Date:         Sun, 12 Feb 2006 09:47:31 -0600
Reply-To:     Chuck Mathis <cmathis@HOUSTON.RR.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chuck Mathis <cmathis@HOUSTON.RR.COM>
Subject:      Re: White smoke on startup, running rich?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

John,

Since the engine only has 200 miles on the rebuild and is still in the 

break in phase wouldn't some oil burning, especially at start up,  be 
normal?

Dustin,

The condensation would certainly be normal - my non-smoking 1.9 does 
this on cool mornings as does my wife's Accord and daughter's Golf.  I 

could be completely wrong - John is after all a retired bush pilot who 

wrenched his own planes - but if I were in your place I would just keep 

an eye on it and continue with the break in.  It may take a while for 
everything to wear in and seal correctly.  Having some oil leak past 
the rings while sitting idle could be perfectly normal at 200 miles.  
Rich running would show up as black smoke and likely low, low power.

Chuck
'85 Wolfsburg Westy - 'Roland the Road Buffalo'


> Date:    Sat, 11 Feb 2006 03:30:18 -0600
> From:    John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
> Subject: Re: White smoke on startup, running rich?
>
> Dustin Jones wrote:
>
> >About 200 miles into my engine break in afte a rebuild, my 2.1L is 
> blowing
> >white smoke when I start it up. Smells like unburnt fuel, not sweet 

> like
> >coolant. I can see little drips of condensations coming out of the 
> tail pipe
> >that quickly evaporate. Am I running rich? Leaky injectors? Maybe I 

> should
> >take it to a shop and have the exhaust sniffed. I can't tell if it 
> continues
> >to smoke while I am driving, I don't see any trail of it. I hope it 

> is not
> >the head gasket, I will flip a lid!! I just got my baby running again 

> after
> >a 3 year hiatus from throwing a rod and blowing a hole in the engine
> >block.....
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 1) Blue-white smoke - oil
> 2) Black smoke - fuel
>
> #1 - BTDT - burned a hole in a piston - pumped blue-white smoke before
> total failure. Should have been warning enough. I didn't get the 
> message
> and got stranded on the side of the road half way between Somewhere, OK
> and Nowhere, OK. on a Saturday night. Very bad spot to be in.
>
> You may have a 1) ring failure of some kind 2) valve guide failure of
> some kind.
>
> A compression test will tell the tale.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Regards,
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>