Brau0318

I know there are a few threads on this but I'm getting white smoke at idle in 75 degree weather, my engine is running at 85C so its not only at a cold start up and my oil consumption is about 2 quarts per 1500 miles according to my computer although I want to believe the dealer didnt fill it up all the way when I got a injector changed. It's looking as if thats really my oil consumpion rate. I also get a strong raw gas smell on a cold start from the outside of the car. It's also accompanied by a minor shake at idle but maybe unrelated? I'm confused.

No codes
No power loss
No drop in gas mileage

It's got 112,000miles

danlnyc

you know, I actually had the same problem. Dealerships kept telling me it was "normal" because it was "cold" but I knew it wasn't. I kept having white smoke even though it wasn't even that cold outside.

I'm not too sure what it's called, but I got my fuel injection system cleaned out for all the carbon or whatever...and after my car never had white smoke come out again, even in the cold. Sorry I can't help more.

Brau0318

Yeah that helps because I was told that my injectors are bad. I'm all to fimiliar with dealerships telling me that oil consumption is normal that may be so in small doses with an engine as old as mine but 2 quarts per 1500 miles, seriously? I think not

RichardM98

Believe it or not. 1 qt per 750 miles is only slightly excessive. 1 qt per 600 miles is in range! I have a 98 with 135,000 miles and it is down about 1/2 qt after 4000 miles.

Some people add Techron every once in a while to keep injectors clean. I just burn Chevron instead.

Brau0318

Yeah well white smoke in sunny 75 degree weather is not normal and I put injector cleaner in there about 3k miles ago.

RichardM98

White smoke can be caused by moisture. Ever had to add water to the coolant tank? Also, try a different gas station to be sure you aren't getting water in the fuel.

Brau0318

I haven't added anything to the coolant, but I have been filling up at the same gas station for a year now. Another symptom I didnt put on here is a gas smell on a cold start up only from the outside. I will fill a few tanks somewhere else see what happens. Thanks

RichardM98

Gas smell at cold start may mean a bad O2 sensor. If you have an OBD scanner you can check for codes. Harbor Freight has a pretty good scanner for about $50 and sometimes on sale at their website or in-store flyer.

Brau0318

Yeah I have one and got a code when I had an injector replaced, I brought it to the dealership and I dont know if the refused to address it or what but when I told him that i got a code from my drivers side pre-cat sensor he ignored me.

Brau0318

Well not ignored me but told me that it's not an O2 sensor and that they where fine, and I knew they where not.

RichardM98

Normally they last about 100K. Pretty easy to install if you have an O2 sensor socket or 22mm crowsfoot. Two Bosch versions -- one with MB connector and one universal with pigtail.

Brau0318

Yeah I've just been procrastinating with it. I've done O2 senors with other cars, the drivers side just looks like a headache. I had them run a live test on them and he told me that there was no serious problem there. Could it not be argued that because my O2 sensors are going that it would in turn cause the injectors to spray too much gas, cause misfires and all the trickel down from there. I would think the tech would have wanted to also tackle the problem from the source. Or am I way off?

Thanks

RichardM98

When the O2 sensors or the MAF begin to fail the result is usually a too rich mixture. The first result is overheating the catalytic convertors with eventual meltdown. Once they can not combuse the excess fuel you begin to smell fuel in the air coming from the exhaust. Usually most noticeable right after cold start.

There is a test for the O2 sensors but I don't have the procedure.

Brau0318

I'm going to do my pre-cat senors kind of on a budget right now and clean my maf, thats a lot cheaper then replacing the cats, especially on my 4matic. Plus im hopin for a bump in gas mileage. Thanks for your advice Richard and congrats on your up coming 4 digit post

ejsheltra

Just an extra thought regarding the white smoke. Did you check for bubbling in the radiator to make sure there is no head gasket leak? Also, you are on track regarding the O2 sensor going bad. The mixture starts to run rich increasing the already high temps in the cats and can cause them to crumble. These are ULEV rated vehicles which means the cats are at very high temps to begin with to burn any residuals out of the exhaust. It would not take a significant increase in exhaust temp from a richer mixture to start causing damage.

Brau0318

ejsheltra- Thats is what I assumed but I didn't know enough to question the tech. I thought about it being a head gasket, I haven't checked it out yet. I sure hope not though. The raidiator hose on the bottom left was shaking pretty bad a few weeks ago, it stopped on it's own so I figured it was nothing. I dont know if thats normal or not either.

ejsheltra

Take off the radiator cap and start the car. When it warms up the temp unit should open to the radiator. Check and look for bubbling in the radiator or overflow tank. If it bubbles then you have a gasket issue. If it just swirls then no issue. bubbling is from the piston's compression stroke blow by through the head gasket into the cooling passages in the block. White smoke has always been my experience of a head gasket failure. Blue smoke is a broken piston ring blow by into the crank case. If you have antifreeze in the cooling system check the smell of the exhaust gas. If it smells sweet then you have a coolant leak and head gasket failure. Best of luck and hope I am wrong.

Brau0318

Thank god no bubbles! I'm going to get a strip to measure the exhaust content in the coolant