before i start, yes i have read and searched regarding this issue. the prevalent thought is that it is a head gasket. im looking for a second opinion as i believe my symptoms are different.

so a week ago i bought a beautiful 2001 3.4 tacoma with 97k miles. im pretty dang excited as this is my favorite body style and i found it with low miles. at 96k mi it had the whole timing belt job done as well as plugs, wires, new tires, 2.5in lift, etc. this truck is just about pristine and it has clearly been babied.

fast forward to last night. i hop in the truck and start it up. white smoke out the exhaust. well crap! im immediately thinking head gasket as i had blown one awhile back in my 87 4runner. i turn off the truck and check the coolant and oil. coolant is completely topped off (and possibly undiluted, it is way too green) and the oil is fresh and non milkshakey. so i drive it and it does fine, no issues. i even started it later that night with no smoke after it had sat for probably 6 hours.

today it started smoking again. woohoo. this is not bad smoke but it definitely is smoke, not vapor. all fluid levels are proper and the fluids have not mixed.

Thoughts and opinions? the truck is too nice to have been beat on and there are no tell tale signs of a head gasket failure, which i am familiar with. im leaning towards some type of fuel issue as i have been getting poor mileage (15mpg of straight unloaded highway driving which usually gets me 19 in my 3.4 4runner) and the truck sometimes has trouble starting. i welcome all help. thanks!

truck in question...

 

How long does the smoking last? It almost sounds like just condensation that accumulates in the exhaust that may be causing the smoking. As the temps drop, it's normal to see some smoke for the first few minutes after start-up.

 

That's what I was hoping for but its definitely more than condensation. Thanks though!

 

What does it smell like? Normally fuel related smoke is black, unless it's considerable, then I have seen it as white, but that tends to be a vapor from extreme rich conditions.

 

Well, if you have ruled out condensation then the HG or maybe the lower intake manifold gasket on one side or the other is an issue (thinking possibly coolant is escaping there and getting into the intake).

Have you pulled the spark plugs, done a compression check, or a leak down test?

 

I have an 01 Taco and I am amazed how well it was put together.....160k and still on the original timing belt and the 3 original engine belts are still turning
For your issue, could it be as simple as gummed up valve seals since it seems to be during the start-up? What would happen if you switched to a thicker 10W-40 synthetic oil (high detergent action by its nature) and also started adding a cup of Mystery oil to the gas at each fill-up?

 

I will have a leak down and compression test done. There could be an issue with the intake gasket. I noticed what looked like a reinforced bolt hole through the gasket sticking out, as in the gasket was not put on properly. I'll look into that.

I wanted to have more information before I reported back, hence my delay.

Drove it for a bit since my last post. Does not smoke on my ten mile drive to work however it does smoke after my 90 mile drive to a relatives house. Also, still not missing a single drop of oil or coolant. I'm still way under powered.

I replaced the PCV a little over a week ago and that seemed to fix it for about 2 days. Now it's back to being an underpowered gas hog.

Thanks for the input.

 

I hope you get to the bottom of this.

Unfortunately, it may have been put on the market because of the smoking...


Andreas

 

Took it to the dealer...they said the timing was off just a bit and that caused it to smoke. Cost me $500 but at least it is fixed.

 

So, the timing belt was not installed correctly at 96k? Something else throwing the timing off?