my Celica is blowing smoke - info wanted please

[minxgirl]

Hi, as the title says my celica is blowing smoke - its white, seems to be a fair amount when cold or engine is not under load - whats causing that probably? Any suggestions welcome

[Norbie]

Thick, bluish-white smoke = burning oil. Worn valve stem seals would be the most likely cause given your description.

White rapidly dissipating vapour = steam. This happens when coolant gets in the combustion chambers, usually a result of a blown headgasket.

[JetspeedCamry]

It could be just condensation, which is normal. How much is there?
Do you use up coolant?

[gianttomato]

Compression check and leak down test FTW.

[Vios-GT_07]

Compression check and leak down test FTW.

that's just to be sure eh... i always associate whitish smoke as steam and condensation.. nothing to worry about.. but i can always tell if the motor is on its way out or not.. i.e. running rough even with 20W60 oil heheheh

[Jorrs]

what motor is it ? turbo ? NA ?

[minxgirl]

Had compression testing done twice - first mechanics were lethal idiots who screwed up everything else they did resulting in some hassles - they said compression was bad - bout 100ish but its likely they didnt even test it - they fked up everything so badly - 2nd mechanics Ive had the car there a few times now reckon its not like that and its actually ok in the compression dept Im not using a lot of coolant - next to none in fact, oil isnt looking like theres water in there, however the oil is petrol stinky and loses viscosity fast - now the carbs were only just rebuilt and I havent done the next oil change since it was running rich (due to bad weather! stop raining so I can change my frigging oil damnit!)
the engine is a 2tgeu - but has no efi gear, just twin solexes, and Im running it on premium fuel - the 98 octane stuff (w/e its called)

[Norbie]

Oil stinking of petrol suggests the fuel pump (assuming it's a mechanical type) has a torn diaphragm which lets fuel leak into the sump. If this is the case you should attend to it immediately as it will lead to premature wear of the engine internals. It could also be related to the smoking exhaust as it will make the oil very thin.

[minxgirl]

Thats a thought...you see I dont understand the current setup cause I didnt set it up - but the prev owner fitted an electric fuel pump maybe theres a problem with that?

[skiddz]

that wouldnt let petrol into the oil, id suggest when u change the oil next use a heavier oil. also check your air filters/vac lines for oil you may be getting a bit of blow by and thus burning a bit of oil

unless you are noticeing a considerable drop in you oil level in 2 weeks say, there isnt really cause for concern. a little bit of oil usage in a 35 y/o motor is acceptable

[minxgirl]

OK - well Im not burning oil and the coolant hasnt needed topping up in the 6 months Ive had it - so I guess thats a good sign Ive switched to a heavier "better" oil recently and as soon as this rain goes away I will do the change, Im hoping the petrol in the oil was from when the carbs were running super-rich and shitty before thier rebuild. The engine smoke is bothering me a bit - but maybe its nothing *shrugs* I guess I will wait and see what happens after the next service - come on blue skies *LOL*
And a big thanks to everyone helping me out here

[sillycar chick]

Hey,
I would seriously do a compression test FIRSTLY before anything else. If the mechanic has told you 100ish for compression, i would be worried! These engines should be running 175 - 190, but will all depend on what compression ratio and cam timing the engine is set-up for. You want it somewhere around this figure, but more importantly you want no more than a difference of 10 between cylinders.

Well you said you wanted to get your hands dirty and learn more in your rides thread, so go do it!

Go down to supercheap and get yourself a cheap compression tester. Take out all your spark plugs and screw the compression tester in each cylinder one at a time. Get someone to wind it over with the throttle fully open, watch the gauge wind up till it doesnt go any higher and take note of the readings. This is your dry test.

After youve got all your readings and compared them, do a wet test. Simply squirt a few drops of oil into each spark plug hole and test each cylinder again. Comparing wet test and dry test will tell you if your rings are gone.

Anyway, if you do a test, post up what you get and im sure someone will tell you what it all means!

G'luck chicky!

[minxgirl]

Heya Silli - THANK YOU Thats what I wanna hear - practical advice *LOL* I will give that a go - I seriously dont trust mechanics - Ive been given two vastly different stories on the compression situation now - I guess if I do it myself then I know for sure I hope I dont confirm the first mechanics story *LOL*

[Alchemist]

Are you in Sydney, mechanic that does work to my car now, also looked after my 2T-GEU back in the day when I had it, can PM you details if you like. Smoke from exhaust is bad, hope the rain stops soon so you can change to that other oil.

[minxgirl]

Nope I am in Armidale NSW, but it looks like the rain has finally stopped *touch wood* and I will try and get my uni stuff done early today and do the oil change this arvo & go to repco and get a compression tester