PaulF

I need help/suggestions please. It started this afternoon, I had the car nice and warm and sat outside my mates house for a minute with the engine idling. When I pulled away there was a ton of white smoke. I stopped to check and had my mate rev the engine for me, and sure enough white smoke that smelt of a metalic buring.

In my Ford loving youth I'd have said it was a head gasket problem, does any body have any thoughts, or have any of you suffered a similar fault? Help please.

H4rry

Sounds like burning oil to me mate - not a good sign

streffie

Nah not oil, today was one of the first days of cold damp weather this will occur if it was oil it would be blueish smoke if it is any thing serioue its water but i doubt it just cold damp in the pipe.

PaulF

I hope you're right mate, cos that sounds a lot cheaper, but the smoke was lot heavier than condensation, and no other cars were doing it (I even ran the wifes Clio to see if I could get that to steam and it didn't).

pistonbroke

I've noticed through all the cars I've had, that some do this more than others, my Supra on a cold morning used to create a huge cloud of white steam, especially when first started. My R6 does it loads in the morning. I've not driven my S first thing yet, but wouldn't be suprised if thats the same.

MC_BLADE

Oil burns blue, its water, have you got any water in your oil, or oil in your water?

lower

My car has started producing loads of white steam just after start up over the last few days. Its just steam condensing, so probably nothing to worry about.

One of the byproducts of combustion is water which is emitted as steam. Now that air temperatures have dropped that steam is condensing as it leaves the exhaust, hence the cloud of 'smoke'.

Oil smoke is normally blue (unless its a turbo car with blown seals) so its not burning oil.

PaulF

I've had a good check of everything. There's no apparent oil in the water, I checked the rad and the expansion tank, and there's no "cream" in the oil. The oil was a little low so I topped that up, but the water is spot on.

I know this time of year is when cars start to "steam", but this is different, it's heavier and takes longer to disperse. It also has a very disitinctive metalic odour. I think I'm going to have to give in and speak to Honda.

It doesn't do this on start up, just when it's warmed up. Leave it idling for about 30 seconds and it starts, if that helps.

MC_BLADE

Do you do short journeys? Only thing i would say is a build up of moisture in you exaust, short trips will mean it never evaporates fully, it will only start to evaporate when hot. go a nice long journey and get it really hot.

PaulF

Went to Oxford and back over the weekend, and some general hooning after that.

I've spoken to the Honda dealer that sold me tha car and the service manager reckons it could be a head gasket or valve stem seals from my description, even when I said the smoke wasn't blue. It's off to Honda today to get a diagnosis, I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks for all your help guys, much appreciated