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White smoke coming out of the exhaust


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seacat
Novice

Feb 15, 2011, 5:42 PM

Post #1 of 14 (5811 views)
White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In

2001
Ford
Econovan
Engine size: unknown
267000 kilometres


Hello.

I took my van to the mechanic for white smoke coming out of the exhaust and he says the engine is damaged.

The smoke is only coming out of the exhaust SOMETIMES, but since it's a work vehicle, I need it to be reliable if I'm to keep my job.

Is there a way to minimize/stop the white smoke?

Thanks.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 15, 2011, 5:54 PM

Post #2 of 14 (5806 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In

Yes, fix the truck. you have a blown head gasket or a cracked head. If you keep driving it, you will just waste the whole engine.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



seacat
Novice

Feb 15, 2011, 6:00 PM

Post #3 of 14 (5800 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In


In Reply To
Yes, fix the truck. you have a blown head gasket or a cracked head. If you keep driving it, you will just waste the whole engine.


I was under the impression that the engine is already wasted . . .

With the blown head gasket and cracked head . . . are these damages that are caused by lack of engine oil in the engine? I ask this because the oil warning light came on one day when i was driving, then i pumped some oil in, then in a few weeks the oil light came on again.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 15, 2011, 6:03 PM

Post #4 of 14 (5797 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In

Yep, sounds like it's already wasted. I thought it was coolant it was burning but it appears to be oil.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



seacat
Novice

Feb 15, 2011, 6:06 PM

Post #5 of 14 (5793 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In


In Reply To
Yep, sounds like it's already wasted. I thought it was coolant it was burning but it appears to be oil.



Yup, so is there a way to stop the exhaust smoke? Maybe by topping up the oil in the engine or something?

It drives fine.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 15, 2011, 6:25 PM

Post #6 of 14 (5787 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In

The only way to stop that oil is don't start the engine..



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



seacat
Novice

Feb 15, 2011, 6:28 PM

Post #7 of 14 (5783 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In


In Reply To
The only way to stop that oil is don't start the engine..



The exhaust doesn't always smoke, in fact it's only doing it about 10% of the time, if that.

so i'm wondering if i can get that down to 0.1% of the time or something.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 15, 2011, 7:08 PM

Post #8 of 14 (5774 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In

Please stop wasting our time. Your motor is toast. Your options are buy a new car,........... buy a bicycle.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 15, 2011, 7:26 PM

Post #9 of 14 (5771 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In

Is the oil change history good on this van? If sludged up oil could be pooling under valve covers and getting sucked in thru valves and would explain intermittent OR just dumb luck of the day. If in a cold climate you might not see as much or more at assorted times.

Find out what engine is in this as it could help to know. For tricks to slow it down there's the super thick STP but that's a cover up and won't like cold weather or could make things worse.

At 267KM or ~ 165,000 miles if cared for it really should be ok but would need a history and diagnosis but it does seem like it's probably "wasted" as it was put. By the time an oil light comes on if just a plain low pressure light not a "check oil" light than damage happens quickly. Usually oil burning is more of a blueish tint smoke and white engine coolant but it seems clear now it's oil. Limp it along but expect to replace it if you need it lots longer,

T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 15, 2011, 7:36 PM

Post #10 of 14 (5765 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In


Quote
I ask this because the oil warning light came on one day when i was driving, then i pumped some oil in, then in a few weeks the oil light came on again.


That doesn't sound like a sludge only problem to me.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 16, 2011, 5:25 AM

Post #11 of 14 (5760 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In

In that it's intermittent that was just a guess on my part to be ruled in or out as the immediate cause. Oil light coming still means trouble in the long run as we know,

T



seacat
Novice

Feb 16, 2011, 7:26 PM

Post #12 of 14 (5750 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In


In Reply To
Please stop wasting our time. Your motor is toast. Your options are buy a new car,........... buy a bicycle.


You don't have to reply if you don't want to . . . I'm not asking frivolous questions here.

I also wanted to know if you think replacing the engine is a good move or not? The van is a 2001 model.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 16, 2011, 7:29 PM

Post #13 of 14 (5748 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In

No, your just beating a dead horse. The engine is shot. It's too late for bubble gum or any other snake oil treatment. It needs a new motor so you make the decision if you're going to take that route or not.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



seacat
Novice

Feb 16, 2011, 7:51 PM

Post #14 of 14 (5743 views)
Re: White smoke coming out of the exhaust Sign In


In Reply To
No, your just beating a dead horse. The engine is shot. It's too late for bubble gum or any other snake oil treatment.


Yes you made that clear in your last reply. My only point is that my questions were valid and I needed an answer, so i wasn't looking to waste anyone's time.






 
 
 






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