1995 2.3l White Smoke

[SuzaMan1957]

Hi, I have a 95' Ranger 2.3l, 180k. Within the last 2 weeks I've been getting a lot of white smoke out the tail pipe after the vehicle has been sitting and then started, mostly in the morning. Hasn't happened every time and it dissipates quickly. Exhaust smells of gas and not cooked coolant. It's intermittent, sometimes no smoke for a couple of days. Vehicle was recently involved in a severe front end collision but still very drive-able (had to replace/modify the top radiator hose as it was pushed back into the the A/C Compressor). The engine has never been overheated. It had a P0302 #2 misfire, but has since cleared after replacing the coolant temperature sensor(broke when taking hose off). No coolant in the oil. There does seem to be a slight loss of coolant over this period of time. Average gas mileage has dropped about 10-15%. But performance generally seems ok. Coil packs are original, as is the fuel system except for the fuel regulator and filters. I've read possible stuck open injector/ bad fuel regulator, Blown head gasket. Not sure where to start.

 

[RonD]

Well a cooling system only runs at 13-18psi when warm, 0 psi when cold, and a cylinder has 150psi compression and 600+psi when it fires.
So a blown head gasket(or cracked head) usually allows this higher pressure into the cooling system which forces out coolant(into overflow tank) and creates an "air" bubble in the head causing overheating.
You can take off the rad cap on a cold engine, coolant should be right at the top, no air gap; and then start the engine, watch the coolant in the rad cap opening, none should come out, i.e. bubble up and overflow, keep watching it for any bubbles, there should be none.
Two or three minutes is fine, shut off engine and put rad cap back on.
If coolant does overflow a bit or you do see some bubbles, then you could have a cold seal issue with the head gasket and that will just get worse over time.
This usually only comes up on bi-metal engines, aluminum head and cast iron block, aluminum's expansion and contraction rates are a lot different than cast iron, aluminum contracts faster when cooling, and with the 13-18psi in the warm cooling system and 0psi in the now shut off engine, it can leak into a cylinder.
When engine is restarted, the coolant in the cylinder is burn off(white smoke), and then this small leak is sealed by the rapidly expanding aluminum head, so no sign of a head gasket leak........for now.
I have not seen this on matching metal engines, i.e. aluminum/aluminum or cast iron/cast iron


White smoke when starting a cold engine can be normal depending on the local weather.
Burning gasoline creates water, this is why you see water drip out the tail pipe or why exhaust systems can rust from the inside out.
Local humidity also plays a roll in that the engine is sucking the humidity in along with the air to burn with the gas.
After turning off an engine the exhaust system cools and that moisture condenses inside the pipes, cats, and mufflers.
If local humidity is high it won't evaporate.
Next time you start the engine the 800+ deg exhaust gas vaporizes the condensed water in the exhaust system almost instantly which is the white smoke you see.
This should only last for a short time as the exhaust system gets completely heated up.

If there is coolant getting into the cylinder when engine sits you would smell it at startup, very distinctive smell, nothing like an exhaust smell.

Blackish smoke is more related to a rich mix, blueish is oil being burned.

I would pull a one spark plug from each cylinder and look at their tips, this will tell you if engine is running rich; and if a spark plug is super clean, like new, it would tell you that cylinder is getting coolant inside and steam cleaning the spark plug.
Google: images for spark plug condition
To see what the spark plug tips tell you

 

[modelageek]

To add to Ron....I doubt the new ECT actually resolved the p0302. If you determine the HG is fine I would do a full tuneup, motor craft plugs and wires, AF, FF, injector cleaner, etc.

 

[SuzaMan1957]

Thanks, Eye balling the plugs should lead me in the right direction. I agree, the ECT should not throw that P0302 code. I live in Houston, Texas and it has been very humid. But, i have not seen this amount of white smoke not associated with a blown gasket.

 

[RonD]

Head gasket leak won't stay hidden for long.


You can do a glove test just to be sure.
Cold engine
Remove rad cap
Remove by-pass hose, plug the by-pass opening with a vacuum cap or short hose with bolt in it.
Place latex glove over rad cap opening with rubber band to seal it, a balloon works if you have one large enough.
Cooling system should now be air tight.
Unplug coil(s), or pull spark plug wires.

Crank engine and watch the glove, if there is a leak in the head glove will jump each time that cylinder is on its compression stroke.
This detects even the smallest leak.

If leak is detected then remove spark plugs one at a time and crank engine in between, glove will stop dancing when the leaking cylinder has no compression(spark plug is out)

 

[RonD]

I was looking at another thread and noticed something.
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124928

The carbureted, and probably the EFI, 2.3l has a coolant passage in the intake manifold, I didn't think it did??

If there was a leak in the head to intake gasket you could be getting coolant leaking into #2 or #3 cylinder via the intake valves.
So no overheating or other signs of a head gasket issue, because there isn't a problem there, but white smoke on startup and disappearing coolant without signs of a leak.

After engine is warmed up, cooling system pressurized, and then shut down, you might be able to hear coolant pressure being released by listening inside the intake manifold.
I use a rubber hose as a stethoscope

 

[Haywire6000]

Mine had the same issue(93 2.3) Mine had a bad mass air flow. Basically it was just running way to rich when it first started. Mine would sometimes fill a small parking lot with the smoke. My dad finally figured it out. Same theory as old carbed engines, you pump the gas, set the choke and they would burn white until she warmed up and the choke was opened. It is possible that it's a head gasket issue that is sealing when it warms up. But my money is on running to tich

 

[naford]

Does it take longer to start when cold? Could the injector/injectors be leaking into the cylinder after it is shutoff. I would pull the plugs after it has sat overnight then see and smell them.

 

[SuzaMan1957]

Good Info. My son's truck. I just got the truck in my possession. Here is what I've checked so far. The radiator is definitely losing water and the reservoir is filling. After refilling radiator (warm engine) there are air bubbles coming up and there is a steady drip (water) from the tailpipe. The white smoke is still intermittent ( I actually haven't seen it smoke, yet). The P0302 #2 misfire has returned. The engine is still running well. I will be getting into the engine in the next few days, pulling plugs, etc. But, at this point I'm pretty sure I'm looking at a bad gasket, cracked or warped head. I'll update next week. Thanks.

 

[modelageek]

http://www.blockchek.com

 

[RonD]

Na, do the "glove test" it's free and accurate, lol.

 

[modelageek]

Na, do the "glove test" it's free and accurate, lol.

I do like your glove test and if the OP can do it great.........sometimes I am not sure what the people on the forums can do.....he would have to plug the bypass hose...I am not sure if a lot of these people even know about the bypass hose........I suggested the blokchek because it is very easy and foolproof..........