Suddenly Smokey...... Help!!

[skippy124]

Hi,

I am new to this forum, and from browsing around here there are lots of great ppl here...

Now to my problem... 89 accord... 130Klms... and a few days ago suddenly started blowing heaps (and I mean HEAPS) of bluish white smoke on start up, and then intermittantly whilst driving (e.g pull away from traffic lights, and can't see anything behind me for smoke, or going up a hill same thing). Motor is sluggish when smoking. Checked the oil... no water, checked the water... no oil. Hasn't smoked or used any oil prior to this. Compression is OK.

Does anyone have any thoughts.... valve stem seal gone?...piston ring cracked?? I can see an engine rebuild on the horizon....

Thanks

[cvergi01]

I think you hit the nail on the head as to what it could be, if it's smoking that bad probably a ring...go to your local hardware/auto store and get some stop smoke stuff and see if that helps..also try thicker oil...might make it smoke worse might make it smoke less, depends on how bad it is........btw I hope you have fun here.

[nismoracer99]

smokes on start up??

i believe its your valve stem seals, cause when the engine shuts off, oil can then seap down into the cylinders, making it smokey on startup. and also you said compression is ok.

but im not too sure, i never had to deal with smoking....

[NXRacer]

get your compression checked to see if you're losing compression through the rings. It not, then its your valve guides going. If it is your valve guides, then that'll be cheaper to fix if you want to. If your ring(s) are bad, then you're gonna need a new motor soon. Either way, keep your oil filled so you dont burn out your motor in a hurry.

[shepherd79]

what color is the oil?
if it is brown color, your headgasket is gone.
it could be that tou cracked the cylinder head and coolant is getting into the cylinders.
if the smoke stays and it is white color it is your head gasket most likely.

[skippy124]

Thanks for the advice.

Compression checks out ok... a little bit down but consistant across all cylinders. I have a mechanic looking at it now, he believes that it is oil burning and not head headgasket/cracked block. The oil is normal, no evidence of water in it, and coolant level hasn't changed since the problem started.

Only other thought I had was contaminated fuel.... mechanic is going to check this out too.

I'll let you know what we find

[skippy124]

Latest update.... Mechanic checked as much as he could without starting to dismantle the engine... and nothing showed up as being obvious cause. As a last resort he changed the oil... and smoking appears to have stopped. Doesnt make too much sense to me, I have been using the same oil since I have had the car (over 2 years) with no previous smoke probs. I have been using Castrol GTX3 (10W40), and changed the oil just before the smoke probs started. Mechanic advised to use a 20W50 oil, and that is what he used. I don't believe that the difference in viscosity between these two grades of oil would make such a difference, but time will tell. Also I have just got another 88 accord three months ago with 200,000 klms on the clock, am using 10W40 in this one and not a hint of smoke or oil consumption.

I pick up the car in the morning. Mechanic says if it starts blowing smoke again then start looking for another motor!!!

[skippy124]

Final update....picked up the car from the mechanics..... and no more smoke. Seems the oil change did the trick.... still don't understand why though.

[shepherd79]

easy explanation.....
10w-30 oil is alot thinner so it will flow by the worn out pistons or valve guides faster.
20w-50 is a lot thicker and it doesn't flow as good as 10w-30. look this way, if you try to suck a water through the straw it will flow easy, but try to suck jello and you will find it is alot harder. same principle applies to the oil grade.

[skippy124]

Thanks for the info Alex. I understand the 20W50 is a thicker oil and hence less smoke, but I had been using 10W40 for two years without any smoke whatsoever. About 2 days after last oil change there was clouds and clouds of smoke on start up, and at various times after start up. So much smoke that it would blank out vision, you literally couldn't see through it (pity the poor guys driving behind me at the time!!!l

What I cant understand is that before oil change no smoke whatsoever, after oil change so much smoke that you would think that the car had no rings at all. I have had "smokey" cars before, and I know that if you use higher viscosity oil (i.e.25W60) it will improve smoke and oil consumption, but not so dramatically as this.

[skippy124]

ARRRGGG.... Still blowing heaps of bluish white smoke every now and then. Looks like the motor has to come apart....

[shepherd79]

tell the mechanic to replace the valve seals.
they are easy to do and won't cost you much.
if you still have the same problem after that, well you may as well start looking for a new motor, because the problem would be the piston rings.

[skippy124]

Thanks again Alex, I'll let you know how I get on.