weird exhaust smoke issue.

[visualpoet]

I know, I haven't been around. Hi!

So today I sat in traffic for several minutes not moving. When I finally got to take off, I looked in the mirror and saw a small, but obvious, cloud of bluish-white smoke. It stopped by the time I hit second gear and I watched for it again but didn't see it. She never smokes. Does that sound like the lower spark plug tube seals? Thanks in advance!

[F22Chris]

Remove the wires and see!

[oni_cb7]

Well, blue smoke means that the car is burning oil.

This could be the valve seals/valve guides or the piston rings.

It would be hard for the oil to get past the spark plugs if it were the lower spark plug tube seals. Typically, this will cause a misfire because the spark plug to spark wire connection has oil interrupting it.

Since it is blowing blue smoke, make sure to check the valves. If that isn't the case, then move on to the piston rings.

Good luck.

[illinois_erik]

sounds like valve seals, sitting the youre not flinging much oil around so its pooling and seeping, then when you get on it, it burns it off..

[H311RA151N]

Like oni_cb7 said, lower spark plug tube seals no matter how bad they get cannot lead to any amount of oil entering the combustion chamber.

My 1991 Ex does this same exact thing. Oil pools somewhere when I'm sitting at a light then when I push the accelerator taking off it puffs blue smoke for a few seconds.

Try coasting down a large hill in a lower gear letting the rpms hang up there around 4000 with your foot totally off the accelerator. Let it coast like that for a few seconds or as long as the rpms will stay kinda high. Then give the accelerator a good jab and hold it to the floor for a couple seconds. When I do this it mine smokes like hell. I was told it's because with the throttle plate closed and the rpms high there is a stronger vacuum in the cylinders which sucks in oil from bad valve stem seals. That's what I was told on here.

[cp[mike]]

i would be strongly inclined to say it is your Valve Stem Seals. Mainly the intake ones (SUPER common)

Sitting at idle, there is no vacuum sucking through the intake manifold, so oil slowly leaks down around the valve stems. As soon as you floor it, the blast of incoming air wipes the oil from the valve stem and right into the combustion chamber, and you get the grey/blue puff of smoke. While driving, the constant air flow never allows the oil to build up enough to show up as a visible cloud of grey smoke. It's still burning, you just can't really see it.

Typically if the valve stems are leaking you will also notice a similar oil burn during initial start up after sitting for the night.... you might not really notice it though if you are sit in the car, or let your car warm up, or are backing out of a driveway, or whatever. It's easier to first notice while moving and seeing it in the rearview mirror.

A good way to verify the valve stem seals are leaking is to put the car in an engine-braking situation, like down a steep hill, where the pistons are sucking vacuum from the manifold even though the throttle plate is closed. This creates extreme negative pressures inside the intake side of the head and will usually suck extra oil out through the valve stems. After engine braking down the hill, as soon as you get back on the gas and let that blast of air wipe the valves again, youll see the cloud of smoke again.


Anyway, while you're replacing them, youll probably find that they are rock-solid and do NOT want to come off. Pro tip: light them on fire with a small torch!!! The rubber guts of the seal disintegrate and it becomes super easy to pull right off, saving yourself from causing any other damage to the head/guides from struggling with it too much. The heat won't hurt the valve stem or head / valve guides - the first thing to go will be the seal. Make sure you leave old oil in the car when doing the process, so that you can change it out a little while after you are finished, that way you are using your existing old filter to catch any particles that may remain from the seal job before putting fresh stuff in. This trick made the process SO much easier and I would never consider doing it any other way now! Good luck.

[visualpoet]

Gah! I really didn't want to hear that. lol
I'm capable, but lazy. I'll take her out today and see if I can make her do it again. I was planning on repainting the cam cover, sri and the new bottle anyway. Seems like a good time.

Thanks! Good explanation, Mike!