Puff of white smoke on startup...bad?
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Orlando
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Puff of white smoke on startup...bad?
I am interested in a 1988 RX7 coupe with 125000 miles. Original owner says motor never opened up.
Owner says that sometimes there's a puff of white smoke when cranked. Not always, but sometimes. Is this a sign of major trouble to come?
Upgrades include strut tower brace, KYB 4-way/8-way adjustable shocks, cross-drilled rotors, Racing Beat headers, silencer/downpipe, K&R air filter, secondary exhaust ports wired open, CFC-free AC upgrade with auxillary fan. Blaupunkt CD. All synthetic fluids. Body and paint better than average, interior very clean, power windows, etc.
Price around $1700. Should I walk (or run) from this car?
Owner says that sometimes there's a puff of white smoke when cranked. Not always, but sometimes. Is this a sign of major trouble to come?
Upgrades include strut tower brace, KYB 4-way/8-way adjustable shocks, cross-drilled rotors, Racing Beat headers, silencer/downpipe, K&R air filter, secondary exhaust ports wired open, CFC-free AC upgrade with auxillary fan. Blaupunkt CD. All synthetic fluids. Body and paint better than average, interior very clean, power windows, etc.
Price around $1700. Should I walk (or run) from this car?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Brampton, Ontario
Posts: 552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's leaking a bit of coolant into the combusion chambers. Could go a long time like this, could die next week. If it's been doing this for a while without getting much worse, it'll probably last a while.
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Orlando
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by johnnyg
It's leaking a bit of coolant into the combusion chambers. Could go a long time like this, could die next week. If it's been doing this for a while without getting much worse, it'll probably last a while.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Brampton, Ontario
Posts: 552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Actually, there are plenty of rotarys out there that do this. Mine did just every so slightly and I never added coolant either. All it takes is a drop, really.
#5
BOOSTED Vert
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Miami
Posts: 2,307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, owners trying to sell their cars usually exagerrate to their benefit... A puff might actually mean, covering the whole neighborhood... Anyways... after starting my car, sometimes it does the same thing, but its usually that its a bit flooded..
#6
Lives on the Forum
iTrader: (7)
Originally Posted by RXRAGTOP
Is this a death sentence to the motor or an inexpensive fix?
Take my advice, though: If you start having to add a lot of coolant and you have thick white smoke when you start up, think about a rebuild. I let mine go too long and overheated the engine and ended up cracking the endplates around the coolant seals. I still had to get a rebuild, but they couldnt use the endplates.
#7
Home-brew Rotary
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: GooseCreek SC
Posts: 902
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rebuilding.
Mines got a 145K miles on it. I got it for $300 There was clay-colored mud in the coolent passageways, among other things. I suggest dont buy it unless u want to go through the joys of rebuilding it. And I wouldn't pay that much.
Trending Topics
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Orlando
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by NoviceRotaryTech.
Mines got a 145K miles on it. I got it for $300 There was clay-colored mud in the coolent passageways, among other things. I suggest dont buy it unless u want to go through the joys of rebuilding it. And I wouldn't pay that much.
I'd like to see what $300 gets you and what $4000 gets you!
This post was started with my "how bad is a puff of smoke on startup" question. Any thoughts or experiences will be appreciated.
On the other hand, if you know of a nice 1st or 2nd gen RX7 in Florida let me know!
Haven't owned an RX7 for about three years, thanks to this forum for getting me interested again.
#10
Recovering Rotaryist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: West TX
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
^ yeah us rotor owners are notorious bargain hunters. But typically the ones to be had under 1k usually need some work before they are daily drivable.
Check out the thread I started about how much we purchased our 7's for.
Check out the thread I started about how much we purchased our 7's for.
#11
Rotary Freak
A puff of smoke at startup is NORMAL and is not necessarilly a sign of any engine trouble!!!
Mine started to puff at 100K, now at 200K it still does the same thing.
Mine started to puff at 100K, now at 200K it still does the same thing.
#12
Rotary Enthusiast
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: trenton,il
Posts: 760
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by RX7Dragon
^ yeah us rotor owners are notorious bargain hunters. But typically the ones to be had under 1k usually need some work before they are daily drivable.
Check out the thread I started about how much we purchased our 7's for.
Check out the thread I started about how much we purchased our 7's for.
#15
tom port.. AKA streetport
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: ludlow, pa
Posts: 4,659
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BACK FROM THE DEAD
mine startes when i put the turbo on it..espically with the tII ecu... im guessing its either runnin really rich (10.1) or the turbo is about shot....
mine startes when i put the turbo on it..espically with the tII ecu... im guessing its either runnin really rich (10.1) or the turbo is about shot....
#16
certified nutz and boltz
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: myrtle beach, sc
Posts: 230
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by RXRAGTOP
Seems there is a wide range of what people think is an acceptable price for a 1988 RX7...the one I am looking at is a $1700 GXL with a 125,000 mile unopened motor.
I'd like to see what $300 gets you and what $4000 gets you!
This post was started with my "how bad is a puff of smoke on startup" question. Any thoughts or experiences will be appreciated.
I'd like to see what $300 gets you and what $4000 gets you!
This post was started with my "how bad is a puff of smoke on startup" question. Any thoughts or experiences will be appreciated.
My car puffs white / grey when started cold. Some is prolly a rich mixture and the rest is prolly the condensate that collects in my exhaust as it cools. ~rich
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
frosty1993
General Rotary Tech Support
3
09-30-15 01:27 PM