Hey everybody. I was hoping someone could offer some advice. Every morning when I start my car it spews thin white smoke for between 5-10 seconds. I hoped it was condensation in the exhaust but that's probably just wishful thinking... It' an 05', I don't have a check engine light, I only run premium, All fluid levels are normal, it's bone-stock and only has 23,000 miles on it. I did notice what appears to be an un-healthy amount of carbon build-up in the exhaust tips. Has anyone had this problem? Is it serious? ANY input would be appreciated...
Thank you all!

 

White smoke is usually coolant in combustion chamber. If it gets worse, it's prolly your head gaskets.

Soot in tail pipes...a lot of peeps with oil consumption issues have this. I did with my old 2006 VQ w/OC. Checked you oil level lately? You say an 05, but is it a 5AT or 6mt? Lots of 05-06 6mt's have that OC issue.

 

It's a 5AT. Does that make a huge difference? I thought the oil level looked fine but I'll chek it again. It's still under warranty. How would the dealer be able to diagnose that?

 

May be best to take it to the dealer, this happened to my Altima... and i waited, when it was out of warranty, the cat converter had somehow gotten sucked into the engine, requiring a new engine..

 

Yes there's a difference. 5at's have the non rev-up VQ (280hp) 6mt's have the rev-up VQ (298hp). There's a TSB on OC for the rev-up VQ's. Your 5at prolly not OC then, but keep an eye on it. Have heard some have OC, but not many in comparsion.

Read a long time ago another member with the white smoke on start-up thing. Course it didn't do it when it was at dealer, so he left it over night and then did cold start-up at dealer. It did the white smoke then. Unfortunately, OP on that thread never updated what the end result was with dealer so what dealer did.

 

It only smokes when starting. After it's warmed up it doesnt smoke at all. Is that what your Altima did? I guess i better take it in next week. damn!!! They better not give me any flak about "theres nothing wrong with it" Thank's!

 

Thanks V35! I gotta take it in for sure now!!! It's my only ride so this is going to suck! Thanks again!

 

Yeah...G/L.
Maybe they'll give you (or I'd think should) a loner being you still under warranty.

Update us with your experience/results. Wish that other member had on that thread I mentioned reading long time ago.

...subscribed...

 

Heard about that. Something about cat ceramic particles possibly sucked up through EGR into engine = engine will fail soon over time.

 

I definitely will bro! I REALLY appreciate the help. Thank you all!

 

this is why i run cat delete pipes

 

Dude, don't expect anything from the dealer. What you describe can be perfectly normal (more white smoke that happens when the engine is warm also is not OK). The white "smoke" you see when starting the car is just water vapor from the combustion process that forms when the engine and exhaust is cold. If you want to check, hold up a cold piece of glass (like a mirror or a glass of ice water) to the white "smoke" and see that it is in fact just water vapor because it condenses on the glass.

 

^Agree with you if ambient temps are cold enough to cause that kind of white smoke (yes that's normal on 'cold' mornings), but being ambient morning temps are not that cold these days, I went to that place of a slowly leaking head gasket filling combustion chamber(s) while coolant system depressurizing over night and slightly leaking into chambers. That can cause white smoke on start-up even on non-cold mornings. If that condition continues to worsen, engine could finally hydro-lock one of those start-up times. And that's all bad.

OP shows location in 'the valley'. My assumption he meant 'the valley' as in san fernando valley, los angeles. That's what I used to call it when I lived there. Ambient morning temps there are not low enough to have what you described happen in the current season OP is in. Maybe OP needs to confirm what morning temps are where he lives and if my location assumption is right or wrong and with my diagnosis as possibly wrong with yours correct b/c of 'cold' morning temps

Anyway, curious as to what his dealer says about the white smoke.

Deadliver...any updates? Coolant pressure test comes to mind for dealer to do if they can't see white smoke on start-up. Any pressure drop=coolant going somewhere where it shouldn't.

 

I have an appointment at the dealer this friday. I hoped it was condensation but it did it 2 days ago at 4:30 pm when it was about 93 degrees out, so I think that would rule that out but I'm no mechanic.I filmed it on my phone and even their Tech said something wasnt right. Also I checked my oil and it's pretty damn low for only about 600miles of driving. I mentioned that to the mechanic and he said I should not top it off to prove the oil consumption issue. He was actually on my side. Pretty cool... I've been driving like an old lady for that reason. I read about the TSB and was wondering if anybody knows what they are doing about it? Hell, if I need new piston rings they gotta replace the head gaskets anyway so I'm hoping it is the OC issue.

 

My bad... You guys are right. I live in LA... Well San Fernando to be exact. It's been REALLY hot lately.