Heavy smoke on Decel from high rpms
02-21-22, 04:13 PM
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Heavy smoke on Decel from high rpms
So I have noticed my car smoking from time to time on start up but I didn't see it as a big problem but when I am decelerating from 5.5k rpms and up a thick cloud of white smoke comes out from the tailpipe. Like enough to not see the person behind me at all. Is this a big problem? whats the cause?
02-22-22, 05:46 AM
#3
I would monitor your coolant and oil levels. Oil smoke is commonly blue, but you could be seeing oil control ring failure and the engine could be consuming oil. After the car sits, pull the spark plugs. Do any of them have coolant on them or smell like burnt antifreeze?
Another good thing to do is to use a cooling system pressure tester and pressurize the cooling system to cap pressure. Once there, you'll need to monitor the gauge and see if the system holds pressure. If not and no external leak is found, the issue will lie in an internal coolant leak. This could mean that a coolant seal has failed and or a coolant seal channel on or or both of the housings has corroded and coolant may be entering the engine that way as well.
Another good thing to do is to use a cooling system pressure tester and pressurize the cooling system to cap pressure. Once there, you'll need to monitor the gauge and see if the system holds pressure. If not and no external leak is found, the issue will lie in an internal coolant leak. This could mean that a coolant seal has failed and or a coolant seal channel on or or both of the housings has corroded and coolant may be entering the engine that way as well.
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t_g_farrell (02-22-22)
02-22-22, 03:18 PM
#4
84SE-EGI helpy-helperton
Oil Control Rings are going. On deceleration from high RPM, the vacuum inside the intake section of the trochoid chamber is highest, which sucks oil past the weakening oil control rings and into the intake charge, where it's then burned, resulting in thick smoke out the exhaust pipe. This can be limped along for quite some time as long as you check your oil frequently (*every time you stop for gas), and limit the high RPM operation. Any time a police officer sees this, expect to get pulled over...
The fix is an engine rebuild; to include new oil control rings and their respective seals and springs which cause them to hold their shape. Until then, expect that youll eventually lose compression, hot restarts will become very difficult, and eventually you won't be able to restart the car when it's hot. On the upside, you can rest assured that your Apex and Side Seals have never gotten this much lubrication!
Go check your oil. Keep a spare pint of oil inside the car at all times,
The fix is an engine rebuild; to include new oil control rings and their respective seals and springs which cause them to hold their shape. Until then, expect that youll eventually lose compression, hot restarts will become very difficult, and eventually you won't be able to restart the car when it's hot. On the upside, you can rest assured that your Apex and Side Seals have never gotten this much lubrication!
Go check your oil. Keep a spare pint of oil inside the car at all times,
02-22-22, 03:18 PM
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I would monitor your coolant and oil levels. Oil smoke is commonly blue, but you could be seeing oil control ring failure and the engine could be consuming oil. After the car sits, pull the spark plugs. Do any of them have coolant on them or smell like burnt antifreeze?
Another good thing to do is to use a cooling system pressure tester and pressurize the cooling system to cap pressure. Once there, you'll need to monitor the gauge and see if the system holds pressure. If not and no external leak is found, the issue will lie in an internal coolant leak. This could mean that a coolant seal has failed and or a coolant seal channel on or or both of the housings has corroded and coolant may be entering the engine that way as well.
Another good thing to do is to use a cooling system pressure tester and pressurize the cooling system to cap pressure. Once there, you'll need to monitor the gauge and see if the system holds pressure. If not and no external leak is found, the issue will lie in an internal coolant leak. This could mean that a coolant seal has failed and or a coolant seal channel on or or both of the housings has corroded and coolant may be entering the engine that way as well.
The smoke is not blue it’s pure white. As for leaks in the coolant system the coolant level checker on my radiator has broken so small amounts of coolant leak out of that could that be what’s making the car smoke though or is that only if oil/coolant is making it into the combustion housing?
02-22-22, 04:23 PM
#6
your leak at the coolant level sensor has nothing to do with what's going on.
if it's coming out the tailpipe, you're burning something that you shouldn't be burning. my mind went immediately to coolant (due to what i was assuming is a broken coolant seal) because you said the smoke is white. my second guess would have been oil (bad oil seals. see Long Duck's post.) because while there is typically a bluish tinge to it, i have seen it burn white, too - the main difference is it will likely carry an acrid smell to it. aside from fluid loss, you might also pull the manifold and check the exhaust ports for evidence.
there is only bad news here. it doesn't matter which of the two seals are bad, either one requires a rebuild.
if it's coming out the tailpipe, you're burning something that you shouldn't be burning. my mind went immediately to coolant (due to what i was assuming is a broken coolant seal) because you said the smoke is white. my second guess would have been oil (bad oil seals. see Long Duck's post.) because while there is typically a bluish tinge to it, i have seen it burn white, too - the main difference is it will likely carry an acrid smell to it. aside from fluid loss, you might also pull the manifold and check the exhaust ports for evidence.
there is only bad news here. it doesn't matter which of the two seals are bad, either one requires a rebuild.
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02-22-22, 05:19 PM
#8
84SE-EGI helpy-helperton
How much coolant are you losing over how much driving? There are two coolant passages in the Lower Intake Manifold that have O-rings which go bad. Once they deteriorate, they create a path for coolant to be drawn into the intake path, which happens under deceleration - again, at maximum vacuum, as the throttle is closed.
Would be worth removing the intake manifolds just to find out, as it's a simple fix. Some guys just install freeze plugs of the proper dimensions, as heating the intake manifold is only needed in cold climates where icing is a concern (Bernoulli effect icing). I was riffing off of your oil loss, but if it's coolant loss that's the issue, those are different problems,
Would be worth removing the intake manifolds just to find out, as it's a simple fix. Some guys just install freeze plugs of the proper dimensions, as heating the intake manifold is only needed in cold climates where icing is a concern (Bernoulli effect icing). I was riffing off of your oil loss, but if it's coolant loss that's the issue, those are different problems,
02-23-22, 10:57 AM
#9
Good and cheap way to do a coolant seal test is take a 16oz bottle of water.
remove the overflow top fill the bottle with water and make sure the bottom of the overflow tip is under the water and the thermostat opened if u see bubbles ur coolant seals are shot.
remove the overflow top fill the bottle with water and make sure the bottom of the overflow tip is under the water and the thermostat opened if u see bubbles ur coolant seals are shot.
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