white smoke at start up

I have a 1989 chevy s-10 with a 2.5L 4 cyl. engine & manual 5 spd tranny. I have noticed some oily rust colored stuff floating in my radiator and then yesterday morning when I started the truck, a big cloud of white smoke came out of the exhaust. Once, i started driving to work the smoking seemed to subside as far as I can tell. I'm thinking it's the head gasket .....any thoughts? the engine has 160,000 miles on it.

Sounds like a head gasket to me. Are you prone to the disappearing antifreeze syndrome?

i have not been losing any coolant - truck has not been overheating - check engine light comes on every once in a while.

white smoke=water in combustion chamber
blue smoke=oil in combustion chamber

You are getting water in your cylinders, which is probably from the head gasket. You can tell which cylinder is getting the water with a compression test.

i have not been losing any coolant - truck has not been overheating - check engine light comes on every once in a while.

VERY FAMILIAR SITUATION. I, ALSO ONCE OWNED AN 89 . 2.5. 5 SPD.HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. YEP... THE HEAD GASKET IS GONE. IF, AND WHEN, YOU GET IT APART, I BET IT`S BLOWN BETWEEN CYLRS., 1, AND 2, OR 3 AND 4. NOT UNCOMMON MY FRIEND. NOT HARD TO FIX EITHER. WHITE SMOKE, IS UNDOUBTEDLY ANTI FREEZE. WATER WILL NOT COMPRESS. DON`T WAIT TO LONG. GOOD LUCK.
PS... THE MUCKY STUFF IN THE RADIATOR IS ENGINE OIL.

I have a 1989 chevy s-10 with a 2.5L 4 cyl. engine & manual 5 spd tranny. I have noticed some oily rust colored stuff floating in my radiator and then yesterday morning when I started the truck, a big cloud of white smoke came out of the exhaust. Once, i started driving to work the smoking seemed to subside as far as I can tell. I'm thinking it's the head gasket .....any thoughts? the engine has 160,000 miles on it.

What you are seeing is completely normal and is only the water condensation in the exhaust system evaporating off when the engine is warming up.

You don't have a blown head gasket.

The check engine light should be looked into and fixed for sure.

Have you jumped the codes?

If you can talk a mechanic into giving your engine a leakdown test it'll tell you if you have a blown head gasket.

No testing is needed, she has the normal condensation and water vapour escaping when the engine is warming up like all vehicles.

Normal.

No testing is needed, she has the normal condensation and water vapour escaping when the engine is warming up like all vehicles.

Normal.

you think so huh?

tell me this..... Do you see this from your vehicle in 60 degree+ (F) weather? i sure dont, and considering she's in Florida where the temp at 5am on this date is 62f and a dew point of about 60f, she shouldnt either. so in that case, it needs to be checked.

Best thing for to do is a compression test on each cylinder. This will overrule any guessing we can do on this forum.

What you are seeing is completely normal and is only the water condensation in the exhaust system evaporating off when the engine is warming up.

You don't have a blown head gasket.

The check engine light should be looked into and fixed for sure.

Have you jumped the codes?

IF SHE HAS "OILY RUSTY LOOKING STUFF" IN THE RADIATOR, PLUS WHITE SMOKE .COMING OUT THE EXHAUST, (cause by anti freeze in the combustion chamber), SHE "DOES" HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. NO OTHER WAY FOR OIL TO GET IN THE COOLING SYSTEM. UNLESS SOMETHING IS CRACKED.

Hey, sorry for lending an opinion.

But no one here knows if the white smoke goes away.

Hey, sorry for lending an opinion.

But no one here knows if the white smoke goes away.
BLAZER, NO NEED TO BE SORRY... I JUST THINK THE PROBLEM IS BEING ENLARGED BY GIVING MISLEADING ADVICE. I AM NOT A KNOW IT ALL, BUT, JUST CONSIDER THE INFORMATION GIVEN. RUSTY LOOKING OILY STUFF IN THE RADIATOR. WHITE SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST.
1. THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING IN THE RADIATOR THAT LOOKS OILY.
I HAD THIS PROBLEM MYSELF. OIL WILL GET INTO THE WATER JACKET "IF THE HEAD GASKET IS BLOWN". OR, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, SOMETHING IS CRACKED.
2. WHITE SMOKE IS THE TELL TALE SIGN OF ANTI FREEZE IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. IT`S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, IT`S JUST SIMPLE EXPERIANCE. ALL OF WHICH I HAVE PERSONALY BEEN INVOLVED IN. THE QUICKEST WAY TO ESTABLISH THIS AS " FACT", AND NOT JUST THEORY, IS TO TAKE A COMPRESSION TEST. OR, RUN A "BLOCK CHECK".
I PREFER THE LATTER, BECAUSE COMPRESSION TESTS ARE DONE AT ENGINE CRANKING SPEED. "BLOCK CHECK" IS DONE UNDER ACTUAL OPERATING CONDITIONS.MORE ACURATE IN MY OPINION.
IN CASE YOU DON`T KNOW WHAT A "BLOCK CHECK" IS, IT`S A FOOL PROOF WAY OF DETECTING A BAD HEAD GASKET. IT IS SCREWED ONTO THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR WHERE THE CAP GOES. THE ENGINE IS RUN FOR SEVERAL MINUTES TO ENSURE OPERATING TEMPERATURE IS REACHED. THE PIECE THAT SCREWS ON, HAS A CLEAR PLASTIC TUBE ON TOP . INSIDE THIS TUBE IS A LIQUID CHEMICAL, THAT IS USUALLY BLUE IN COLOR, AND, IF, EXHAUST GASES ARE MIXED IN THE RADIATOR COOLANT, THIS FLUID TURNS GREEN. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT, THE HEAD GASKET IS LETTING EXHAUST GAS INTO THE COLLING SYSTEM. I HAVE SEEN THIS WORK, HAD IT DONE ON MY OWN TRUCK, AND SURE AS GOD MADE ITTLE GREEN APPLES, I DID IN FACT HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. IT USUALLY LETS GO BETWEEN 1 AND 2, OR 3 AND 4 CYLINDERS. WHY? BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THERE IS THE LEAST AMOUNT OF FORCED CONTACT, SUCH AS IS GIVEN BY " HEAD BOLTS. CHECK THE HEAD BOLT PATTERN ON ANY CHEVY 4 BANGER. IT IS THE WEAKEST LINK IN THE CHAIN. NOW, HOW LONG THAT WHITE SMOKE CONTINUES TO COME OUT THE TAIL PIPE, IS REALLY IMMATEIAL . IT SHOULD NOT BE WHITE. IT MAY CONTINUE TO COME OUT FOR QUITE AWHILE AFTER THE GASKET REPAIR HAS BEEN DONE. KNOW WHY? BECAUSE IT LAYS IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND WILL KEEP SHOWING IT`S UGLY SELF, UNTIL IT IS BURNED OFF. NOT A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BECAUSE ANTI FREEZE DOES NOT EVAPORATE. WATER DOES. HOPE THIS SHEDS A LITTLE LITE ON THIS SUBJECT.

Please stop typing in capital letters for me please, it is really hard to read.

I understand but some people might just have rust in there cooling system seeing they need a cooling system flush and the white smoke when they start up is condensation.

When antifreeze is burning in the combustion chamber, the engine will run like crap and the exhaust will not be white wispy vapour but thick thick white billowing smoke. And will get even thicker when accelerating and driving.

I am just saying that before you have this person ripping off the top end of there engine to have then monitor it a little bit.

It might be indeed a blown gasket but with the little information we have been given, neither side can be sure.

Keep the options open guys, we are all in the same boat here.

Please stop typing in capital letters for me please, it is really hard to read.

I understand but some people might just have rust in there cooling system seeing they need a cooling system flush and the white smoke when they start up is condensation.

When antifreeze is burning in the combustion chamber, the engine will run like crap and the exhaust will not be white wispy vapour but thick thick white billowing smoke. And will get even thicker when accelerating and driving.

I am just saying that before you have this person ripping off the top end of there engine to have then monitor it a little bit.

It might be indeed a blown gasket but with the little information we have been given, neither side can be sure.

Keep the options open guys, we are all in the same boat here.

so in posts #6 & #8 you were certain she has no problem, but now theres not enough information to be sure.

which is it?

so in posts #6 & #8 you were certain she has no problem, but now theres not enough information to be sure.

which is it?


WHATEVER.

Looking back I indeed may have stated my case too early without having the full story.

Until we know everything , my theory or the head gasket theory are equally as likely.

WHATEVER.


care to explain why your posting that in response to me?

care to explain why your posting that in response to me?

Cause even he can see you are trying to start up a fight.

never ever ever have your radiator flushed, i dont know how many times people have come back within a half an hour of a vacume flush with a "knock" in their moter, every time we give a bs story and deny that its our falut but it will F*** up your water pump, maby not every time and not to every one but pluntie enough for me to just pull off the bottum hose and let the system drain naturally

I disagree with you dmbrisket 51 , If you don't flush your rad it builds up the same scale that you find on the bottom of a kettle. This scale really doesn't help with your engines cooling, or heaters performance. plus your water pump has to work harder.

However if you let it go too long and try flushing your system you'll develop leaks. That buildup seems to weaken the rad cores.. and heater cores over time.

Usually the vehicle manufacter will tell you to flush the cooling system every 2 years, or so. I feel that this is good advice

Oh and if you don't have a compression tester the best way to look for a head gasket leak is just convince some mechanic to do a compression test on your truck after work... and buy them a beer in return. It's just an easy 10 min job on a 4 banger

I to disagree with dmbrisket 51.

His advice is right along the line as don't change the tranny fluid ever or you will blow your transmission.

Cause even he can see you are trying to start up a fight.


no fight to be started.

im genuinely curious how in your first two posts your 200% sure she doesnt have a problem, but in your third post, you've changed your mind without any additional information on the problem.

so in posts #6 & #8 you were certain she has no problem, but now theres not enough information to be sure.

which is it?
Check the dipstick. smell or taste even if theres coolent then head gasket fir sure. I have ran into a problem where break fluid was leaking into the booster causing a smoking problem on start up, it would burn out the tail pipe and the problem would stop until overnight, it sits and begins again. I doubt its a head gasket if your not loosing coolent and you say the smoke goes away after a bit. But look at the codes first.

overboard you are right, it is bad to not flush the radiator, the problem is like blazer said, no one does it when they should, honestly how many average people who arent really into their vehicals do it every two years?? if they did it wouldnt have such a negitive effect (like you said weakening of the system) but people dont do it, and the tranny fluid, if you dont change it, thats like not changeing moter oil, but once again with no drain plug on modern vehicals people just dont do it

That or they are bullshitted by the old wives tail that you shouldn't change the fluid on a transmission or it will cause it to leak.

Flushing your rad is part of proper maintanence. PERIOD.

OMG THANK YOU blazer, you are the first person that ive talked to who hasnt tryed to tell me that the tranny is sealed off because the fluid never needs to be changed

Oh man, never believe them.

Transmission fluid and filters need to be changed too.

The fluid looses its' properties and breaks down, the tranny filter gets plugged up.

This has to be done every 50,000-60,000 miles for sure. Especially if you live in the city.

i git arround to it whenever it starts to darken up and smell "burnt"

Has it ever been changed? How many miles on it?

when i bought my new truck it had 100k and it was badly burnt, i changed it less then a week of haven the truck along with a greese and oil change (just because the tranny fluid scared me) i also changed the fluid in my pig due to my right rear wheel locking up and it seams to have stopped freezing on me like it was

My advice is to just follow the instructions of the manual. On my S10 it says to change the manual trany fluid, transfer case, front diff, and rear diff fluid every 30,000 miles. I know this seems like a lot, I usualy just plan on a day of work, but it is worth it. As for the coolent flush, just don't use a vacuum pump. With cold engine, drain the fluid, fill with water and coolent flush, run, let cool, drain, fill with water, run, let cool, drain, repeat, and fill with coolent. Not hard, little time consuming.

care to explain why your posting that in response to me?
WELL, IT WAS NOT AIMED AT YOU. IT WAS INTENDED FOR BLAZERLT. HOWEVER, IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT.
I AM NOT GETTING INVOLVED IN ANY MORE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS FORUM ABOUT WHO`S RIGHT, AND WHO`S WRONG. THIS KIND OF NONSENCE SOLVES NOTHING. JUST TRYING TO BE OF ASSISTANCE TO SOMEONE IN TROUBLE. I`VE BEEN AROUND TO LONG TO GET IN THIS TO DEEP. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Do you know what the caps lock does.

Please use it.

Do you know what the caps lock does.

Please use it.


SORRY THAT BOTHERS YOU SO MUCH BUT, I TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT BEFORE. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD CAN THE SARCASUM. IT DOES NO GOOD.
I HAVE BAD EYE SITE. I USE CAPS , BECAUSE "I" CAN SEE THEM BETTER. IF THEY BOTHER YOU THAT MUCH, DON`T READ MY POSTS.
APPARENTLY YOUR A LOT YOUNGER THAN I. I AM 66 . IF YOU BEHAVE MAYBE YOU`LL GET HERE SOMEDAY AND YOU`LL KNOW HOW IT FEELS.

Would you turn the stupis caps lock off!!!!!!

Is it that hard!!!

:mad:
WHAT PART OF THE LAST MESSAGE DIDN`T YOU UNDERSTAND?