Hello..
I have a 95 3.0 auto 4runner... When I start it in the morning (even when its warm outside), it bellows a small amount of white smoke for a few minutes and then stops completely.. Not overwhleming amounts, just enough to know that something may be wrong.. the truck in itself, is fine.. little idle jumping here and there, but otherwise ok... Can anyone help with this?

I failed emissions last week, so I pulled codes and ended up replacing both 02 sensors, plugs, wires and air filter.. She runs strong again but I still have the white smoke in the morning..

thanks

 

sounds like valve seals or rings...

 

I just had a rebuild 6 months ago... So as far as I can tell, the inner workings are fresh... Are the valves/rings still a possibility?

 

How does the exhaust smell during start up, and after its running for a bit

 

Might be a head gasket. As the engine cools and everything contracts coolant
seeps into the cylinders and when you start it up it burns off for a few mins.

Thats my guess

And yes the head gaskets on the 3.0 can go bad that soon after a rebuild. Its a bitch

 

thanks guys.. yeah, I am just about done with this thing... I have owned nothing but toyotas and hondas my entire life but this go around has been tough.. Cant go through that hg fix again.. not worth it in my opinion...

to answer your question 874Runner5, no real smell at all.. very thin smoke at the first few minutes of start up.. this morning wasnt even that cold and I even saw my neighbors car warming up, its a newer model and it was also blowing a little white.. maybe as it warms up, it will stop..

 

yeah true, if it doesnt smell then your in the clear!

 

its not rings or valve seals, if those were leaking then the smoke would be blue!

blue smoke = oil
white smoke = water/coolant
black = to much fuel


all the vehicles Ive ever owned puff a lil bit of white smoke during warm up.

its condensation, if your not loosing coolant there is nothing to worry about.

 

Oh yeah i forgot to mention what he said.. a little smoke is normal

 

x3......

 

You can pull the spark plugs for a visual check. This isn't really reliable, put water in a cylinder can make a spark plug look very "clean."

A little white smoke is normal (the combustion products always include water; we don't see it after warm up because the exhaust system is warm enough to keep it from recondensing too quickly) But as advised, I'd watch the coolant level very carefully. If you're leaking into one cylinder, one day you may have a little bit of trouble starting it, as the hydro-locked cylinder (it doesn't take much) pushes the headgasket out. (It happened to me.)

 

also tighten your exhaust manafold mine was blowing white smoke and my friend suggested to tighten it and the smoke disappeared

 

thanks guys...
glad to hear I may be in the clear on this one.. Plugs look good, but changed them again anyway to try and pass emissions..
I tell ya guys... I had the best drive home last night after new 02 sensor, plugs and wires.. Like a new truck with NO IDLE JUMPING, even at its warmest point after 20 mins on interstate.. THEN all of the sudden this morning, it started bouncing again and running like .... WHat in the world can change the mood of the truck that quickly??

very frustrating when you think you nailed the problem, then BAM!!!

thanks again

 

Ive had a bad thermostat cause that same issue, though it was on a 22re.

 

It takes a few starts and stops of the engine for the ECU to learn anything new and it usually runs quite well until it learns the new sensor, setting, whatever. That's why I clear the ECU (and leave it running at the shop) before going for smog tests so the ECU doesn't have time to undo what I did.

If after changing something, the truck starts running like it used to, then likely the problem wasn't with what you changed.

 

well every time i start my 4runner up i get small to decent amounts of water that come out of my exhaust it has done this since ive had it (about 3 years) there is no smoke just water dripping out and it doesnt have the smell of antifreeze..it just smells like water... my coolent levels are normal for the most part (i top it off every 1500-3000 miles or so) ...is it just condensation in the exhaust...slightly blown hg?

 

in the colder months here my 90 3VZE always condensates a lot out of the exhaust to the point where it creates a small puddle of water. It's perfectly normal as long as your not using any coolant/antifreeze.