white smoke out of exhaust | FerrariChat

white smoke out of exhaust

Discussion in '360/430' started by mdwfa2001, Mar 5, 2011.

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  1. mdwfa2001

    mdwfa2001 Formula Junior

    Apr 21, 2008
    253
    NJ
    Full Name:
    K
    heres the situation. I started my car up yesteday and white smoke is coming out on one side of the exhaust. I drove it 15 min to test it out and total loss of power and lag in shifting. I know it could be several things..but has anyone experienced this and know what may be causing it...and what is a possible fix..thanks in advance.
     
  2. BP95GSX

    BP95GSX Rookie
    BANNED

    Oct 27, 2005
    12
    Wayne, NJ
    Full Name:
    John
    Oh man. Doesn't sound so great. Hopefully it's not a headgasket, but it sounds like it. The next thing you need to do is run a compression/leakdown test. That will tell a lot.
     
  3. SfefVan

    SfefVan Guest

    Nov 28, 2008
    1,370
    Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Stef
    The best way to find out the origin is the smell:

    Antifreeze smells totaly different than burning OIL. Let your nose be your guide. The Antifreeze will have a sweet sort of smell, and it will make your eyes tear up and your throat will tell you to get out of that toxic fog right away. A head gasket problem is always there, I mean it gives a permanent white smoke and it only gets worse under acceleration. It will go from a little cloud to a huge one under WOT. Are you missing coolant in the expansion tank? Did you overheat recently your car? Improper maintenance of the engine cooling system or severe overheating of the engine may cause a blown head gasket.

    Overfilling can produce this white burned smoke too. Did you recently changed oil or added oil?

    Are you sure it is white smoke and not steam? Does it still happen after the exhaust pipe warms up?
     
  4. Chiaroman

    Chiaroman Formula 3
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 21, 2004
    1,657
    New Jersey
    I hope this is merely an overfill type problem and not something really major.

    Anxiously awaiting the outcome.
     
  5. 360trev

    360trev F1 Rookie
    Project Master

    Oct 29, 2005
    4,241
    Gibraltar
    Full Name:
    360trev
    If he'd recently added more oil surely he'd state this? Please OP state if you've had the oil changed recently or topped up. Also indicate which model year your talking about as there where revisions to correct early oil disarator design problems. So many people have overfilled the 360. This is largely due to lack of experience with dry sump design systems and their lack of reading the owners manual before proceeding to check the oil level.

    Overfilling and oil temperature expansion has been known to cause overflow back into the air intakes and this does burn off as white smoke but not from a single exhaust tip, it occurs from both sides of the tail pipes. You only need a slight amount of oil to cause a LOT of white smoke.

    Unfortuantely, the fact he states its coming from one side exit exhaust hints at and suggests it could be a head gasket. Please clarify if its 1 tip on each side first. If white smoke only eminates from a single side exhaust it suggest it is possile either a LH or RH bank, hence a head gasket on either left or right hand side where the smoke is coming from.
     
  6. chris360hawks

    chris360hawks Formula Junior

    May 29, 2007
    477
    San Antonio, Texas
    Full Name:
    Chris Hard
    It could be your intake manifold gaskets.
     
  7. mdwfa2001

    mdwfa2001 Formula Junior

    Apr 21, 2008
    253
    NJ
    Full Name:
    K
    Yes I did the oil change recently less the 3k ago. I had no problems with overheating at all. Although the check engine light has been on for several months along with the air bag sign...I was thinking it was just the sensor. Funny thing is i started it up again last night and it wasn't as bad as the previous day. White smoke was coming out but not as much as before, and the smoke was also coming out of both sides. It does smell though..and the right side def idles rough like somethings plugged in. It sounds like its the oil burning...maybe something with the cats. I dont know if there is any connection to this exhaust problem...but when i started the car the first day this had the problem...i had trouble turning over the engine..just idling.....i jump started the car and it finally turned over...funny thing is i changed the battery 2 months ago.
     
  8. mdwfa2001

    mdwfa2001 Formula Junior

    Apr 21, 2008
    253
    NJ
    Full Name:
    K
    360 trev,

    its not from one tip on each side.....its from both tips on the right side...it idles very rough from that side.
     
  9. mdwfa2001

    mdwfa2001 Formula Junior

    Apr 21, 2008
    253
    NJ
    Full Name:
    K
    stefvan....would the head gasket only blow after the car has been overheated? Or can it still blow without the overheating. I never had the prblem with the overheating....and when i start the car the check engine ok sign comes on no problem..but the orange check engine sign comes on. I drove it for about 10 min after this problem with my friend following me from behind....he tells me no white smoke while driving. But def loss of power and lag in shifting. esp when i downshift from 3rd to 2nd. any ideas...thanks.
     
  10. Doctor7474

    Doctor7474 Formula Junior

    Jun 20, 2010
    367
    Hoover Al,former Atl
    Full Name:
    Doctor
    Gaskets deteriorate and blow all the time, not nessisarily from overheating gaskets just go bad sometimes.

    100% fact:
    White smoke = water/coolant burning in the combustion chamber
    Blue smoke = oil burning in the combustion chamber
    Black smoke = too much fuel burning in the combustion chamber

    If it is white you are getting water/coolant into the combustion chamber some how.

    Probably been going on for a while since your check engine light has been on, thats why it's called a idiot light you should have checked it out sooner instead of letting things get worse. you could potentially have caused more damage by now.

    If it was bad the 1st time you drove it it could have been a while since you drove it and coolant could have been leaking into the engine over time, now that you've cranked it the second day and it's not as bad you just burnt the majority out of it the previous drive, but it's still leaking into the engine.

    I would NOT start it again until you have found out what the cause is. With coolant leaking into the combustion chamber you could potentially hydrolock and destroy the engine by cranking it again.

    Do a leak down test to find out what the problem is.
    If leak down test shows pressure into the cooling system it would more than likely be the cylinder head gaskets, or possibly cracks in the cylinder head/block allowing air to get into the cooling system.

    If leak down shows nothing with valves close possibly intake gaskets.
     
  11. chris360hawks

    chris360hawks Formula Junior

    May 29, 2007
    477
    San Antonio, Texas
    Full Name:
    Chris Hard
    The CEL is probably showing a misfire on one of the cylinders. How many miles are on your car? I'm willing to bet it is probably a intake manifold gasket. They are shown to leak pretty frequently on these cars. Much more common than head gaskets. Well you better at least pray it's a intake manifold gasket and not a head gasket! You need to do a leakdown/compression check on the car first. DON'T jump start it either!
     

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