Weird smoke problem! Any thoughts?

[vanjoe]

Ok I took my van to Nor Cal this weekend. Put about 1000 miles on her and she ran awesome with no problems. But on the way home I drove about 2 hours at 70 MPH. I pulled off to get gas so the van was off about 5-10 minutes when I started it back up it poured out a large amount of white smoke for about 5-10 seconds and then there was no more smoke. The van is running perfectly normal with a lot of power. It did this about 2 weeks ago as well but I only drove it about 15 minutes to the gas station and it did the same thing then. So the van drove the rest of the way home with no problem. But when I got home I turned the van off for about 5 minutes to rearrange my parking. Started the van up and it smoked again the same. I did stop 3 other times on my way home and it didn't smoke when I started it those times. I know white smoke means moisture, blue is oil, and black is gas related issues. The van doesn't overheat and doesn't use water. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. This has me baffled.

[Wildthings]

Sounds like a water leak into the combustion chamber.

[PDXWesty]

Where is the smoke coming from? Is it out of the exhaust or from under the van? Fluiids could be leaking from somewhere and dripping onto the hot exhaust which would produce smoke. If it's in the exhaust, you have internal problems.
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[dhaavers]

[vanjoe]

It is out the exhaust pipe. The strange thing is I am not loosing any water from the cooling system. The level is staying the same. That what has me confused.

[vanagon john]

I'm sorry but i can't help.... but having a title about smoke on a bus forum is kind of funny
sorry it 's the end of the day and I needed a good laugh
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85, 1.9 WWW (wolfs, westy, weekender)

[dhaavers]

[vanjoe]

Thanks for the input. I was expecting that you guys would say that. I know there is no gaurentee but should I try some stop leak for know. I would like to find a good used motor and go through it. I would like to drive my van the way it is while I get a new motor ready. What do you guys think.

[Wildthings]

Change out your cap or at least have the old one tested. Maybe the pressure in your cooling system is out of bounds. There are also some stop leak products that claim they can stop a leak into the combustion chamber. Let us know what if anything works.

[vanjoe]

Update: you guys might not believe this but I think I got the problem fixed. I won't know for sure until tommorrow. But this is what happened. I drove up to Nor Cal again today. It is a 330 mile trip. Van ran great. But everytime I stopped and turned the van off for even 30 seconds when I started it, it would smoke a blue/white smoke out the tail pipe when it wasn't running. When I would start it back up it would pour a massive amount of blue/white smoke. It would clear up after a couple of revs. I did not loose any water the entire trip and no temp problems. Well I started thinking. I put a post a couple of weeks ago about the pcv valve which I found out from other members that it isn't a valve but a heater. Well I put that heater back the way I had it before the post and my van isn't smoking anymore after I start it. It did smoke the first time after I reversed the heater but I have started it 4 more times since I switched it and it didn't smoke any of those 4. I will see what happens tommorrow and update you guys again. But so far so good. I am hoping this is the problem.

[vanjoe]

Ok I drove my van back home today with no problems. (So the trip this weekend was about another 800 miles and this is my second weekend in a row making this trip) Except the van still smokes. It is a blue smoke not white like I thought. I am loosing no water and no overheating. I am at a lost. The van has all kinds of power. I had to add a quart of oil today but that is the first in about 2000-2500 miles. That doesn't seem to bad to me I know most vehicles use oil in between changes. I also have a very small oil leak. It is smoking almost everytime after I start it up. I have to drive it at high RPM's to get it to clear and then it is fine. If I drive it around town on smaller trips it isn't smoking. My wife is even surprised at this problem because the van is running so good. I am going to do a compression check and depending on the results. I might do an oil change and use straight 30 wt. I am using 20-50 synthetic right now. I am at a lost and don't know what I should do at this point. Any ideas PLEASE!!! This problem is embarassing. People stare and I am sure they are thinking what a heep. Not to mention it fills the air with this smoke around them.

[Wildthings]

Don't remember what all you have checked, but it sounds like a crankcase pressure problem. Have you removed the breather tower and verified that you can easily blow through it? The diaphragm can fail in such a way as to block air flow.

I can't say that I have ever been able to understand why some engines smoke and others don't. My 83 1/2 never smoked at any time right up to the point a piston failed, and by the end it was using a quart of oil every 100 miles. You would have thought it would have been billowing smoke.

[vanjoe]

Thanks Wildthing. You have given me some good info. I am going to get a new coolant cap. I will check the breather tower. I am not to worried about the reliabilty right now. It is just embarassing starting it up and it smoking people out. It is insane the amount of smoke that comes out. I am also afraid of getting pulled over so I need to get this tackled.

[wolfej1]

how are your brakes working? Is the fluid low? Slight chance but you could be leaking brake fluid past the master cylinder and sucking it into the intake and hence the smoke.

I am having that same problem you describe and that is what it is.
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1982 Westy
2004 KDX200
2008 Kawasaki KLR 650
1979 Yamaha DT 175
1995 Toyota 4Runner

[joemac]

You need to have someone else start it while you stand behind it and catch a whiff of the smoke. It will tell you what's burning.
I was going to suggest checking your brake juice level, but that's been touched on.
It could also be a leaking injector/cold start valve. It could dribble a little fuel into the intake that is getting burned off (rich condition) when starting back up. It doesn't have to be black to be fuel.
The thermo time switch could also be at fault, causing the cold start injector to open when it's hot. Try unplugging the injector and see if it still does it.

[vanjoe]

Dam you guys are full of info. I really appreciate the help. I will check both of those things. Thanks again.

[vanjoe]

Update: Checked my water yesterday and the overflow resivoir was empty. So it is using water. Went to FLAPS to get some stop leak. The one I chose was the Bars Leak block seal with copper. It is sodium silicate that was antifreeze compatible. So far so good. No smoke yesterday and no smoke today. I am taking the van north again this weekend and that will be the real test. I will update again on Sunday when I get back.

[vanjoe]

Another update: Drove my van up north again. I have taken this trip 3 weekends in a row. I have driven my van approx. 3000+/- miles the past 3 weeks. I reported that I put the Bars Leak block seal in. My smoking problem is completely gone. My van did not use any water This stuff is working really good for now. I don't know what the long term realiabilty is going to be. I am going to find a good used motor to go through. But for anyone with leaky head gaskets and don't want to spend the money or time right now this might buy you sometime.

[Tryphon]

Allo VanJoe
I was reading your post (re: smoke white) . So if I understand properly, in order to know if there is a leak
1-I could check if the coolant is bubbling in the expansion tank
2-smell the white smoke for a sugary smell
3-check the level of coolant at different moments

Regarding the bars leak you used, how long has it been since you put it in ? How long did it last before white smoke came back...if it did? Can you use it more than 1 time? Did you put the whole can and where do you put it : in the expansion tank? In the radiator?

Thanks for your help

[IdahoDoug]

Alain,

VanJoe has not been on the forum for over a year, so perhaps others will help you with this question?

DougM
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader