tbridgers

Hello forum

My Lexus ES300 is giving me problems. When I drive it, I can see a little bit of white smoke coming from the hood and it smells like oil is burning but it only does it after I start driving for a while. Does anyone know what it could possibly be?

HarrierAWD

Possible coolant leak.

joshthorsc

It cold either be your gaskets are going bad and needs to be replaced or your rear main seal. If your seal/gaskets are worn out, oil will leak and burn on your exhaust manifold causing the white smoke and the oil burning smell.

How many miles does your ES300 have?

~Josh

tbridgers

over 100,000

White smoke doesn't come out of the exhaust, only from the hood.

yoji6365

When did you change your PCV valve last? My oil burning disappeared after some maintenance and it seems the PCV valve is the only things that could have accomplished that.

HarrierAWD

Oil burning on hot surface would give you blue or grey smoke. White for coolant. Not sure about tranny fluid.

tbridgers

coolant does not look like it is leaking but it looks contaiminated almost the color of chocolate milk. When I have it flushed with the smoking stop?

VVT-i

Sorry tbridger, you got a blown head gasket. The coolant mixed with oil will give you the chocolate milk color.

tbridgers

could it be corrosion? I dont have an oil leak anymore and coolant system has not been flushed in a long time.

HarrierAWD

Ai-yay-yay! Like VVT-i said, you have a blown head gasket. Flushing won't make the smoke stop.
You should get the head gasket replaced first. Then flush the coolant and get an oil change.

tbridgers

Turns out that it was not a head gasket. I had to replace the oil pan and the gasket around that then I got the coolant flush and the smoking stopped.