I just happened to be near the tail pipe when the wife was starting up the truck today (first start since yesterday) and a nice cloud of blueish smoke came out followed by very dense white smoke (like when you have a blown head gasket or cracked cylinder wall) and then the regular flow of normal condensation started.

It's an '10 FX4 built in April of this year and only has 12,000km (about 7500mi). It is a personal truck, I have not towed with it and on average the mileage is approx. 75% highway and 25% city driving. The dealer has done 2 oil changes today with the 3rd scheduled at 15k.

How do I approach the dealer with this to reduce the odds of them ****'n me around? This has made me very uneasy.

 

Mine does pretty much the same thing on a cold start. I've watched the oil level and it hasn't changed. I've decided not to worry about it.

 

^^ THIS.


MGD

 

Mine does the same. Has the oil level changed any?

 

hahaha, ironic timing. I haven't had this issue at all...untill tonight :P

Yeah, mine did the same. I'm not going to worry too much about it, especially since it went away within a few seconds. Would be interested to know why it did it though.

 

For some peace of mind, my 05 has had a puff of oily smoke every once in a while for years. I am pushing 140,000 miles and it starts at the first turn of the key and runs just as strong as the day I bought it. I drove it to Florida and back (3000+ miles) a month ago and never though twice about it. I have towed 8000+ through the hottest Arkansas and Texas heat and drive the truck like I stole it.

 

This is reassuring, I'm not alone but I to would like to know why it does this.

Is oil getting past the piston rings or maybe past the valve seals? Does this motor even have valve seals?.

 

Why do I get the feeling that you haven't even removed the dip stick?

 

I have no clue why you got this feeling, but to answer you question I have and the level is OK.

Please express your thoughts as to what would lead you to believe that I "haven't even removed the dip stick".

 

A small puff of smoke at start up is not an indicator that it is buring oil. Monitoring the oil use over a few thousand miles will give you a better indication. And that is what the dealer is going to do or tell you to do, but you will likely think that they are ***** you over.

So if you would have said, "since my last oil change, 5000 miles ago, my truck has used 1 quart of oil," then I would get the feeling that you have removed your dip stick and monitored oil use.

You are going to see a little bit of smoke until the catalytic converters get warmed up.

If there was a bad valve guide, piston ring, oil seal etc, then the leak would be continual (likely getting worse when the oil is hot and thinner) and the cats would eventually get clogged which would trigger a CEL.

What grade and type of oil are you using?

 

Ford won't even address oil consumption until it's a quart every 1000 miles. The other car makers have similar policies.

Smoke only on startup, if it is oil smoke, is valve seals/guides. Smoke under load on warmed-up engines is rings.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

If blue smoke is coming out the exhaust pipe that would typically indicate that engine oil has by-passed somewhere in the system to get into the cylinder. Once its in the cumbustion chamber it gets partially burned with the rest of the air/fuel mixture and then pushed out the exhaust, with some residual possibly pushed back up the intake track during valve overlap. The result is blue exhuast fume.

So if I see blue exhaust fumes coming out the tailpipe I automatically assume engine oil is burning in the cumbustion chamber.

Yesterday was the first time I noticed this and so to date nothing has really prompted me to "monitor my oil use".

Yes, I agree the CATS would eventually get blocked if the problem persists but depending on where an internal oil leak is occuring it may or may not happen on a "continual" basis. It may only occur after the engine has sat over a cold night and contraction of some interal parts have allowed for minute oil to seep into the cumbustion chamber. Just thinking out loud her.

 

Wookie,

It's good to see another Cabot resident on the site.

Blue

 

Curious, are you an E85 user?

 

Cool, I thought I was the only one. If you see a black KR with a dented tailgate give me a wave. Preferably will all of your fingers...