sidewayzgt

Update! I erased the codes and found a loose connection to one of the injectors (which eliminates that code). The car starts strong and runs for about 10 seconds and then the white smoke comes out again and the car runs rough. Because of the fumes I cannot keep it running longer. (The smoke is really thick)! I am stumped? Maybe an 02 or a cat? Wouldn't the code come up? I cannot get the check engine light to come back on?

cm60k

Good to hear that starter & battery are OK,

is Engine shake.?, when you start the Engine, is white smoke shows again..??

ZAYED,,

sidewayzgt

Thanks ZAYED. When the car first starts it idles fine for about 10 seconds like it would on a cold start. Then it seems like there is a power loss (when revving the motor) and then rpm drop, white smoke from both tail pipes gets thicker and thicker and I have to turn the car off because I don't want to poison the family lol.


By the way, I used to work for the company that did the X4D movies and motion benches for Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. I would like to go and check it out one of these days!

cm60k

It's not good sign, that oil coming thicker & thicker, do you check the Engine oil level..?,,

Yeah, Ferrari World here is awesome, nice to hear you been with them..

ZAYED,,

Quadcammer

have you replaced your sparkplugs?

they may be fouled at this point.

sidewayzgt

I have not replaced the spark plugs or checked them since this happened. If I pull them how will I know if they are fouled? The weird thing about this issue is that it seems like every time I restart the car there will be a small amount of smoke, then it will almost go away, then it will come back and keep progressing. Like it resets itself? I can even turn it off then turn it right back on and it will happen like that?


Oh, I don't have an oil light on and am not sure how to check the oil?

sidewayzgt

Maybe its light blue smoke that looks whiteish? I let the car run for a minute yesterday with the smoke (thinking it would clear up) and the coolant level did not drop. The smoke also was very thick and lingered for a good 10 minutes with the fan on.. hmmm?

sidewayzgt

I think these are fouled? The first pic is from the passenger side front and the second one is from the driver side front. Any suggestions on new plugs or should I try and clean these? I have not owned the car that long and have no idea how old they are?
I was also reading a post that there is no benefit to going with an expensive plug. Should I just go with cheap Champion Iridium 9006? I have been reading that it is a very good spark plug. The only thing is that its gapped at .32 and not .40, does it make a difference?

EDgineered

Its Electronic


Turn key to full on but do not start. Using the steering wheel buttons cycle to the Odometer/speed screen and then use the arrow buttons to scroll through that section. It will come up to a "checking oil, make sure car is level" type screen. Wait and it will tell you. It is accurate.

Quadcammer

those plugs are toast big time.

i think i run the standard platinum bosch.

sidewayzgt

I just checked on a level surface and it said "engine oil ok".


Now I am all mixed up on spark plugs. I am trying to find a reasonable set of spark plugs for my N/A motor and everywhere that I check says something different? My plugs are NGK 1fr6d10 but those are $12.99 each and I have read in multiple posts that there is no benefit to a more expensive plug in an N/A car. I did find a nice inexpensive iridium plug for under $4.50 (Champion 9006) or platinum for under $3.50 (Champion 7975) or I can go copper for even less but I don't want to put the wrong one in and it not fire correctly. I know nothing about spark plugs and need them this morning so any quick info on a solution would be mighty helpful! Thank you


Also, the NGK website specifies that their OEM plug is .044 gap, is this correct and why does this matter?

Quadcammer

try the bosch 9603. Its irridium and about $5.50 a plug.

.044 is a pretty big gap. You have to be very careful gapping these plugs so I'd just check them to see if they are even.

sidewayzgt

I just bought some regular Bosch platinum and I will see what happens. They are lazer tip like the NGK's pre gapped at .040. I just don't want to buy an expensive plug and have them foul again. I think I will be ok for now, I bought a big tube of anti seize. Now to get them out

sidewayzgt

Well, every single plug was like fouled like the pictures or worse. I have no idea how old the plugs that I had in there were but they have been in since I bought the car. The oil level is ok and the coolant level is ok so what could have caused this to happen? I have 8 more to put in in the morning so I will cross my fingers that my baby will purr ..

sidewayzgt

Ok, well, I changed all the spark plugs and started up the car. It fired right up and is running strong! This time it took a minute (double the time) for the whitish smoke to start coming out both exhaust pipes? I checked the coolant and the oil and they are both still perfect. There is also no check engine light? This is frustrating because now everything is perfect but the smoke. It idles perfect!


Is this now an 02 sensor problem? Do I need to change them both?

Quadcammer

does the smoke smell like anything?

Are you sure this isn't just condensation?

Have you tried putting load on the motor.

sidewayzgt

If I rev the motor it just progressively gets worse. The smoke does not smell like steam, it smells more like oil or gas. It is very thick like fog and lingers even in the wind. This whole thing started with a leaky injector and a slight vacuum leak. Maybe something clogged in the exhaust?


I let it run for a good two minutes thinking it was just residual fuel (or whatever it is)?

Saaboteur

You're sure the breather hoses are installed correctly?

sidewayzgt

I went outside and ran it again, this time I went to the tail pipe and noticed some condensation on the end. I put my finger on it and it was water. I opened the oil cap and there were slight traces of what looked like a milky substance but it was like a yellowish color. I wiped it off and ran the car again but this time when I took off the cap it was clean. If it was a blown head gasket wouldn't the car run rough? It would make sense. Is there any other signs that I can look for or is the oil cap the only place? I have all 3 of the breather hoses in place. and I checked the coolant reservoir and it is full.

sidewayzgt

I just went out and checked the oil again and there seems to be coolant or some substance in it. I am almost positive that I blew a head gasket. What I don't understand is why the coolant level has not dropped and why the car is running and idling fine? I think I am done with this car! I am out of money and patience! This car has been nothing but trouble since I bought it and I never was hard on it.

Saaboteur

Coolant mixed with oil usually generates a 'milkshake' type of mixture, should be quite apparent.

Given the other symptoms you've experienced though, it would seem quite coincidental for the head gasket to just blow when you were working on the intake manifold. I think your next step should be to check the coolant system integrity with pressure testing.

sidewayzgt

I had to mix the oil to get it to look milky, there was some residual on top that was very slight. I am tired of putting money into this car, I thought these things are not supposed to blow gaskets? All that I did was replaced the intake, how could that have blown the head gasket, the car was not running hot. Here is a picture of the milky oil right inside the oil cap (the orange stuff is the gasket maker I used when sealing the top of the valve cover because they don't make a gasket for that part).. You really have to look close but its more like a trace up at the top. I had to stir it to get this.

sidewayzgt

I am getting so paranoid that I have a cracked block. I opened up the coolant reservoir and it looks like there is an oily residue sitting on top of the coolant in little blobs (kind of looks like oil sits on top of vinegar). It is clear oily and not a mayonnaise consistency nor is the oil reservoir. Does anybody think I cracked my block?

cm60k

Assuming your oil cooler seals went away, then oil mixed with water, cooler need to be replaced if mixing with oil,,

don't run the car it's soo risky, it happens usually during the age...!

ZAYED,,

sidewayzgt

Thanks for chiming in ZAYED! Would this cause the car to smoke the way it has been? It is just so frustrating to have the symptoms of a blown head gasket but with no milky oil and coolant mixture (I think the picture I took of the oil reservoir was just water in the oil or something else). Everything so far has just pointed to water and oil?


Give me your honest opinion, do you think this is the problem?