Engine troubles, or not?

laz · Post by **laz** » 20 Nov 2004, 14:18

I recently noticed smoke from the tail pipe when starting my '95 850 GLE.
It happens momentarily upon start-up and then stops. Smells like engine oil burning.
- Is this the begining of the end of my engine and how serious is this?
- Can I do anything to stop it such as adding an engine conditioner or other liquid sealant?
Thanks
Laz

Post by **matthew1** » 20 Nov 2004, 14:28

Blue smoke, white or black?

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 21 Nov 2004, 01:01

How many miles?

This could be the sign of the rings getting worn.

laz · Post by **laz** » 22 Nov 2004, 09:25

There is some predominant white colour but also has hints of blue.
Smells like burning oil. Does not seem to happen everyday.
Car has 166,000 kms or 100,000 miles.

Post by **matthew1** » 22 Nov 2004, 10:21

Is it using oil? Blue smoke means oil is getting burned along with air and fuel, which means piston rings often.

You should keep a close eye on the oil level. If it's not using oil, then that's probably better news than any other likely scenario.

Tsquared · Post by **Tsquared** » 22 Nov 2004, 18:08

You could also do a compression leak down test. A good shop should be able to pull a plug and insert a compression tester to see if you have adequate compression. There are a battery of test that determine if your engine is operating within specification or if you have a oil blow by problem to a leaky valve guide issue. The key phrases you should as are can you perform a compression test with leak down testing?

It would eliminate second guessing and shouldn't be that expensive.