Lucida White Smoke On Startup

[skolawn]

Hi

Just joined as just bought a Lucida, it smokes white smoke when it starts mainly when left over night or for several hours, this smoke takes maybe a hundred yards to clear, then it runs with no smoke, drives very well, fast and smooth.

Is it anything to worry about??

Paul

[Mick24]

probally just water vapour/condensation this time of year - hot exhaust gas~cold ambient temperature.

If its burning oil it will be a blueish colour smoke and you will smell burning oil if you stand at the back of the car.

[skolawn]

still worries me a bit, frined says it might be head gasket.

I thought if it was a head gasket though.

You would loose water and lots off it quickly. The radiator would pressurise and water would get dumped out.

Heaters go cold.

And it would be a hard to start run lumpy and not idle and be really slow.

None of these characteristics are occuring.

Anyone have a view.

Just want to put my mind at ease as heard lots of problems with hed gaskets on eminas..

Paul

[george53]

Paul,

Get it checked out asap - I had same with my Estima and put it down to cold weather, diesel engine etc. Turned out to be head gasket, but by the time I'd got it checked out not only did I have to replace the head gasket but I also had a cracked cylinder head and water damaged turbo that needed replacing. End product was a bill running close to 4 grand. Wish I'd have had it checked out before further damage was done :(

Just want to put my mind at ease as heard lots of problems with hed gaskets on eminas..

Paul

[jimma]

Check it out anyway, but if its only doing it for 100 yards then i'm 99% sure it's condensation just like most cars on the road in winter! (presuming you are in the UK).

[Richym]

Paul

I agree with the last comment - get it checked. My Lucida started throwing out steam just after I started it which cleared quickly. It didn't seem to lose water. Then suddenly the engine locked up.

To cut a story short I have a cylinder head with cracks above cylinders 1 and 4 and the reason the engine locked was that water had flooded the cylinders.

Hope your problem isn't like mine !!!

Good luck

Rich

[Jamesb4uk]

Hi Rich - welcome to TOC

not sure what happend but this post is over a year old mate

J

[baldbassman]

Hi

Just joined as just bought a Lucida, it smokes white smoke when it starts mainly when left over night or for several hours, this smoke takes maybe a hundred yards to clear, then it runs with no smoke, drives very well, fast and smooth.

Is it anything to worry about??

Paul

←

I have a Granvia with a very similar problem that I'm in the process of trying to resolve.

I haven't taken the van to a mechanic yet, but it's been suggested to me by someone who knows a bit about diesels that the smoke is being caused by a sticking injector that isn't closing properly when the engine is switched off. It continues to dribble diesel into the cylinder, and when you start it up again, that cylinder is overloaded with fuel, won't fire properly initially (it sounds like it's misfiring and runs rough for the first few seconds) and the unburnt diesel being expelled is what creates the smoke.

I'm going to try a couple of good doses of injector cleaner first to see if that remedies things before I take it to a mechanic - a much cheaper solution... if it works! :D