Smoke out of tail pipe

son93sl2 · 08-10-2011, 8:28pm

I went to look at my friends car that has been sitting for 13 months. I put oil in it, down 2.5 quarts because the oil drain plug is seazed. That and a new battery and the car started up. The is a lot of white smoke, after a mile drive, more and more white smoke. Will the smoke go away? Is it serious? The car is very cheap and I'd like to use it as an around the town / winter beater if possible. I just don't know how serious this smoke pouring out of the tail pipe is.

The car is a Volvo V70 XC AWD 1998. 145K miles

Fastguy · 08-10-2011, 8:31pm

What does the smoke smell like? Maple syrup or burned oil? If you open the radiator cap, is it really bubbly as soon as you start the car, do the hoses get real hard real fast?
It could be so many things, blown head gasket, dead rings, overfilled oil, mouse nest in the exhaust, trans fluid being drawn in through a ruptured vac modulator, etc.

son93sl2 · 08-10-2011, 8:35pm

it smells of burned oil. I didn't open the radiator cap to check. As I accellerated more and more smoke pours out. The car was missing 2.5 qts of oil so it had to go somewhere or maybe they ran it that low on oil for a while (the car holds 6.1 qts.)

Rotorhead · 08-10-2011, 8:36pm

Why would it be 2 qts low if the drain plug was seized? Sounds to me like it is overserviced.

BuckyThreadkiller · 08-10-2011, 8:36pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fastguy

What does the smoke smell like? Maple syrup or burned oil? If you open the radiator cap, is it really bubbly as soon as you start the car, do the hoses get real hard real fast?
It could be so many things, blown head gasket, dead rings, overfilled oil, mouse nest in the exhaust, trans fluid being drawn in through a ruptured vac modulator, etc.

I believe white smoke also indicated they've elected a new Pope.

But that might be a Fiat rather than a Volvo.

C5Nate · 08-10-2011, 8:38pm

White smoke is water or anti freeze.

Stay away from this one.

2.5 quarts low is serious, if it ran long that low, there could be lower end lubrication issue that require the crank to spray up oil during rotation.

Munch · 08-10-2011, 8:38pm

This is your lucky day as I had the same problem with my lawn tractor last weekend. I just jammed the throttle to full and drove it around the yard for a while and eventually the smoke went away. Just get it out on the highway, floor it for 15 - 20 miles and I bet it will be fine.

You're welcome.

VatorMan · 08-10-2011, 8:39pm

Usually white smoke means the car is running rich. (Too much fuel). Black smoke indicates burning oil.

Uri · 08-10-2011, 9:27pm

Anti freeze........head gasket..........what size Volvo motor. Ours over here have two different motors in the V70 series....

Don't say turbo 2.4 ..............

Fastguy · 08-10-2011, 9:30pm

Is it a turbo? If it is and the turbine seal is gone, it will dump crazy white smoke as it dumps oil in the exhaust downstream of the combustion chamber, and it won't smell like burning oil.

Uri · 08-10-2011, 9:31pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fastguy

Is it a turbo? If it is and the turbine seal is gone, it will dump crazy white smoke as it dumps oil in the exhaust downstream of the combustion chamber, and it won't smell like burning oil.

.........and on occasion that compromises the head gasket with heat build up............ & that's most occasions

Rotorhead · 08-10-2011, 9:32pm

HELP - 1998 VOLVO V70 XC AWD TURBO 2.4

son93sl2 · 08-11-2011, 8:13am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uri

Anti freeze........head gasket..........what size Volvo motor. Ours over here have two different motors in the V70 series....

Don't say turbo 2.4 ..............

Yup!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fastguy

Is it a turbo? If it is and the turbine seal is gone, it will dump crazy white smoke as it dumps oil in the exhaust downstream of the combustion chamber, and it won't smell like burning oil.

Yup!

son93sl2 · 08-11-2011, 8:21am

More googling leads me to, both of which I'd rather not deal with:

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...hp?f=1&t=39991

Head Gasket
Turbo Seals

I'd like a beater car that is pretty easy to work on or is reliable. I don't mike if it rattles and stuff like an old car, but I don't want to have smoke pouring out of the engine.

Fastguy · 08-11-2011, 8:26am

Pull a spark plug out. If its clean of oil, it could be dumping oil right into the exhaust. When a turbo seal goes bad, raw oil gets dumped into the hot exhaust manifold and turns to acrid white smoke, almost smelling like an electrical fire. Its not the same as oil being burned in the combustion chamber. Is the tailpipe wet with oil?

son93sl2 · 08-11-2011, 8:34am

It looks like there are a few more diagnosis task to complete, but none the less it's either head gasket or turbo leak, or maybe PCV as one person on the vovlo forum.

Mark C5 · 08-11-2011, 9:12am

Quote:

Originally Posted by VatorMan

Usually white smoke means the car is running rich. (Too much fuel). Black smoke indicates burning oil.

Absolutely right ............ except backwards.

NeedSpeed · 08-11-2011, 10:36am

Did you put new fuel in it?

I'm curious I'm about to start working on my Lincoln and it's sat for close to 2 years. It's got about 1/2 tank of fuel and I was gonna try to drain it before I started messing with it.

Bucwheat · 08-11-2011, 10:48am

Quote:

Originally Posted by C5Nate

White smoke is water or anti freeze.

Stay away from this one.

2.5 quarts low is serious, if it ran long that low, there could be lower end lubrication issue that require the crank to spray up oil during rotation.

So true,could be blow head gasket.

Entropy · 08-11-2011, 11:01am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fastguy

Is it a turbo? If it is and the turbine seal is gone, it will dump crazy white smoke as it dumps oil in the exhaust downstream of the combustion chamber, and it won't smell like burning oil.

That was my guess. Smoky turbos are teh suck.

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