Re: Cold engine and smoke

[srubano@xxxx]

Usually if it is burning Antifreeze (from a cracked head of leaking 
head gasket) you can tell. If you go behind the car as the engine is 
idling, there will be sort of like a sweet smell to the exhaust. I AM 
NOT SAYING TO PUT YOUR FACE NEAR THE EXHAUST PIPE! Just have the car 
parked outside and idling and stand behind it for a second. You'll be 
able to smell it. Also your D will overheat very easily if it is a 
cracked head or blown head gasket causing the antifreeze burn. Since 
the D's system is a closed cooling system, it needs pressure...any 
loss of pressure will result in an overheat. Just because an exhaust 
pipe drips some water dosen't mean it has a coolant leak. It can be 
from a build up moisture in the exhaust system itself from the car 
sitting either overnight or for an extended amount of time. Don't go 
by that. If the Exhaust pipe (inside of it) is dark black it can 
suggest a number of things, not just burning oil (example: engine 
running to rich). A cracked head is VERY rare. I think what the 
problem is as DMC Joe pointed out, excess gas in the cylinders that 
is being burned off when he starts his car. What is causing this? 
That I do not know for sure. Faulty cold start valve? a Bad injector 
not closing properly after the pressure drops allowing gas to drip 
into the cylinder?

Steve

--- In dmcnews@xxxx, jtrealty@xxxx wrote:
> When I see white smoke the first thing I think of if it doesn't 
clear 
> up in a few minutes of running is a cracked head or blown head 
gasket 
> usually due to overheating. This is not too common on Deloreans but 
it 
> can happen. Pressure test the cooling system to rule out. With 
> pressure on while running the pressure should't drop and the amount 
of 
> smoke comming out shouldn't change. There are also more involved 
tests 
> such as testing for products of combustion in the coolant, 
compression 
> tests on the cylinders, and leakdown testing. Does the cooling 
system 
> always produce bubbles, and are you adding coolant? On the other 
hand 
> are you adding motor oil and do you know what your fuel 
> consumption/mileage is. All of these factor into a diagnosis. Put 
your 
> finger into the exhaust pipe, is it dripping wet, black and flakey, 
or 
> just oily? Make sure the motor oil level is not "over full". This 
> could cause oil burning.
> 
> 
> --- In dmcnews@xxxx, "DMC Joe" <dmcjoe@xxxx> wrote:
> > If the smoke has a blue tint and smells oily John is correct, on 
the 
> other
> > hand if the smoke is pure white it may be caused by un-burnt fuel 
in 
> the
> > combustion chamber. This problem is usually a result of a 
> malfunctioning
> > cold start valve, fuel distributor, or out of tolerance CO 
> adjustment.
> > 
> > "We're here to help you"
> >