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Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

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Old Apr 11, 2002 | 03:59 PM
  #1  
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Default Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

I was playing with a guy in a mustang this morning and we ran em (BTW, I won) He pulled up next to me and we talked a bit and he said that I was burning something because I was blowing white smoke out of the pipes and I kind of noticed it a few times in the past few months but thought really nothing of it. I used to have a lot of oil consumption in the past few months but added the new PCV fitting and switched to Royal Purple 5W-30. I haven't noticed the Z burning any oil yet but its only been 1000 miles since I changed it. I chalked the white smoke up to not having cats but am unsure if I am correct. I am not running rich from my ATAP readings either. I fill her up with Chevron Techron all the time if the fuel is a guess. If anyone can shed some light on this I would appreciate it because I am now worried that I have something seriously wrong.

Thanks.
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Old Apr 11, 2002 | 04:03 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

I with you man. Just noticed mine on my dyno video... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" /> Tim 98z

<small>[ April 11, 2002, 04:04 PM: Message edited by: Tim 98z ]</small>
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Old Apr 11, 2002 | 07:04 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

Usually, white smoke is associated with a cracked head or blown head gasket. Have you checked your coolant level lately? Just a suggestion.
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Old Apr 11, 2002 | 07:43 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

i second the head gasket theory...
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Old Apr 11, 2002 | 07:45 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

sounds like coolant is getting into the combustion chamber. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Sad]" src="gr_sad.gif" />
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Old Apr 11, 2002 | 08:57 PM
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From: ArKanSas, LR
Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

Watched the Video again. Looks more blueish i guess. Could be blow by. 51,000 miles? Or raw fumes maby. Cutout is wide open, no cats. It smokes a noticable amount. 02's 890 usually at WOT. Runs lean around the street though.
P.S. Checked coolant full as walways.
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 10:09 AM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

My coolant level is full as well. I really noticed this start to happen after I installed the MAC ORP and B&B catback. When I dynoed it was very apparent but still managed to pull 331rwhp and 339rwtq. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" />
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 10:41 AM
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From: ArKanSas, LR
Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

Same here man I dyno'd fine. I'm calling it "normal" hehe not really worried. Keep my email and look me up from time to time. I'm doing head in a moth or two. (at the port shop now) Look me up ill let you know if i find anything after i rip it appart. my98z28@centurytel.net Tim 98z
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Old Apr 12, 2002 | 02:28 PM
  #9  
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

My buddy at the dealer was on vacay today so I then drove down to Hurricane Performance about 10 min south of me. They are a local shop to south florida for F-Bodies and Vettes.

You can check them out at:

http://www.hurricaneperformance.com

Anyway, Dave (owner) told me to rev her up while he stood behind the Z and I punched it three or four times and he said the car is fine and didn't notice any white smoke. He said that sometimes the LS1s smoke a tad every now and again and he sees nothing wrong with my car. He's got a 01 SS that runs low 11s and says that one time a GN and him went at it and the owner of the GN said the same thing about the white smoke from his car. He said he didn't have an answer for it but also said that if I had a head gasket or other problem the car would blow the smoke every time or have other temperature problems. I am relieved a bit.

Tim, I will definitely email you in a few months to see if you found anything.
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Old Apr 20, 2002 | 04:16 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

My wife commented on my car blowing "white" appearing smoke out of the exhaust yesterday while dyno'ing.

I am not sure what to make of it. I know that the shop was smoked up quite a bit and no one said anything that it was not ordinary or anything but when she said white, I was like what? She also said it was at the very end of the runs but doesn't remember if I was still on the gas or had just let off.

So I pulled the radiator cap and it is full. I checked the resovoir and it is below the full mark for a cold engine. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" /> Which one should I go by?

I did use 1/2 a quart of oil in about 800 miles and 5 dyno pulls with a lot of high reving fun. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> My car never used any oil before this so I chalked it up to the dyno pulls since I checked the oil before we left home. Btw, we drove 3 hours one way to dyno.

Car is still running fine. I did a search and found this post. So maybe it is normal on some cars? I sure hope so!!

Eric
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Old Apr 20, 2002 | 04:31 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

Went out and let the car warm up. Then had my wife rev it.

No smoke what so ever while reving up, but about 3 seconds after the car got back down to near idle, it blowed some smoke out the tail pipes. It was very light in color and neither of us could determine if it was white or blue.

ERic
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Old Apr 20, 2002 | 04:41 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

My car is doing the exact same thing.I noticed my car blowing white smoke when I had it dyno'ed.It only smoked after he let off the gas at the end of the dyno pull.I also am running a ORP.
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Old Apr 20, 2002 | 05:32 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

White smoke IS an indication of leaky/blown head gasket. But if you had that problem, you would definitely see your coolant level drop, particularly on WOT runs. Also, try this. With the coolant topped off and the cap removed, watch the surface of the coolant. If there are bubbles in it, that could be a sign of a blown/leaky head gasket.

Also, instead of just burning off condensation on cool mornings, your exhuast would have misty white smoke almost ALL the time. The white smoke would be foggish looking. It would be hard to confuse it with blue smoke.

If your coolant level is not dropping, it doesn't sound likely that you have a head gasket problem.
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Old Apr 21, 2002 | 09:53 AM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

I've been taking ALOT of time trying to look into this. As far as watching other ls1's. Looks to me like any ls1 with a littlt "fun" time on the moter and a fiew miles smokes. My buddy's almost stock t/a blew smoke out the pipes when he stomped it on the hwy. I think the smoke we are seing is just sccess crap burning out. Or a little blowby. Wizkid get a video camera and hav your wife fallow you on the hwy then romp on it! You will see it better through a camera. Everytime i see it on camera it looks worse and also more blueish.
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Old Apr 21, 2002 | 09:42 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

My mostly stock 99 SS blows blue smoke at WOT. Never computer modded and only has a few bolt-ons. I'm not worrying about it.
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Old Apr 21, 2002 | 09:47 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

I might do that Tim. I have put about 100 miles on it since my last fluid topping (only did that after the dyno) and everyhting is holding fine.

No smoke at idle or anything like that. I am begining to think I never got my coolant level up to full after the heads/cam install. Might not have got all the air out.

I also have an ARE oil pump. That means MEGA PRESSURE and probably getting some oil in the PCV, I pull the pcv filter and sure enough, oil was in there more than before my heads/cam, so maybe thier pump has a little too much flow.

I am going to look into oil restricted pushrods and see if that don't calm everything down. I am telling you, that dyno shop was full of smoke. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Sad]" src="gr_sad.gif" /> I chalked it off to oil pump putting out lots of flow.

ERic
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Old Apr 22, 2002 | 11:02 AM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

My 2001 has done this on the dyno ever since I installed Mac's W/ORP. It only does it on the dyno, so bad that it fills the shop with blue smoke. The guy that runs the shop where we dyno says he sees this often with LS1's with ORP's.

BTW- I installed the Mac's at 1200 miles and have 8000 now. I make good power for stock heads the plugs look fine and it has never affected performance.
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Old Apr 22, 2002 | 09:29 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

I might be way off
base but if you have an a4 it could be a $15.00 transmission modulator.If a modulator goes bad,engine vacume will pull tranny fluid into the motor and create white smoke.

mitch
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Old Apr 22, 2002 | 11:28 PM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

4L60E's dont have a modulator
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Old Apr 23, 2002 | 11:01 AM
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Default Re: Car Blowing White Smoke at WOT

If you are not using coolant then it's bluish-white smoke from burning oil. Oil gets sucked into the pcv system and blown into the intake.

If you are using coolant. you will know it. I only go by the level in the radiator when the car is cold.

I blew a few head gaskets last year and believe me, you will be topping up the coolant like a pint every time you drive the car.
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