smoke when start up
10-20-2009, 08:22 AM
#1
smoke when start up
i have noticed that quite some white smoke coming out of the exhaust when i start the car after a long time parking (overnight or after a day of work).
i know it is kind of cold (around 40F) now, so every car should have some smoke coming out of the tail...but the smoke from 8 seem a lot more noticable... i can tell when i am driving out of the parking lot from my work, other cars do not have THAT much smoke... i can see quite a bit of smoke just from rearview mirror.
this morning i smell the smoke, it smells kind of oily...but not bad at all. after a drive around the block (800 yards or so) the smoke disappeared completely...so i am thinking since it disappear so fast, maybe it is just condensation/water leftover in exhaust?
can anyone confirm if coolant or oil is burning, will it disappear that fast (a drive around neighborhood block)? or will it last longer?
i know it is kind of cold (around 40F) now, so every car should have some smoke coming out of the tail...but the smoke from 8 seem a lot more noticable... i can tell when i am driving out of the parking lot from my work, other cars do not have THAT much smoke... i can see quite a bit of smoke just from rearview mirror.
this morning i smell the smoke, it smells kind of oily...but not bad at all. after a drive around the block (800 yards or so) the smoke disappeared completely...so i am thinking since it disappear so fast, maybe it is just condensation/water leftover in exhaust?
can anyone confirm if coolant or oil is burning, will it disappear that fast (a drive around neighborhood block)? or will it last longer?
The following users liked this post:
Maria Elizabeth (06-29-2023)
10-20-2009, 08:31 AM
#2
i have noticed that quite some white smoke coming out of the exhaust when i start the car after a long time parking (overnight or after a day of work).
i know it is kind of cold (around 40F) now, so every car should have some smoke coming out of the tail...but the smoke from 8 seem a lot more noticable... i can tell when i am driving out of the parking lot from my work, other cars do not have THAT much smoke... i can see quite a bit of smoke just from rearview mirror.
this morning i smell the smoke, it smells kind of oily...but not bad at all. after a drive around the block (800 yards or so) the smoke disappeared completely...so i am thinking since it disappear so fast, maybe it is just condensation/water leftover in exhaust?
can anyone confirm if coolant or oil is burning, will it disappear that fast (a drive around neighborhood block)? or will it last longer?
i know it is kind of cold (around 40F) now, so every car should have some smoke coming out of the tail...but the smoke from 8 seem a lot more noticable... i can tell when i am driving out of the parking lot from my work, other cars do not have THAT much smoke... i can see quite a bit of smoke just from rearview mirror.
this morning i smell the smoke, it smells kind of oily...but not bad at all. after a drive around the block (800 yards or so) the smoke disappeared completely...so i am thinking since it disappear so fast, maybe it is just condensation/water leftover in exhaust?
can anyone confirm if coolant or oil is burning, will it disappear that fast (a drive around neighborhood block)? or will it last longer?
10-20-2009, 08:47 AM
#4
RX Lectriod from Planet 8
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oil would be more blue smoke and water/coolant would be more white vapor.
But the smell of oil is pretty clear.
Could be a bad seal.
After parking it's leaking into one ofte rotor chambers and then burning off as you drive it.
Or it could be water vapor forming in your exhaust system overnight but that should only be a morning type event...
I'd take it in just to see what and where it's coming from.
But the smell of oil is pretty clear.
Could be a bad seal.
After parking it's leaking into one ofte rotor chambers and then burning off as you drive it.
Or it could be water vapor forming in your exhaust system overnight but that should only be a morning type event...
I'd take it in just to see what and where it's coming from.
Last edited by Hidef1080; 10-20-2009 at 08:53 AM.
10-20-2009, 09:23 AM
#6
Huge hole is huge
Oil would be more blue smoke and water/coolant would be more white vapor.
But the smell of oil is pretty clear.
Could be a bad seal.
After parking it's leaking into one ofte rotor chambers and then burning off as you drive it.
Or it could be water vapor forming in your exhaust system overnight but that should only be a morning type event...
I'd take it in just to see what and where it's coming from.
But the smell of oil is pretty clear.
Could be a bad seal.
After parking it's leaking into one ofte rotor chambers and then burning off as you drive it.
Or it could be water vapor forming in your exhaust system overnight but that should only be a morning type event...
I'd take it in just to see what and where it's coming from.
What's your year/mileage?
10-20-2009, 09:34 AM
#7
10-20-2009, 09:37 AM
#8
Oil would be more blue smoke and water/coolant would be more white vapor.
But the smell of oil is pretty clear.
Could be a bad seal.
After parking it's leaking into one ofte rotor chambers and then burning off as you drive it.
Or it could be water vapor forming in your exhaust system overnight but that should only be a morning type event...
I'd take it in just to see what and where it's coming from.
But the smell of oil is pretty clear.
Could be a bad seal.
After parking it's leaking into one ofte rotor chambers and then burning off as you drive it.
Or it could be water vapor forming in your exhaust system overnight but that should only be a morning type event...
I'd take it in just to see what and where it's coming from.
10-20-2009, 11:37 AM
#11
RX Lectriod from Planet 8
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One of the side seals between the rotor and the housing but if you only have 18k on it I doubt that's it now.
Also coolant has a kinda sweet smell when it's being burned off.
The only time I have anything like smoke is in the mornings now that it's cooler/cold and it's the normal water vapor.
Our engines need care when things are not normal so don't wait too long if it's still there....
Also coolant has a kinda sweet smell when it's being burned off.
The only time I have anything like smoke is in the mornings now that it's cooler/cold and it's the normal water vapor.
Our engines need care when things are not normal so don't wait too long if it's still there....
Last edited by Hidef1080; 10-20-2009 at 11:42 AM.
10-20-2009, 01:00 PM
#14
gas kilometerage
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: vancouver bc
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I bet you're probably just smelling the car running a little bit rich during its warmup. Unless you have any other symptoms (loss of power, etc), don't worry too much about it - just make sure you keep checking your oil level for a little while in case it's worse than I think :-)
10-20-2009, 05:04 PM
#15
Huge hole is huge
Out of all of the rotary's I've had, I've never seen THAT much whiteness out my tailpipe when driving on startup in cold temps of 40. Hell, it was that temp recently here and I didn't see much at all. I guess I've just been lucky/unobservant.
10-20-2009, 05:12 PM
#16
ROTORHEAD
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cumming, GA
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One of my older 87 rx-7's smoked a lot one time for no reason. it had ok compression but one day after I changed the oil it just started smoking so bad at a red light no one could see it turn green! I drove it around that day and i noticed it was pumping all the oil out of the tailpips and they were actually dripping. No one could explain it..but after that day..I put in 2 quarts of oil it lost and it stopped doing it for good??? who knows......
If it does it all the time, you probably have a blown seal/ either side or apex or they are wearing down. If it only does it sometimes I wouldn't worry about it so much unless you are really hard on the car and only using 5w-20.
Smoking is normal when you flood the car. When you get it started again it will flood a couple houses then it's good. Just get it in the road after it warms up and run it good to clean it out.
If it does it all the time, you probably have a blown seal/ either side or apex or they are wearing down. If it only does it sometimes I wouldn't worry about it so much unless you are really hard on the car and only using 5w-20.
Smoking is normal when you flood the car. When you get it started again it will flood a couple houses then it's good. Just get it in the road after it warms up and run it good to clean it out.
Last edited by waterproofone; 10-20-2009 at 05:15 PM.
10-20-2009, 06:29 PM
#20
Huge hole is huge
Damn you, mysterious engine!
