swolfe2

Hey all,

My 94' has started giving me some serious problems in the past couple of weeks. I've searched through the archives, and I can't really find the same problem that I'm having.

When I start the car in the morning, a cloud of white smoke comes out. While driving though, there is no more smoke. The 3VZE is also going though about a quart of oil per week, to keep it at normal levels. The engine never gets hot, and the coolant level has not changed in months since I did a flush.

I have just recently moved to Florida, and I don't have my old mechanics to take it to. Could it be valve cover gaskets / rear seal gasket?

Any help you guys could give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve

stoicheg2

Are you sure the color of the smoke is white? Burnt oil has blue smoke coming from the tail pipe.

Check for leaks. If you see oil dripping from between your transmission and engine (where they bolt up) that is usually a sign of your rear main seal going out. I doubt your valve cover gasket is leaking 1 quart per week though.

My advice is to get a leak down and compression test to get a better idea of what is going on inside your engine.

swolfe2

hello,

thanks for your reply. I'm pretty sure the cloud is white, unless its a really light light blue. I took a big box from work today, and I plan on flattening it and putting it underneath the car tonight to see where (if any) of the oil leaks are.

I just don't understand why it would only smoke while the car is being started.

thanks again

stoicheg2

If the smoke is light light blue and only appears on start up, it could be your valve seals going out.

mmcpeck

How long does it smoke for? If it's quick puff of smoke, it's probably the light blue, that actually looks more white, and it is probably your valve guide seals.

If it is a continuous heavy white smoke, but only for a few minutes on start up and while you're letting it warm up, then it may just be running rich when it's started cold, which is actually normal, and since it's running rich because it's cold, there is more H2O in the exhaust which is the white smoke you're seeing.

My 91 Runner had the same oil consumption problem, small little puff on startup and then no smoke whatsoever while running, but it was burning like a quart every 200 miles. Sometimes it burns so hot it doesn't smoke.

I am in the process of running a treatment of Auto RX throug it to loosen up any coked up stuck rings, it has gotten a little better and hopefully will continue to get better, but it may need rings, who knows.

swolfe2

That's exactly what its doing. Just one quick puff of smoke, and then its gone. I'll look into the Auto RX or just getting them looked at. I know that its probably time to change the PCV valve, and I know what a bitch it is to get to. So, that should probably help too.

gte718p

A puff (even a big one) of white smoke is generally clearing condensation. Florida has the kind of humidity that can cause that if its getting cold in the evenings.

I'm going to vote with PVC valve. Though that is alot of oil to be burning and not producing smoke. Lots little places for oil to leak, you hit the two most likely, but I'm assuming you would notice a quart of oil in your driveway.

Sea foam is cheaper then the Auto RX. I'm not a huge fan of it myself, but the old timers absolutely swear by it. They are all just soap.

swolfe2

Yeah, there's no dripping oil at all underneath the car. I put a folded out box underneath overnight, and pulled it up with no oil spots. Other than the oil issue, the car is doing great. I put Seafoam in the gas tank about 2 months ago because the gas had sat in it for a while. I've heard I could use one of the vacuum hoses to get it above the lifters, but I'm way too nervous that it would damage the engine. Could I just add it to the oil?

Thanks for all the help guys.

swolfe2

anyone?