Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (Full Version)

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Disappearing oil, white smoke, help!

  

lefecious -> Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/2/2008 11:14:23 PM)

Hi all,
My wife''s 2001 Eclipse RS is burning oil.  To the point where we got the oil changed a month ago, and this month we discovered there was no oil in the car anymore.

It''s not leaking out, because there''s never a puddle under it.

But yesterday she went to start it, and a big puff of whitish smoke came out the exhaust.  So I''m thinking the oil is leaking into some part of the engine and then being burned.

Can you guys point me in the right direction as to what the problem might be?  I probably won''t fix it myself, but I don''t want to sound like a total idiot when I go to the mechanic either, lest I get ripped off.

  
Sebba -> RE: Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/2/2008 11:20:29 PM)

Are you positive it was smoke, and not steam from condensation? It can be thick enough to give the appearance of white smoke.

Sometimes oil can disappear oddly, without obviously being burned or leaked out.

White smoke is burning coolant, and that usually means bad head gasket. One way to check for that, is to look under the oil cap for a white goop. Or, you can remove the radiator cap, and let the engine warm up to operating temperatures. Then rev it for a little, and if you see bubbles, you have a bad head gasket.

If you want to check the condition of the engine, go to autozone and get a compression tester for $20 bucks. Then simple google "How to compression test" and follow the instructions.

Best of luck

lefecious -> RE: Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/3/2008 11:38:38 PM)

Dangit, I was afraid it would be the head gasket.

From what I understand that''s quite the pricey repair.

And also, about the compression test, are you suggesting I do that because you think the engine may not be worth the expense of having the head gasket replaced?  The car has about 94,000 miles on it with an oil change like clockwork every 3000 miles.  I can''t believe the head gasket is gone already.

Sebba -> RE: Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/4/2008 4:21:28 PM)

Everything I told you to do, was to determine what the problem is.

It might not be the head gasket, but I gave you ways to find out.

The compression test was to find out if the ring seal is good or not. Basically it would tell me the condition of the motor, and by that I would tell you if its worth repairing or not.

So look for the signs of the head gasket like I mentioned, and go a compression test like I mentioned.

If its a head gasket, but the engine has life left in it, then I would say its worth repairing. If the the motor is toast, then I would say swap it out.

EMonz57 -> RE: Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/4/2008 5:49:01 PM)

its an i4 even if worst case the motor is blown you can buy a new motor for cheap enough.   And if the head needs to be pulled for a HG it is a very sht process because it is SOHC with nothing in the way of pulling it.   Keith and I had my GS head off in 47 mins.

Sebba -> RE: Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/4/2008 10:13:05 PM)

Pulling a head is generally easy lol

EMonz57 -> RE: Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/5/2008 10:06:24 AM)

says the person who has never pulled a head off a car right?  It is not that easy you need to remember where everything came from, release the timing belt ect ect it is time consuming

Sebba -> RE: Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/5/2008 10:12:45 AM)

I wouldn''t have said it if I didn''t know [;)]

It was easy because the timing belt was off, so I didn''t have to worry about much. Just a couple lines.

EMonz57 -> RE: Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/5/2008 10:47:27 AM)

timing belt is prob the hardest part of remove, as well as reassemble.  But remembering where everything went is a PITA

lefecious -> RE: Disappearing oil, white smoke, help! (7/8/2008 3:20:21 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sebba

Are you positive it was smoke, and not steam from condensation? It can be thick enough to give the appearance of white smoke.

Sometimes oil can disappear oddly, without obviously being burned or leaked out.

White smoke is burning coolant, and that usually means bad head gasket. One way to check for that, is to look under the oil cap for a white goop. Or, you can remove the radiator cap, and let the engine warm up to operating temperatures. Then rev it for a little, and if you see bubbles, you have a bad head gasket.

If you want to check the condition of the engine, go to autozone and get a compression tester for $20 bucks. Then simple google "How to compression test" and follow the instructions.

Best of luck


Ok I checked the oil cap, no white goop.  Then I started the car, no big puff of white smoke (or steam if that''s what it was).  After I watched the exhaust for a minute, I could see just a tad of white smoke come out, but nothing like it did last time.  The engine was cool both times, so I don''t get it.  But anyway, did the revving thing and looked for bubbles in the radiator and saw none.

Haven''t had a chance to get to autozone yet to buy a compression tester, but so far it''s looking like it''s not the head gasket based on the tests you had me perform.  That''s a relief, but now I''m wondering what it could be?  And why did the white smoke come out one time and not the other?

  

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