V6 suzuki vitara engine (EFI). It can run a little rough sometimes when I first turn it over (not firing on all cylinders?), only takes a few revolutions of the engine before it runs normally.

I think it may be overfuelling, that's what it seems like to me, when I changed the plugs they all had a thin coat of a brownish blackish liquid which I thought (by the smell) was petrol not burning properly.

crazynic, "Valve stem seals" How do i know if this is the case? Any way to narrow it down?

RAY185, How would i know if it had a "faulty coolant temp sensor"? Also where is this sensor locate? I know it's probably a different sensor, but as a note the temp guage on the dash appears to be working just fine.

mrRocky, "head gasket ? Check oil + water levels" All seems good on that front, but I will keep an eye on it

On a NZ site I posted up the same question and two people mentioned "Very possibly oil being caught up in the splash-plate inside the rocker covers. I've heard it's common with the V6 engines." "Need to remove the covers and drill a hole for oil to flow back out (or something simple like that) from behind the splash cover."

Have any of you guys heard of/experienced that?

I know on the earlier models (1600cc) you can join two wires and get the trouble codes out of the computer, Does anyone know how to get the trouble codes on a 2000cc V6 model?

In this thread here the guy talks about trouble codes from a newer vitara: http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/ftopic175854.php

Thanks for all the help so far people

edit: oh and fuel economy seems to be poor

your injectors could be shot

ie leaking when closed that would make it run rich and smell fuelly

We need a better definition of the smoke..
Firstly, then fact that it hangs and doesn't disperse quickly would make you think it is definitely smoke and not steam so the rules out condensation in the exhaust or a coolant leak from the headgasket.
If it was running rich or partially burnt fuel, being a petrol, the smoke would be black.
The spark plugs being fouled is more likely an indication of oil burning and the fact the were fuely would more than likely be because it wasn't firing properly due to being fouled. If they were all fouled and wet then it is probably oil as if all the plugs were fuely then none of them were firing and it wouldn't run.
Oil will get into the cylinder via a few ways, through the inlet via the engine breather, valve stem seals or rings. If it was rings then it would constantly blow smoke when revs are held up but have no oil build up in the cylinder so no smoke on cold start cold.
Valve stem seals will leak oil down the valve stem once the engine is turned off and leave a 'pool' of oil in the cylinder making it blow smoke on start up.
The engine breather will for oil in once the crankcase pressure builds up so will blow smoke after starting but not billow smoke on start up.
run it till it's warm, let it idle for ten minutes then hold the revs up around 2000rpm for 15-20 seconds. if it smokes when the revs come up then dies off after 10-15 seconds it is most likely valve stem seals.

Hope this helps, Dan

Ruffy wrote:We need a better definition of the smoke..
Firstly, then fact that it hangs and doesn't disperse quickly would make you think it is definitely smoke and not steam so the rules out condensation in the exhaust or a coolant leak from the headgasket.

You've got to remember that he lives in Christchurch, NZ. It gets really cold there at this time of year and has a very still, dry atmosphere in the morning. Not saying it's not smoke (burning something) but it could but a combination of condensation too. Just a thought...