Puffs of smoke @ startup...

[95astrovan]

i dont really know if it's something serious, or just a sign of the mileage...my car has 201,000 miles on it, so it's more than served its duties to the car world...it runs and drives great. very responsive, no burning oil or anything, no valve noise or bearing knock, nothing...i do have a crack in my passenger side exhaust manifold, but thats a problem soon to be cured by headers, but i do have one thing...upon startup, for about the first minute and a half the car runs it produces nearly transparant smoke...not a big cloud...just a whisp, then a small hint at idle...the smoke doesnt increase in volume if i rev the engine, and it doesnt persist...only for the first minute or so...also...for about the first 2 minutes after the first start of the day (after its been sitting overnight, or after i havet driven it a while), it seems to run rich, as if someone's pulled the choke all the way out and held it there...it kinda boggs when u give it gas...but after about a minute, it clears up and becomes it's responsive self...the engine's very strong for the mileage...what could this be? my friend told me the smoke may be a sign of the valve seals burning out...would that be fixed by a new valvetrain? new heads? thanks yall...

[Daviselk]

Re: Puffs of smoke @ startup...

what year is your car?
and if it was running rich it would be black smoke,
burning coolant=white
oil=blue

is it running lean?
have you replaced your fuel filter recently? what is your fuel pressure
are your SP's and wires in good condition?

[youngsc]

Re: Puffs of smoke @ startup...

Did I miss it in there, about the color smoke it is? As stated above look at the color. With that mileage my guess would be on blow by.

[CDNFB]

Re: Puffs of smoke @ startup...

it produces nearly transparant smoke...not a big cloud...just a whisp, then a small hint at idle...the smoke doesnt increase in volume if i rev the engine, and it doesnt persist...only for the first minute or so

Valve seals. Can be replaced with heads in situ.

for about the first 2 minutes after the first start of the day (after its been sitting overnight, or after i havet driven it a while), it seems to run rich,

I'm thinking fuel injectors are leaking or they are dirty (poor spray pattern). Have them checked for leak down and remove and clean/or replace them.

[95astrovan]

Re: Puffs of smoke @ startup...

my car's a 95 3.4...i think the valve seals may be it because no fluid levels have dropped any, as to suggest anything was being burned off...hopefully this'll be it and the grand am headswap will cure it...as for the dirty injectors, i figured that would be a problem...would a bottle of fuel system/injector cleaner be effecient to help this problem?

[CDNFB]

Re: Puffs of smoke @ startup...

Just throwing a bottle of fuel injector cleaner or sea-foam (which seems to be a popular sport here) into the tank does not clean the injectors sufficiently. Maybe if you were to add it to every tank, thus over the long term maybe it would help.

Best way to do it is this.

Go to your local parts store and buy a fuel injector cleaner kit. This kit comes with an adaptor hose and a can or two of cleaner. There are numerous brand names and they all work the same. While your there, pick up some fuel injector O-rings (both manifold side and fuel rail side).

When you get home, follow the instructions in the kit, which generally says to pull the fuel pump fuse, attach the adaptor hose to the schrader valve on the fuel rail, and then a can of cleaner to the adaptor hose. Open the valve on the adaptor hose (to pressurize the fuel rail) and start the car. Run the engine until it dies (can of cleaner is empty). Then remove the fuel injectors from the engine, and clean them with a Q-tip and some solvent (MEK, Isoproply Alcohol, etc...) then re-install them.
There are a couple of good posts on this forum that describe the removal and cleaning of the injectors. Search them out and read them.

Or you can send you injectors to a Fuel Injection/Carburator shop who will not only do what I just described above, but they will also test the spray pattern to make sure it is right and that they don't leak or drip under pressure.

Lots of choices, Good Luck