98 Malibu Rough Idle and White Smoke on Ignition

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vanpoos@gmail.com - 05 May 2007 17:05 GMT

Hello everyone, I was hoping someone can shed some light on my
situation. I have a 98 Malibu that runs fine but has some symptoms
that seem to be getting worse. The first symptom is when the car is
idling there is a slight clanking noise almost as if it were a diesel
engine. The second problem is sometimes on a cold start the engine
produces a slight white smoke that comes from the exhaust, it only
lasts a second but seems to be a problem that needs to be addressed,
note this happens on warm days. Also, sometimes the takes a few turn
to the ignition and a foot on the gas to get started. Lastly sometimes
the engine boggs out a bit while driving but then regains power, it
does this for no reason. Mind you I change the oil every 3K miles I
have changed the spark plugs, cables, air filter and have use Lucas
fuel injector cleaner on the engine. Any recommendations would be much
appreciated.

VanPoos

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Emmanuel Debrosse - 05 May 2007 17:30 GMT

When was the last time you changed the gaskets rings? Notice oil on the
engine block? When you changed the spark plugs, did you notice oil deposits
on them? Oil maybe getting into the combustion chambers thus causing the
white smoke you occasionally see.

Signature

Emmanuel Debrosse
Irvington, New Jersey

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort
and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

> Hello everyone, I was hoping someone can shed some light on my
> situation. I have a 98 Malibu that runs fine but has some symptoms
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> VanPoos

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4newsgroups - 05 May 2007 17:38 GMT

> When was the last time you changed the gaskets rings? Notice oil on the
> engine block? When you changed the spark plugs, did you notice oil
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>> idling there is a slight clanking noise almost as if it were a diesel
>> engine.

Piston slap?

> The second problem is sometimes on a cold start the engine
>> produces a slight white smoke that comes from the exhaust, it only
>> lasts a second but seems to be a problem that needs to be addressed,
>> note this happens on warm days.

Antifreeze?

> > Also, sometimes the takes a few turn
>> to the ignition and a foot on the gas to get started. Lastly sometimes
>> the engine boggs out a bit while driving but then regains power, it
>> does this for no reason.

How many miles?

>>Mind you I change the oil every 3K miles

Why so often?

>> I have changed the spark plugs, cables, air filter and have use Lucas
>> fuel injector cleaner on the engine. Any recommendations would be much
>> appreciated.
>>
>> VanPoos

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Sharky - 05 May 2007 17:58 GMT

> Hello everyone, I was hoping someone can shed some light on my
> situation. I have a 98 Malibu that runs fine but has some symptoms
> that seem to be getting worse. The first symptom is when the car is
> idling there is a slight clanking noise almost as if it were a diesel
> engine.

Very common problem with the GM 3.1L engine. The noise you are hearing is
caused from piston slop. No need to be alarmed though, my 1998 Malibu has
276,000 kms on it and the noise usually goes away after 3-4 minutes of
driving after start up. You can find out more information with a quick
search on Google.

> The second problem is sometimes on a cold start the engine
> produces a slight white smoke that comes from the exhaust, it only
> lasts a second but seems to be a problem that needs to be addressed,
> note this happens on warm days.

This sounds like a leaking intake manifold gasket, also another common
problem with the Malibus and 3.1L engines.

> Also, sometimes the takes a few turn
> to the ignition and a foot on the gas to get started.

This car is fuel injected, meaning you should not be touching the
accelerator at all while the car is trying to start. The only time it needs
to be pressed is if the car happens to be flooded, then you would hold it to
the floor while cranking the engine. This problem may be related to a fuel
issue. When was the last time the fuel filter was changed? Check engine
light coming on? Any other warning lights? Another thing you could try is
taking a spray bottle filled with water and while the car is running, spray
water around the coil packs. If the engine starts to hesitate or misfire,
you may need to replace the coils. If the car is misfiring while driving,
the engine light will come on, and if it is severe, the engine light will
flash. Hook up an OBD II scanner to find out which cylinders are misfiring.
Lastly, you could try cleaning the MAF sensor located in the air filter
tube. Carefully spray the small sensor wire on the filter with electronic
spray cleaner. As well, any of the problems I mentioned above plus the
leaking intake manifold gasket are going to cause some serious headaches for
any mechanic to diagnose. This may also be related to the next problem
listed.

Lastly sometimes

> the engine boggs out a bit while driving but then regains power, it
> does this for no reason. Mind you I change the oil every 3K miles I
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> VanPoos

Good luck
Sharky

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Russg - 05 May 2007 18:43 GMT

People have said piston slap for the knocking
and manifold gasket for the white smoke at
start.
Another cause of knocking is rod bearings
getting 'loose'. Either way, it isn't a good sign,
however one poster said he's had piston slap
for many miles.
There could be a problem with the ignition,
causing pre-ignition, ie. the timing is off causing
the piston slap, or the poster is using less than
87 octane gas.

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Sharky - 05 May 2007 18:55 GMT

I agree, especially if the intake gasket has been leaking coolant into the
engine for any amount of time at all. This will wash and ruin pretty much
every bearing in the engine, usually the only fix is a complete engine
overhaul.

Sharky

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