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1987 560 sel smoking problem

my vehicle has only 190 thou miles tons of power super clean BUT after idling about 5 min it begins to smoke oil lightly then about 10 min smoking pretty good so I take it out bout a quarter mile down the road and no smoke I turn around punch it and im at about 90 in a hundred yards i pull in the drive about 5 min later smokes back 8 min later lots of white smoke now i press the gas tons of white smoke for 1 min then decreases to none then i take it down the road again no smoke turn around come back very fast no problem back in the drive 5 min later light blue smoke again. NOW the thing is the car was bought yesterday it has sat in a heated garage for 4 years and a divorce later and 1 year outside. basically the vehicle has not been driven (but started and moved around slightly) for 5 years. underneath the oil pan gasket seems to leak slightly on rear corner. I changed oil to 10w40 and new filter and STP oil treatment. Trans fluid was about a quart low seems fine. I just want to figure out some diagnostic ideas other than my own.

Reply to
dzman
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PARK the car >>NOW

Reply to
cp

Sounds like a head gasket failing and dumping oil and coolant into combustion chamber.Also to consider is a crack in the head itself near an exhaust valve.Oxygen sensor is probably screwed up at this point also.

Reply to
CaptainW116

Contrary to other (pessimistic) opinions I suggest you drive it (don't hot rod it) a while and keep a log of fluid additions. Qt of oil at xxx miles and date , added coolant miles & date, so you have a track of what's going on with this engine. It could be (optimistic) that the rings have gotten "lazy"; some longer drives will cure that.

I believe the motor's valve guide seals - the plastic seals around the valve stems - may be worn out and need to be replaced. This can be done without removing the cylinder heads - but wait until you log confirms (i) excess oil use and (ii) no coolant loss.

Reply to
T.G. Lambach

it) a while and keep a log of fluid additions. Qt

track of what's going on with this engine. It could be

stems - may be worn out and need to be replaced. This

confirms (i) excess oil use and (ii) no coolant loss.

What he SHOULD do is check the coolant and oil; if the coolant cloudy and the oil muddy (or cloudy) then it's time to stop. Best to pay $50 and tow it and get it checked out before potentially causing 10 times as much damage.

cp

Reply to
cp

Or just use a vacuum gauge if you have one. Connect and if the needle fluctuates between 10 and 25 in./Hg. as the engine speed increases will tell you that the head gasket is leaking.

If it vibrates excessively between 8 and 20 in./Hg at idle,this indicates worn valve guides.

Park it!!!

Reply to
CaptainW116

Too complicated!

Reply to
cp

Not at all,and less time consuming than a fluid log! 5 minutes and your done,so would that be pessimistic or optimistic? hah

Reply to
CaptainW116

yeh, 5 minutes if you knows what you is doing!

I learned my lesson; had I not been too cheap to call a tow truck I would have saved myself $1500

cp

Reply to
cp

Ouch! Live and learn is the best we can hope for sometimes...

Reply to
Martin Joseph

White smoke... that could be tranny fluid burning... put a paper towel by the exhaust for a few minutes... then remove it... smell the paper towel... what does it smell like? Coolant? Oil? Tranny oil?

Reply to
Tiger
*Sometimes not being driven is as hard on a car as rough driving.*

white smoke == gas not burning. If the exhaust smells like anything BUT unburned fuel, then consider something more serious. There might be another cause. Per the earlier posting, the coolant/oil check is practical and simple. If the results are positive (that is, if the engine is ill ), then maybe a compression test is in order. It would let you know something as well. And not too expensive to get done.

But the Safest thing to do is hire a professional. Some things are not meant for amateur sleuthing. Especially if you don't have the tools Take care of your car and it will take care of you.

Reply to
Cheesehead

have saved myself $1500

Luckily it was only Canadian dollars.

cp

Reply to
cp

No! unburned fuel is black.

White is usually water or antifreeze.

Reply to
Martin Joseph

its only blue smoke now

Reply to
dzman

its only blue smoke now, i filled r up with 93 octane, changed the oil 10w

40 added some stp and it still dosent smoke aat first only about 5 min later then i rev it up to round 2 grand and a minute later hardly no smoke
Reply to
dzman

youve made the most sense to me so far, so when i go to replace the seals what else should i replace while im there in your opinion? (on a limited budget

Reply to
dzman

coolant good and green and oil was very black now its nice after the change a little bit of leakage behind passenger side valve cover and i see theres oil underneath but no big spots on the ground

Reply to
dzman

Im going to do this thanks for the info sir captain

Reply to
dzman

how can trans fluid get in the exhaust?

Reply to
dzman

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