low oil & coolant = smoke on startup

[thrasher]

So, I've watched my oil consumption steadily increase over the last few months, and with some colder morning starts I've noticed a good cloud of white smoke coming out the exhaust. Only on startup, and only for 20 seconds. No leaks to be found, but today I noticed that my coolant is also getting low.

Sound like a head gasket? or signs of something worse?

I don't mind getting my hands dirty, and am pretty competent with a wrench, but I'd rather only fix this once. Please offer any ideas before I end up making things worse.

Thanks!

 

[aMaff]

check your oil. Is it full of water? Easiest head gasket test ever.

 

[thrasher]

If there's any water in there, it's disappearing along with the oil.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Does what is still there look milky?

 

[thrasher]

I'll have to get in there and have a look. Pretty cold outside today.

That would only prove that coolant was leaking into the oil.

I'm low on both and the smoke is white, which I think indicates burnt coolant.

 

[aMaff]

white smoke indicates burnt oil.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

I'll have to get in there and have a look. Pretty cold outside today.

That would only prove that coolant was leaking into the oil.

I'm low on both and the smoke is white, which I think indicates burnt coolant.

No scenario you are describing will = not doing top end maintenance, regardless of which seal or gasket is leaking. Oil burns white, coolant burns white, they just smell different. If there are no visible signs of leaks then what else is possible?

 

[aMaff]

seriously dude, change your oil and it'll answer your question. If there's no coolant in the oil, it's *probably* not the head gasket. Next step after that would be to have a compression and leakdown test done

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

So if no water in coolant AND no leaks on outside of motor from either & no puddles of coolant in the floorboards, then valve stem seals would explain the smoke & oil loss but where is the coolant going?

 

[TheMAN]

oil smoke is NOT white it is blue
it looks "white" because the blue tint is only barely noticable

 

[aMaff]

I could have sworn fuel was blue and oil was white. It sure as hell was white @ the last autocrosses when 1 of the subbies w/ launch control fried 1 of the turbo seals and the ringland on his #2 piston.........

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

oil smoke is NOT white it is blue
it looks "white" because the blue tint is only barely noticable

Yes but I didn't go with the technical lightwave analysis that requires special glasses to experience, it was the layman description that most would notice. As you state "looks" white. Oil = bluish white smoke, smells carbonish. Water/coolant = white smoke, steamy acidic eyeburning smell. Unburnt fuel = Black smoke. What color smoke does brake fluid, gear oil, pwr steering fluid, atf & blue wiper fluid make? Just curious, never burnt those.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

I could have sworn fuel was blue and oil was white. It sure as hell was white @ the last autocrosses when 1 of the subbies w/ launch control fried 1 of the turbo seals and the ringland on his #2 piston.........

No rings = lots of oil & fuel smoke. The white hid the black & blue due to the position of the sun in the sky.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

So if no water in coolant AND no leaks on outside of motor from either & no puddles of coolant in the floorboards, then valve stem seals would explain the smoke & oil loss but where is the coolant going?

Now that the smoke color spectrum has been addressed, how bout this question? (Substitute "if no water in coolant" with "if no oil in coolant")

 

[bazooka joe]

I could have sworn fuel was blue and oil was white. It sure as hell was white @ the last autocrosses when 1 of the subbies w/ launch control fried 1 of the turbo seals and the ringland on his #2 piston.........

fuel is black(loser)

 

[thrasher]

Well, the oil is low, but that's normal in my engine. And there's no water in it.

Smoke looks white, but it's pretty dark in the morning when this happens. It does not smell like burnt oil.

It's the low coolant that bothers me. I'm pretty sure it's being burnt up on startup.

I was looking at the engine block posted on the protegegarage site and depending on where a head gasket cracked, either oil or coolant could certainly get into the combustion chamber without necessarily mixing with eachother.

 

[bazooka joe]

Well, the oil is low, but that's normal in my engine. And there's no water in it.

Smoke looks white, but it's pretty dark in the morning when this happens. It does not smell like burnt oil.

It's the low coolant that bothers me. I'm pretty sure it's being burnt up on startup.

I was looking at the engine block posted on the protegegarage site and depending on where a head gasket cracked, either oil or coolant could certainly get into the combustion chamber without necessarily mixing with eachother.

just a thought....are you sure it's not just hot gases and the cold morning thing? i mean that looks white....?

 

[RockerPro5]

Yes but I didn't go with the technical lightwave analysis that requires special glasses to experience, it was the layman description that most would notice. As you state "looks" white. Oil = bluish white smoke, smells carbonish. Water/coolant = white smoke, steamy acidic eyeburning smell. Unburnt fuel = Black smoke. What color smoke does brake fluid, gear oil, pwr steering fluid, atf & blue wiper fluid make? Just curious, never burnt those.

(lol) (rofl)

thrasher, how much mileage on your P5? And is there lots of white smoke? When you rev it up, after letting it warm up does it let more white smoke? I'd say its unburned fuel, YES I KNOW that makes black smoke, but when I flooded my old 77 Chevy Nova's carb for a while it was spitting out white smoke then it went away. Try and see what it smells like.

I've noticed that white smoke comes out when your first start em up after a while or I guess when its cold... (saw this when I was looking at P5s at the dealer) they don't burn oil/coolant and they had ~75-80,000 km