I read an article that suggested white smoke at engine start that last for several minutes could be bad O-rings because they the two different metals they seal heat and cool at different rates, thus causing the O-rings to wear quicker and break. What happens is coolant is allowed to enter the rotor housings when you shut down because there is no more internal press to push back the coolant press. So coolant leaks into the housing until the coolant press. drops and equalizes. When you change your spark plugs see if they are damp, this could be your problem. If the problem is really bad eng. pressures will backup the coolant and force it to leak or burst out of the res. tank which means your O-rings are almost gone. In either case, you should consider minimizing how much you drive the car and be ready to buy a new eng.
Is this the original eng.? How many miles? What kind of driving do you do, slow and steady or do you drive hard?And you should consider replacing your oil cooler and radiator with quality upgrades as it is heat that will be the engines death - it will happen.

 

That's already been covered in another thread he posted on this same subject. You can easily tell if it's o-ring failure by the smell of the "smoke".

Checking to see if the spark plugs are "damp" will prove nothing, because condensation inside the combustion chamber can cause that just as much as a leaky o-ring. Obviously, if the plug is damp after the motor's warm, then that's another story entirely.

Let's let him get a compression check and replace the plugs before he does anything else; don't confuse him with all kinds of other suggestions.

 

I had a problem that was close to what yours. It turned out to be a bad coolant temp sensor. The car was running so rich it was messing with the idle, smoking at start up and stalling out from time to time. If you can get a scan tool hook it up and check all your sensors outputs and check for any engine codes.

 

Bad thermostat? Hmmm... could be. I am looking to get a compression check on Friday, seems today I was a little busy.

And Jeff - it's not my coolant seals/o-rings, I think I've pretty much eliminated that possibility.

 

I did a little research and I think it might actually be the BOV. I took it out of the airbox so it'd be louder, and capped off the hose coming out of the airbox to the BOV with a soda cap. I'll definitely try putting it back in the box and see if that works as well.

 

Not the thermostate but the coolant temp sensor. It has alot to do with your fuel mixture.

 

Research? Why would the BOV affect your engine at idle?

 

**** can happen with few scenarios, water seal - check to leading plug if it's wet with coolant smell. Simple Intake leakage matter, i'm having a vaccum being to high when i idle drops to 6-700 when warm - have had to work after taking out intake manifold, think it's time to replace the rubber gasket between Tbody and Elbow, am still lazy so not in near future. or like some here says could be and aging old low comp motor. Water seal leakage - even not to a degree of rebuild yet, will make lot of back fires, yes rotorys do that but even more even at operatin temp.

 

If I am correct, there is a vacuum line connected to the stock BOV, since the stock BOV is out in the open, wouldn't the line be causing a leak? I am thinking it is a vacuum leak though because sometimes I hear a hissing sound when idle. Also, I'm boosting 10lbs as opposed to my normal 12... so...

 

Think for second (or a minute)...what difference would it make if it was leaking to the atmosphere or the airbox?

If anything, check the condition of that "vacuum" line (it's actually a "pressure" line; the BOV is actuated by pressure) leading to the BOV. If it's cracked or punctured, then that would obviously cause a leak.