White smoke, burning smell, need help

[callaway]

EDIT 11/04/05: I got under the car and took a closer tonight, what I first though was coolant *appears* to be oil, atleast it certainly feels like and looks like oil. I took several pictures:

First Image:
Here is the manifold from underneath the car:
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/19

Second Image:
Same as first little closer view
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/15

Third Image:
This is where the majority of the oil has run down
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/92

Fourth Image:
View from above the engine (by the turbo and spark plugs), the oil seems to be dripping from between that shield and the block
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/95

Fifth Image:
Gives you an idea of where I am zoomed in (in the fourth pic) at above the engine
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/94

Sixth Image:
Another pic of the exhaust manifold, except taken from an angle behind it
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/48

Any ideas of where this leak is coming from? Sunday I will take off the shield and poke around behind it. Hopefully these pics will help out alot!

Thanks!

End of edit 11/04/2005
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey guys,

I've been noticing on startup that there is a white smoke coming out of my exhaust as well as quite a bit of moisture pooling up at the end of the tail pipe. Tonight I went in the garage and started the engine to warm it up and while I was waiting I noticed a burning smell. I opened that hatch and there was quite a bit of white smoke coming up from the engine bay. Upon closer inspection it appears to be coming from the exhaust manifold next to the turbo. I can see quite a bit of wetness down there. I went ahead and took some pictures that I will post here soon. What do you guys think?

EDIT: Upon searching around it seems possible that it could be the head gasket. The white smoke does seem to look almost like steam. Can I replace the head gasket w/ the engine in the car or will it need to be pulled? What does a head gasket run?

Thanks!

-Erik E.
1994 Esprit S4

>> Edited by callaway on Thursday 3rd November 07:43

>> Edited by callaway on Friday 4th November 08:17

>> Edited by callaway on Friday 4th November 08:18

>> Edited by callaway on Friday 4th November 08:19

[cnh1990]

Pull the dip stick or the oil filler cap. Is there a creamy residue on either? You can change the gasket with the engine in. The gasket is cheap, just the labor time is intensive. Hope it is the gasket and it is not leaking from a crack.

[toyroom]

White smoke is usually water. Does the liquid feel a bit greasy (antifreeze). Can't really be anything but water. Is the coolant level dropping whilst the oil level is rising? Are there funny little tadpoles of oil in the coolant? Is there creamy scum in the oil filler cap? If these are all "no" then it probably isn't the head gasket from a water/oil point of view but some other gasket leaking coolant.
Is there any hissing?

[toyroom]

The turbo is water cooled. Could it be a coolant leak associated with the turbo? The worry would be that coolant is getting into the exhaust via the turbo might mean busted turbo. Can't see this looking at the design though. Thinking more like head gasket allowing coolant in to cylinder and out into the engine bay. That is only scenario which fits the facts. Hope this helps.

[callaway]

I will definately look at the oil filler cap and in the coolant header tank tonight. I still need to pull those pics off of my camera as well. Hopefully I can get this problem tracked down soon! Thanks for all of the replies!

-Erik E.
1994 Esprit S4

[Paula&Marcus]

Hi Erik,
Your oil leak looks like the infamous cam-tower and/or cam-cover leak. This actually is not a big problem besides from beeing "ugly" and maybe you get some burning-oil-smoke from time to time rising up from the exhaust header. But this problerm usually has nothing to do with clouds and/or white steam comimg out of the exhaust-pipe !

I feel you have two different issues:

One is the cam-tower and/or cam -cover leaking and the other problem maybe is:

- blown head gasket
OR
- turbo bearing failure

Cheers
Marcus

[GreenV8S]

Water and steam out of the tail pipes is quite normal and doesn't necessarily indicate HGF. If you still get excessive amounts of steam / water out after the engine and exhaust have warmed up that might indicate a gasket leak into the coolant, a coolant HC test would confirm whether or not this was the case.

[MikeyRide]

[quote=Paula&Marcus]Hi Erik,
Your oil leak looks like the infamous cam-tower and/or cam-cover leak. [/quote]Pull a plug wire and look for a pool of oil down at the spark plug.

[Dr.Hess]

Yeah, I agree that you are leaking oil most likely from the cover plate thingie on the back of the cam cover. It is just sealed with an O ring. I bought a (metric) replacement at the hardware store. Specs are on my web page in the cross reference. I also put some of my favorite silicone sealant (Ultra Black) on it when I put it back together and it is dry now. You have to take the heat shield off to get to it. Note the position of all the washers, as there are many.

Now, how much water/white smoke is coming from the exhaust? They all have a little puddle of black water condensation drip out the tail pipe when they start up.

Dr.Hess

[callaway]

Dr.Hess said:

Yeah, I agree that you are leaking oil most likely from the cover plate thingie on the back of the cam cover. It is just sealed with an O ring. I bought a (metric) replacement at the hardware store. Specs are on my web page in the cross reference. I also put some of my favorite silicone sealant (Ultra Black) on it when I put it back together and it is dry now. You have to take the heat shield off to get to it. Note the position of all the washers, as there are many. Now, how much water/white smoke is coming from the exhaust? They all have a little puddle of black water condensation drip out the tail pipe when they start up. Dr.Hess

The steamy white smoke coming out of the exhaust is actually pretty light. It normally seems to go away after the engine has warmed up as well. The condensation I was speaking of does have black bits in it also. I will take off that heat shield this weekend and take some more pictures, I hope it is just the o-rings =)! Thank you all for the great replies!

-Erik E.
1994 Esprit S4

[mrodrigu]

It looks like its coming from the cap that seals the back of the cam bore. When you pull off the heat shield verify that the nuts were tight and the cap well seated. If so, try replacing the o-ring.

[Paula&Marcus]

callaway said:

The steamy white smoke coming out of the exhaust is actually pretty light. It normally seems to go away after the engine has warmed up as well. The condensation I was speaking of does have black bits in it also. I will take off that heat shield this weekend and take some more pictures, I hope it is just the o-rings =)! Thank you all for the great replies! -Erik E. 1994 Esprit S4

Eric,
This slightly white smoke + black speckles + water dripping comimg from the exhaust during the warm up phase is absolutely normal !
BTW, this usually is more prominent in colder seasons (spring, autumn, winter ?)

IMHO, you just have a cam-tower and/or cam-cover oil leak.

Marcus