So, after debating for awhile, I decided to swith to Mobil 1 in the engine. I changed the oil yesterday to Mobil 1 10W-30. I have 174K on the odometer of my 5VZ-FE and got mixed reactions to the idea. Many said it might cause leaks, other said they switched without a problem. After switching my diffs to Mobil 1 and gaining .5 mpg or so, I was very pleased.

Well, this morning I go start up the truck and she was smoking pretty good. It was blowing smoke out the exhaust just like when you run Seafoam or Toyota top-end cleaner through it. It burned off in about the same amount of time as top-end cleaner does.

A couple thoughts:
1) My engine is so dirty inside that the detergents in Mobil 1 are alread knocking stuff loose.
2) It has been getting colder at night lately and that usually causes some sort of visible exhaust for the first few minutes.
3) I already have a leak from the Mobil 1 somewhere.
4) Somehow changing the oil created this phenomenon.

Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated.

Regards,
Joel

 

maybe ur headgasket is going bad ?

 

i am with the idea its getting colder and there is more condensation now... and since you jsut changed fluids you are still looking for something.... our work truck smokes like hell as soon as we start it... white thick smoke, but jsut for a second... it never overheats and its coolant level has never changed in the entire time i have been driving it about a year and the oil level is always good

 

My 93 Corolla smokes on start up and I run High mileage oil. The valve seals are going bad. I have 181k on the clock.
Keep checking your oil level and see if it starts going down after a few tanks.

 

what color is the smoke?

 

The smoke is white. It smelled a lot like the smell when I ran the top end cleaner through it. Burning oil? It did it only a tad this morning.

I've thought about this some more. I filled it just a tad over the F on the stick. Usually I shoot for the F and sometimes go a tad over, sometimes just a tad under. I've never had this problem before. I was parked on a slope, front end on the downslope. Could this have caused this?

 

burning oil usually produces bluish smoke.

a little overfilled and/or front end facing downhill shouldn't matter.

the mobil 1 definitely could clean a bunch of gunk out of your engine. if so, it will likely get black pretty quickly for the first couple of oil changes. i don't think it would likely make it smoke like seafoam, though, but maybe.

my guess is also condensation. just keep an eye on things for awhile. (and maybe change the oil more frequently for the first couple of changes if you notice it getting black quickly.)

 

Well white smoke is coolant or condensation. Coolant will hang around in the air a little longer then condensation, which will disperse almost immdeiately.

Oil burns blue/dark.

The mobil 1 may be getting rid of gunk in the crankcase, but it shouldnt be going out the exhaust unless the rings are worn or valve seals or something which would allow the cleaning properties of the mobil 1 into the combustion process.

Is it possible you could have had this problem and never noticed it?

Have you tried a compression and leakdown test? This might help in diagnosing this problem.

 

A question I have always had, is because it is Mobil one SYNTHETIC oil, is will it burn blue? I know my truck burns a little bit of oil and I'm hypothesizing that it happens on start up and then the rings swell up and prevent the passage of oil (plus my truck wasn't switched to Mobil one until it had around 130,000 miles). But I don't see any blue on start up, only the typical - when it's cold out - burning off of condensation for about 30 seconds-1 minute and then she's normal exhaust. Never saw anything in the Summer when condensation isn't an issue either. I know I'm not leaking oil. Is it possible the oil I'm burning is so minute I don't even notice it? Or does snythetic oil not burn blue?

 

You probably just dont notice it.

I've seen people with turbo charged cars that have a failing turbos burn blue smoke with mobil 1.

 

The 5V-ZE uses 5W-30 motor oil. I geuss thats the source of your engine smoking problem.

 

I don't think 10w30 Mobil 1 would hurt his engine even though it is designed around 5w30. Mobil 1 does advertise their 10w30 for "high mileage engines," too.

 

more than likelikly you running a thicker oil for so long has caused the valve guides to where due to the fact of the oil not being able to penitrate the area between the lifter and head as well as with 5W30 ,buddy of mine had the same prob with his tacoma cause his dumbass ran 20W50 in it since new. but make sure what your seeing isn't the normal condensation out of the tailpipe ,produceing water is a byproduct of the cat convertor working.