Blue/white Smoke From Exhaust

[flappypenguin]

Hello all,

Ive already been having a discussion on this in another thread but the thread title isnt relivent so thought i'd start a fresh one for future searches/references...

The problem:

I've noticed that every now and then (usually after a long period of driving, or sitting in a long que of traffic) when i accelerate there is a pile of blue/white smoke billowing out my exhaust. Its quite allot - to the point where people are staring in at me as they drive past and pointing to the back of the car.

My oil light came on the other day so i checked the oil, and it was low so i topped it up and crossed my fingers it would be ok, but it hasnt changed anything.

Someone suggested on the other thread that i may have water in my oil, can anyone expand on this? is it mixing with the oil before it goes through the engine or after? where's it likely to be coming from (sorry, im totaly useless with machanic stuff), is it easily/cheaply fixed, will it cause long term costly damage if i dont get anything done about it straight away?

Again, any help is greatly appreciate!!

Thanks.

[ormi]

Hello all,

Ive already been having a discussion on this in another thread but the thread title isnt relivent so thought i'd start a fresh one for future searches/references...

The problem:

I've noticed that every now and then (usually after a long period of driving, or sitting in a long que of traffic) when i accelerate there is a pile of blue/white smoke billowing out my exhaust. Its quite allot - to the point where people are staring in at me as they drive past and pointing to the back of the car.

My oil light came on the other day so i checked the oil, and it was low so i topped it up and crossed my fingers it would be ok, but it hasnt changed anything.

Someone suggested on the other thread that i may have water in my oil, can anyone expand on this? is it mixing with the oil before it goes through the engine or after? where's it likely to be coming from (sorry, im totaly useless with machanic stuff), is it easily/cheaply fixed, will it cause long term costly damage if i dont get anything done about it straight away?

Again, any help is greatly appreciate!!

Thanks.

if you had oil in your water you will have sludge on your dip stick and also in your oil filler cap.also your car would be going through water.it happens in the engine when the head gasket bursts between a oil way and a coolant jacket.

is your car high mileage?also are you using the correct grade of oil?if its too thin this could be your problem(so thin it passes past the seals)also is the oil fullysynthetic??

if your car has done a lot of miles or had a hard life that will be too thin for it as well.also check all the engines breather pipes for blockages.

i would give your car a good service use the propper oil(but as i say if high miles/had a hard life dont use fully synthetic)and once you have done that check the oil weekly and take note on how much you use.if you notice it going down fast then your car is burning oil which will req either valve stem seals or you have worn piston rings.

also while doing the oil change you can buy products that soften the internal seals(ie valve stem)you could also try oil flush products(ie before the oil change you pour the product in run your car for 15 mins and then drain)the piston rings might just be gummed up.

no offence but has your car been looked after service wise and what milage is on it??

[flappypenguin]

thanks for all that info (most of it was over the top of my head though lol)

Millage: 70,000k. (2002 Reg)

Yes - i uses fully synthetic oil.

Service history - once a year by Lexus main dealer.

I think im going to put it in for a service, the garage said they serviced it when i bought it (it was also put through an MOT), but 2 days after i bought it i had to replace a front tyer as it was buldging and looked ready to pop, how the garage "missed" that ...........?

Keep the theory's coming, i want to be able to take it to a garage and sound like i know what im talking about so i dont get ripped off cos its a Lexus, cos im really really skint just now lol.

[ormi]

thanks for all that info (most of it was over the top of my head though lol)

Millage: 70,000k. (2002 Reg)

Yes - i uses fully synthetic oil.

Service history - once a year by Lexus main dealer.

I think im going to put it in for a service, the garage said they serviced it when i bought it (it was also put through an MOT), but 2 days after i bought it i had to replace a front tyer as it was buldging and looked ready to pop, how the garage "missed" that ...........?

Keep the theory's coming, i want to be able to take it to a garage and sound like i know what im talking about so i dont get ripped off cos its a Lexus, cos im really really skint just now lol.

how long have you had it?

as for the tyre how did the mot inspector miss that??

is their anyway you can post a video of the smoke(let it idle and get hot like it would in a que of traffic then give it a rev?) might be able to help more if i can see it?

[cmcnk06]

only time i have seen that syptoms was when i blew a turbo on my vectra dti or i was runnin it on the cherry,

[flappypenguin]

how long have you had it?

as for the tyre how did the mot inspector miss that??

is their anyway you can post a video of the smoke(let it idle and get hot like it would in a que of traffic then give it a rev?) might be able to help more if i can see it?

I've only had it a week, and its been doing it sinse the day i got it. Cant post a video as i dont have a video camera of any sort unfortunately :( I can only assume the MOT inspector didnt see it cos it wasnt there, it may have happened after i boiught the car, cos they replaced the rear break discs and a rear tyer, so they were obviously checked...

Going to put in in for a service and get it looked at.

[Steve ( West Mids )]

Did you get it from a dealer? Any warranty? If not try taking it back and ask them to look at it.

[Asi]

if you want i will come and have a look at it with my machanic?

[flappypenguin]

Hi everyone, i spoke to someone else today who knows a little about cars, and he also suggested that the head gasket sounds like its burst, .. i checked the dip stick and sure enough it had little bits of sludge on it too, so im going to assume thats whats wrong seen as 2 people have said that now.

Asi, i'll PM you.

[sol12]

the only thing is that if your head gasket has burst then your car should be overheating like no mans business.. are you sure

[ormi]

the only thing is that if your head gasket has burst then your car should be overheating like no mans business.. are you sure

nope wrong. just coz your head gaskets gone doesn't mean your car will overheat.

[Steve ( West Mids )]

You need to get it diagnosed at a dealer / garage with a gas test on the radiator and / or a compression test. That will confirm if it's the head gasket.

[fjcfarrar]

Hello all,

The problem:

I've noticed that every now and then (usually after a long period of driving, or sitting in a long que of traffic) when i accelerate there is a pile of blue/white smoke billowing out my exhaust. Its quite allot - to the point where people are staring in at me as they drive past and pointing to the back of the car.

My oil light came on the other day so i checked the oil, and it was low so i topped it up and crossed my fingers it would be ok, but it hasnt changed anything.

Are you sure about the mileage on the car - does it tie up with the service history & old MOTs or are these mysteriously missing? What you describe is an indicator of a much higher mileage, well worn engine particularly as "topping up" suggests it is using oil and the IS 200 just doesn't unless it is continuously driven hard.

Generally, bore wear will show as a blue haze following you when you are giving it some stick. Worn valve-guides/seals or breathing problems will show up best if after running downhill with the foot off, when you put your foot down again a good cloud of white/blue smoke happens (this is because prolonged high vacuum in the induction tracts on the over-run will suck oil past worn valve guides and seals which gathers until you next accelerate). If you have head-gasket problems, it will mostly show up by coolant loss and possibly excessive steam from the exhaust when cold long before oil and water mix with each other.

After you have checked all the possibilities out, maybe your 3 month warranty should come into play. Good luck and enjoy the IS200 when it is all sorted out.

[flappypenguin]

Hi again all, thanks for all the responses...

Im trying to check if my coolant is low or not, but im having trouble... i leaned over the bonnet and can see the ittle window that indicates the level, but its sort of frosted plastic and i cant really see any sort of level in it, which means it ither way past empty or above full i guess? i removed the coolant cap and looked inside and i can see some purple fluid in there (anti freeze coolant?), if i can see fluid there does that mean that my coolant level is fine for now? i need to drive the car tomoz to my work, then its going to the garage to get looked at (through the dealer under warenty), the dealer told me if my coolent level is ok then the car is fine to drive, i just cant tell lol.

[tomo1981]

As long as the gauge is clear of dirt, you can see if there is fluid in there or not as plain as day.

would seem to be low......

[flappypenguin]

UPDATE:

Right, its back at the dealer where i bught it from (under warenty), i just rang them and asked what was happening, and they have said they are going to keep it over night and ring me tomorrow (like a hospital patient lol), but apparently the machanic "doesnt think its the head gasket", whats the chances that it IS the head gasket, and they are fixing it but then saying its something else that isnt covered under warenty so they can bill me???

[sol12]

UPDATE:

Right, its back at the dealer where i bught it from (under warenty), i just rang them and asked what was happening, and they have said they are going to keep it over night and ring me tomorrow (like a hospital patient lol), but apparently the machanic "doesnt think its the head gasket", whats the chances that it IS the head gasket, and they are fixing it but then saying its something else that isnt covered under warenty so they can bill me???

like i told you before , i would be very surprised if its the head gasket , becuase at somepoint your car would be overheating , your warranty should cover that sort of a problem but it shouldnt be a big problem.

[kev dood]

Well personally I would say it was the head gasket - unless you have bene doing shed loads of very short journeys.

Just cos the gasket is going doesnt mean the car will over heat - depends on just how gone it really is. I am sure that if it is that, then the garage will own up to the fix as the labour wont be so cheap. They could get the cost back through whoever provides their warrenty cover. If they are gonna bill ya, then they should call you to let you know first.

If you walk into a big bill then just refuse to pay it and tell them to put it back how it was! Standard is most garages to call before as they know most people refuse to pay if they dont.

[flappypenguin]

Thanks for the advice Kev Dood, will bare that in mind if they hit me with a heafty bill... rang them there and got he receptionist who said "they found a blocked valve someplace", didnt say where but im assuming that would be one of the 24 valves? there has been no mention of cost so far so im assuming its udner warenty, they are letting the car run for an hour, then cool down, then run for another hours so i've to call back at the end of the day to see if its been fixed.

[flappypenguin]

It seemed the problem with the car was a "blocked breather valve", due to the mechanical valve failing accroding to the garage, which was supposedly fixed, yet the problem still exists.

[sol12]

Solution:

The problem with the car was a "blocked breather valve", due to the mechanical valve failing. It has now been fixed by the dealer.

Thanks to everyone who gave great feedback on this.

great to hear , i knew it wasnt the head gasket , how did they repair it ?????

[flappypenguin]

They didnt as it would appear. It happened again on friday evening and again this morning... need to phone them and get it booked back in. Starting to wish i'd never bought this car, my 14 year old MR2 was more reliable!!!!