uhh ohh need help bad!

[97ranger xlt]

gosh drain the oil and put 5 qts fresh in. if you have a blown head gasket
the exhaust would blow white smoke not blue.
thats a lot of coolant loss either it's leaking or burning.

 

[Capt Jay]

Bad head gasket or possibly cracked or warped head(probably head gasket, you hope). Period. This is bad, you need to get it fixed. If you are mechanical, replacing a head gasket is very easy on a 2.3. Buy a shop manual and change the head gasket.

 

[Young_unn]

Well today and yesterday it was 60 un here in cleveland, and the trucks running miraculously great.

i plan on doing the head gasket, i just have no time right now. im innundated with work. i was hoping the engine would hold out till spring, where its warm, i dont have a garage.

it does blow white smoke out the exhaust in the morinings, just some mornings its blueish

and im burning coolent, i dont leak a drop of any fluid

 

[Dave R]

if you have a blown head gasket
the exhaust would blow white smoke not blue.

Depends on where the gasket failed.

 

[Insanejughead]

My ranger did the same thing on me for a few days. I put a brand new O2 sensor in it and it runs just fine now. I never had any problems with losing coolant (a few drips for a while out of the thermostat housing after I replaced it, but I expected that). I also didn't have any problems with the oil.

I had no fluid leaks, no gasket problems, nothing out of the ordinary other than rough running and no power while driving.

Once the engine got warmed up, or it was a warm day I would not have that problem...

 

[Young_unn]

My ranger did the same thing on me for a few days. I put a brand new O2 sensor in it and it runs just fine now. I never had any problems with losing coolant (a few drips for a while out of the thermostat housing after I replaced it, but I expected that). I also didn't have any problems with the oil.

I had no fluid leaks, no gasket problems, nothing out of the ordinary other than rough running and no power while driving.

Once the engine got warmed up, or it was a warm day I would not have that problem...

hmm ill see if i can get some o sensors, it wont hurt it to replace em,

 

[jubangy]

I have the same exact issue except I know where my coolant is going. It is leaking out of the t-stat housing.
If the head gasket was at fault, it would not really matter if it was cold or warm, it would run like shit, and it would smoke.
Not to mention, I could of swore op said the oil was clean.

I think the key is figuring out what all really changes that much from the outside temperature being about 40 or above, or below to cause these issues.

But honestly, to the op, get your oil changed if you haven't already and make sure it doesn't look like chocolate milk.
Most cars I have seen give off a puff or two of white smoke on cold damp mornings when started.
And back to the head gasket, usually when they blow to where the coolant leaks into the oil, it won't go away when the car is warmed up it will constantly smoke heavy white smoke. If the gasket blows between cylinders, it will really run like shit. It wont really have the problems you are having now, it will just have no guts what so ever. I have experienced the gasket blowing between cyliners in an 87 dodge minivan 2.2 and it ran ok at idle, but when you put a load on it it had no power barely could move itself. In an 87 mazda b2200 with a 2.0 i think it was, it blew to where the coolant mixed in the oil, that will smoke out a city block at least mine did but the truck actually ran somewhat ok. either case it sucks to have to change it.

Things that I am going to check on mine next as I have the same exact issues as you (minus the smoke and too much oil) is fuel pressure, o2 sensor and if that doesn't turn up the problem then I will try going after the egr.
Keep posting on what you find out hopefully we can get to the bottom of this without either one of us having to dump a shit load of money into them.

 

[toddyfraz]

I am losing coolant too, no obvious leaks anywhere, and I also get a light white smoke out of the exhaust for less than 2-3 minutes when it's cold. I honestly wasn't positive it was smoke, and thought maybe it's just because it's cold. When it warms up, the smoke is gone.

What's throwing me off is that the coolant is going somewhere, and am suspicious that it's a head gasket. However, if what Jubangy says is accurate, shouldn't I have white smoke all the time and not just for the short 2-3 minutes when it's cold?