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Car Forum / Toyota / Camry / February 2008blue smoke on 2003 camry
Hi, I was looking at used 2003 4cyl camry, it was about 20 degrees, the saleman started the car and I was behind the car, looking at the exhaust I noticed nothing for 5 seconds or so, then blue smoke for a few seconds then white (normal condensation). Is this a problem? The car has 50K on it and all the service records (dealer serviced). Maybe excessive engine wear or maybe I'm paronoid? Otherwise it was in pristine condition. thanks for any help!! it could be caused from just sitting. Now if you take it for a ride let it set for a few minutes then start it and get blue smoke might be a problem > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > thanks for any help!! > it could be caused from just sitting. Now if you take it for a ride let it > set for a few minutes then start it and get blue smoke [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > - Show quoted text - I think its commmon. > it could be caused from just sitting. Now if you take it for a ride let it > set for a few minutes then start it and get blue smoke [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > - Show quoted text - it didn't do it after it was warmed up, the thing is there was no smoke on the first startup, just a little while later, maybe it was a fuel/air mixture change by the computer because of the cold temp On Jan 29, 5:56 am, "BigJim" <woody10...@hotmail.com> wrote: > it could be caused from just sitting. Now if you take it for a ride let it > set for a few minutes then start it and get blue smoke [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > - Show quoted text - > it didn't do it after it was warmed up, the thing is there was no > smoke on the first startup, just a little while later, maybe it was a > fuel/air mixture change by the computer because of the cold temp Once the car is warmed up, the catalytic converter will take car of any minor oil smoke. The exact timing of the smoke is not so important. It indicates some oil has been drawn into the engine. It may just need a new PCV valve, or have the engine may have valve seals that allow minor amounts of oil into the intake tract. 4 cylinder Camrys seem especially prone to the latter, but it is usually not a big deal. Why not take the car to a professional independent mechanic and get his opinion. My guess is that it is nothing serious. I can't imagine that an engine with only 50k miles has a serious problem if it has been properly maintained by a dealer. Ed Rich mixture will give you black smoke. Oil from a range of causes gives you blue smoke. Besides looking under the valve cover also do a leak-down test. On second thought, only 50K miles and blue smoke sounds like trouble. There are many old Camrys around, look at the next one? On Jan 29, 3:17 pm, "bungalow_st...@yahoo.com" <bungalow_st...@yahoo.com> wrote: > it didn't do it after it was warmed up, the thing is there was no > smoke on the first startup, just a little while later, maybe it was a > fuel/air mixture change by the computer because of the cold temp On Jan 30, 11:28 pm, johngd...@hotmail.com wrote: > Rich mixture will give you black smoke. Oil from a range of causes > gives you blue smoke. Besides looking under the valve cover also do a > leak-down test. > > On second thought, only 50K miles and blue smoke sounds like trouble. > There are many old Camrys around, look at the next one? yea I passed on it, too bad it was an nice XLE too, the interiors of the LE are pretty bland looking, funny the 2003 highlander next to it did the blue smoke thing too, these are certified toyota's too On Jan 30, 11:28 pm, johngd...@hotmail.com wrote: > Rich mixture will give you black smoke. Oil from a range of causes > gives you blue smoke. Besides looking under the valve cover also do [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > trouble. > There are many old Camrys around, look at the next one? yea I passed on it, too bad it was an nice XLE too, the interiors of the LE are pretty bland looking, funny the 2003 highlander next to it did the blue smoke thing too, these are certified toyota's too If people didn't buy Toyotas because they did the "blue smoke thing," Toyota would be out of business. On the other hand, I never liked the idea of buying used car, especially with that sort of mileage - 50k seems like too much mileage for someone who trades yearly, and not enough for someone who keeps cars for a long time and therefore tends to maintain them properly. It seems like the sort of mileage you find on a lease return, a rental return, or a car with problems. I'd much rather have a well maintained car with 75k miles than one that was run hard and but up wet with 30k to 50k. And what the heck does "certified used car" mean, other than a higher price? Ed > yea I passed on it, too bad it was an nice XLE too, the interiors of > the LE are pretty bland looking, funny the 2003 highlander next to it [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Ed For a Toyota it means a one owner with no wrecks........and a higher price. Steve > > yea I passed on it, too bad it was an nice XLE too, the interiors of > > the LE are pretty bland looking, funny the 2003 highlander next to it [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > - Show quoted text - it doesn't mean one owner The problem with used cars is precisely you don't know where it's been. "certified" is only a marketing thing to charge people more. Any intermediate/major inspection should cover all those points but I won't be surprised if the tech just glossed over them. > > If people didn't buy Toyotas because they did the "blue smoke thing," > > Toyota would be out of business. On the other hand, I never liked the idea [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > For a Toyota it means a one owner with no wrecks........and a higher price. > Steve On Feb 4, 7:41 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@removemindspring.com> wrote: > <bungalow_st...@yahoo.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Ed certified just means it comes with a 100K mile power train warrenty > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > thanks for any help!! This is very common for Camrys. Just make sure the inside of the valve cover is clean. I'd suggest having an independent mechanic look it over. Ed >> Hi, >> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Ed First off, you have to find a car dealer who'll be willing to let you remove a valve cover from one of his cars to look inside. If you buy the car first, you'd be welome to do it. >>> Hi, >>> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > remove a valve cover from one of his cars to look inside. If you buy > the car first, you'd be welome to do it. You can look through the oil fill hole (a dental mirro canhelp here). If the oil hasn't been properly changed it is likely to be nasty looking. You can also look at the dip stick. A brown varnish stain on the dip stick is a bad sign. Ed >>Hi, >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Ed As cars get older they sometimes burn oil when really light weights (0W-30 or even 5W-30) are used. Our Camry doesn't, but my Honda does. If you are using one of those weights in a car that's doing it, try using 10W-30 instead. OTOH, this is a car you haven't bought yet, so I'd keep looking. It could have a damaged engine. Many Toyotas are famous for blue-smoke startups. Mostly the valve stem seals deteriorated and allowed oil to leak into the combustion chamber while the car sat. If this was the case even subsequent cold starts (before the engine warmed) there should be no blue smoke. Valve stem seals are rubber parts that should be changed along with valve cover gasket and oil seals. But it's often not done because of the added cost of taking off the cam shafts. I'd just use Fel-Pro valve stem seals instead. Leaking rings would give blue smoke most of the time as well as with a stuck open PCV valve. But sounds like only the first start after the engine sat for a while would do this? On Jan 28, 8:39 pm, "bungalow_st...@yahoo.com" <bungalow_st...@yahoo.com> wrote: > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > thanks for any help!! I have been getting the blue smoke on startup while cold - just like my old VW Rabbit some 20 years ago. The Camry is a 2000 model with 100K miles. I had assumed it was the valve stem seals but doesn't replacing them require removing the head? This sounds expensive. I suppose I could try to replace the PCV valve first... david > Many Toyotas are famous for blue-smoke startups. Mostly the valve stem > seals deteriorated and allowed oil to leak into the combustion chamber [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > stuck open PCV valve. But sounds like only the first start after the > engine sat for a while would do this? Change the PCV valve and grommet and hose too. It's always a good idea with 100K miles. During a timing belt service, people change out all rubber shaft seals, water pump, belts and even hoses but leave the valve stem seals in place? Yeah, must be hard to get to. So "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" seems to be the norm with these seals. But I'll do the stem seals at the next timing belt change, with a Fel-Pro set. For those who do their own work should be about $30 for the stem seals $10 for the valve cover gasket set in addition to a standard timing job, and you can borrow tools from AutoZone or other local parts stores for free. Stem seals require you to remove the valve cover and cam shafts, depress and remove the valve springs, lube the valve stems and seals to prevent damage to seals, and install using an included shaft protector (like a short segment of a straw with one end rounded) with a Fel-Pro kit. At the same time you have to make sure the cam bearings don't accidentally pick up dirt, the cam shafts are lifted up straight because of small thrust clearance, etc etc. > I have been getting the blue smoke on startup while cold - just like my > old VW Rabbit some 20 years ago. The Camry is a 2000 model with 100K [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > david |
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