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#1
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Tiny waft of blue smoke...
Generally speaking, my car uses/loses about a 1/3 of a quart between 3k changes. Now on cold start-up, I notice a tiny puff of blue smoke that disappears in a half second. In other words, after a half-second the exhaust is invisible. I assume some oil leaks overnight past the rings? Or what? At 158,000 miles I'm thrilled with my oil consumption, but just wanted to run this by you all.
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#2
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I'm not sure on a boxer engine, but on most upright engines that is a sign of valve guide seals going bad. When the engiine is off, the oil in the valve train leaks past the worn valve stem seals and accumulates in the combustion chamber. When you fire it up it burns off it a hurry and is not seen until the next time you fire it up after sitting for a while.
Over all. 1/3 of a quart being used over 3000 miles on an engine with those miles isn't so bad. I'm kind of impressed by that
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Pearl '92 LS-L 179K (Historic 1st 5-speed SVX) Mods: 5-speed, 4.11's, Group-N motor mounts, dual Magnaflows, cone air filter, Kenwood MP-228 CD/Receiver, white-faced gauges, '97 grill, custom window tinting. Ebony Mica '92 LS 80K Oct 2002 - Dec 2004: Victim of theft. She served me well. You can tell the lack of craftsmanship by the wrinkles in the duct tape. |
#3
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Quote:
Doug
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1992 LS Touring (6/91) - Currently undergoing a five speed swap Black over Claret with spoiler; 235,000 miles; Mods: 2002 Legacy 5 speed, ACT Pressure Plate, Excedy Clutch, Short Throw Shifter, Aussie Powerchip 1992 LS Touring (6/91) Black over Claret with 2.5" setback spoiler; 202,000 miles; Mods: B&M Cooler 1994 LSi (4/93) Bordeaux Pearl; 198,000 miles; Mods: Weight reduction. 1969 Mustang GT Convertible 1970 Mustang Convertible 2000 Ford Excursion Sola lingua bona est lingua mortua. My Locker |
#4
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Re: Tiny waft of blue smoke...
Quote:
My car, incidentally, doesn't lose oil.
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2005 RX-8 Grand Touring 2005 Outback 2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon END OF LINE |
#5
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Generally:
Blue = oil Black = gas White = coolant (steam) Have you checked to see if there's too much oil in the engine? You might also check the dipstick the next time you change the oil. Six quarts will bring it just below the full mark. Excess oil can find its way into the cylinders while parked if it's overfull or parked across a steep bank.
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ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician w/L1. ASE Certified Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician. Certified EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician) |
#6
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Thanks
I'll check the level -- I do in fact think my mechanic may have slightly overfilled the crankcase (1/5 quart). But as I say, at 158,000 miles and really never needing to add, I'm very happy. It's by far the least oil consuming subaru I've owned.
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