blue smoke on startup
07-30-08, 06:13 PM
#1
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Vancouver BC Canada
Posts: 2,174
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
blue smoke on startup
my 99 gs400 with over 90k mi on the odo had been parked outdoors for over 6 months as a result of my being hospitalized/surgery 
during my absence i had missed a regular oil change service, and just a few weeks back i took it to a private mechanic to get it done. when i restarted the car for the first time, everything seemed to be okay. but now after geting the service done, things are not so good. much to my distress, the car lets out a noticable cloud of blue smoke from the exhausts every time i start it up, especially the first start of the day. it used to puff just a little bit before, but now it's a cloud that hangs around for 3-5 seconds before it stops. it does not run blue otherwise (ie. while driving, accelerating, etc.).
it's on 10w30 castrol gtx. the mechanic hopes it's just sticky piston rings and will clear up. i haven't driven enough to see any noticable drop of oil levels, and it didn't burn any oil before my absence. others have been scaring me with guessing of failed valve stem seals or worn out rings...
should i be very worried? what should i do? help
during my absence i had missed a regular oil change service, and just a few weeks back i took it to a private mechanic to get it done. when i restarted the car for the first time, everything seemed to be okay. but now after geting the service done, things are not so good. much to my distress, the car lets out a noticable cloud of blue smoke from the exhausts every time i start it up, especially the first start of the day. it used to puff just a little bit before, but now it's a cloud that hangs around for 3-5 seconds before it stops. it does not run blue otherwise (ie. while driving, accelerating, etc.).
it's on 10w30 castrol gtx. the mechanic hopes it's just sticky piston rings and will clear up. i haven't driven enough to see any noticable drop of oil levels, and it didn't burn any oil before my absence. others have been scaring me with guessing of failed valve stem seals or worn out rings...
should i be very worried? what should i do? help
07-30-08, 07:48 PM
#2
You might want to do a seafoam treatment through the intake and crankcase. Your valve stem seals could have easily gotten gummed up with sludge, same goes to your rings. If you cant get it to clean up within a couple thousand miles, then id be looking at bad valve seals.
08-27-08, 07:18 AM
#4
Any update on this condition?
My 98 GS400 will blow a puff of blue smoke on start up but only happens under a specific set of circumstances.
Under normal day to day driving there is no smoke on startup either first thing in the morning or during the day.
If however, I startup the car first thing in the morning and only move it around the driveway to get my other car out and then turn off the car, it will give a puff (sometimes cloud) of smoke the next morning when I start it up again.
So it seems that on intial startup there maybe some oil drawn into the cylinder that will remain if the car is not given time to warm up after startup. That's my guess anyway.
My car has about 189K km. Perhaps it may also need valve seals.
My 98 GS400 will blow a puff of blue smoke on start up but only happens under a specific set of circumstances.
Under normal day to day driving there is no smoke on startup either first thing in the morning or during the day.
If however, I startup the car first thing in the morning and only move it around the driveway to get my other car out and then turn off the car, it will give a puff (sometimes cloud) of smoke the next morning when I start it up again.
So it seems that on intial startup there maybe some oil drawn into the cylinder that will remain if the car is not given time to warm up after startup. That's my guess anyway.
My car has about 189K km. Perhaps it may also need valve seals.
08-27-08, 07:37 AM
#5
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Vancouver BC Canada
Posts: 2,174
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i have no news... the mechanic put some sort of oil additive hoping that it might be just the piston rings sticking from not being run for so long, but because of my medical condition i haven't put enough mileage to see if it works
08-29-08, 03:29 PM
#6
Lexus Champion
09-13-08, 07:57 PM
#7
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Vancouver BC Canada
Posts: 2,174
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
latest update... i've been driving a lot on the highway now. been driving it every day and the smoke has stopped. but if i leave the car untouched for 2 weeks, i get the puff again
Trending Topics
09-14-08, 06:23 AM
#9
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Vancouver BC Canada
Posts: 2,174
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
any idea what it would cost to replace the valve stem seals? since there are forty of them 
still, i've only done less than 1000 mi since starting it for the first time. i asked a mechanic about seafoam and he's reluctant to try because he think with the mileage i have, it may cause other things to leak as well and compound my existing problem...
still, i've only done less than 1000 mi since starting it for the first time. i asked a mechanic about seafoam and he's reluctant to try because he think with the mileage i have, it may cause other things to leak as well and compound my existing problem...
09-14-08, 09:54 AM
#10
Lead Lap
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Deerfield Beach, FL
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You could always try some stop leak oil additive too.
09-17-08, 05:00 PM
#12
Pole Position
Join Date: May 2008
Location: australia
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
mine does the same thing every so often, but while the car was on the dyno all straped up and have afr in the exhaust to see how the car is going for tune. it blew smoke at startup.
for some uncanny reason the afr was taking readings at the time, and found that the car at startup was dumping so much fuel to start!!!!!
for some uncanny reason the afr was taking readings at the time, and found that the car at startup was dumping so much fuel to start!!!!!
09-17-08, 07:44 PM
#13
Take care of your health first and don't worry about the little blue smoke when start up. If you have time, start the car up , warm it up and open she up a little bit, I mean floor it. Sometimes you baby the car too much will caused the carbon deposit at the base of the valve seat. Hey, drive she like you just stole it...
GL man.... Doesn't seem like a major problem though. As long as it isn't happening when you accelerate and such...
09-18-08, 03:40 AM
#14
mine does the same thing every so often, but while the car was on the dyno all straped up and have afr in the exhaust to see how the car is going for tune. it blew smoke at startup.
for some uncanny reason the afr was taking readings at the time, and found that the car at startup was dumping so much fuel to start!!!!!
for some uncanny reason the afr was taking readings at the time, and found that the car at startup was dumping so much fuel to start!!!!!
black (and sometimes grey) = fuel
white (steam) = coolant