# Apologies if its been covered THICK white smoke



## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

92 sentra E 1.6L intake/header/exhaust ran AWESOME until i lost my license and starting it every other day for about 9 months has taken its toll, what used to be invisible smoke from the exhaust is now thick and white...maybe even grey at times? but its not blue (oil) smoke. Help? please?


Chris


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## 95 SentraB13 (Jun 14, 2002)

Possible coolant leak due to a blown head gasket perhaps. Is there any white residue in your oil? Has the engine coolant level dropped?


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

Oil looks great on the dipstick and even popping the oil plug for a moment it has not lost but a 1/4 quart in the 9 or so months it has been sitting, water level is great, possibly the low temperature??? but another thing is that it shows no visible smoke until it is revved to 4K or so (have no tach...) then blows thick white kind of smelly smoke


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## I'm tired of my usernamee (Feb 16, 2004)

could be bad gas from sitting for so long. Just try to do a full tune up and replace everything like plugs, change oil, new gas, cap and rotor etc etc etc....


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

god i would feel stupid if this is what it is, but do you think it just needs to be driven? or that its just really cold out (im in oregon) it still roars as good as the day i had intake header exhaust installed


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

91 sentra beat me to it, LoL!!! i will let you guys know...


while im spamming this thread, how hard is it to change timing belt on GA16DE??it has 140K and im not even sure when last belt change was... sigh. i already changed the alternator belt i think it was? and besides space being tight it was pretty simple.


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## 95 SentraB13 (Jun 14, 2002)

B13Sentra2DR said:


> ...how hard is it to change timing belt on GA16DE??it has 140K and im not even sure when last belt change was... sigh.


There is no belt, it's an internal chain which usually doesn't require replacement. It's very time consuming and difficult to change the chain. If anything the timing chain guides may be worn which would result in a constant and noticeable rattling / clatter. Replacing them involves the same procedure as replacing the chain itself.


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

B13Sentra2DR said:


> 92 sentra E 1.6L intake/header/exhaust ran AWESOME until i lost my license and starting it every other day for about 9 months has taken its toll, what used to be invisible smoke from the exhaust is now thick and white...maybe even grey at times? but its not blue (oil) smoke. Help? please?Chris


Just starting it every other day may be causing carbon build-up, or the excess gas is not being able to burn off. It may be better to just skip the other every day starts, charge the battery occasionally, and then drive it like you stole it once you get you license back. Just try not to get caught. :thumbup: Also, you may want to run some injector cleaner to help clean out all the deposits. My personal favorite is Fuel Power (FP60) http://www.lubecontrol.com/. I am on my second gallon of the FP60. My Sentra has never run better.


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

soooooo...you've gone over 9 months without an oil change? yeah...

as for fuel sytem cleaners, Techron (made by chevron) is my favorite. safe for 02 sensors and does a great job, noticable improvement with one quart.


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

I bet some unburned fuel has made that oil very nice by now.  

It would be good to let the car run a long time so the oil is good and warm before you change it. Also, I have heard most wear happens at start-up. Once everything is warmed up, and things are getting better lubrication, then wear is reduced. Your oil may be thinning out by now if unburned gas gets past the rings. So, an oil change is a good idea.


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

i just meant that it was not burning or leaking, i changed the oil once, gimme a break!!


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## I'm tired of my usernamee (Feb 16, 2004)

well its obvious that its in definate need of a tune up and checking the rings for compression and blow by is usually something you should do anyways.......just try the easy stuff first and see what happens before you go and get the headgasket replaced or whatnot.


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

Sorry, I did not mean the changing the oil suggestion in a bad way. I flooded my car and a lot of gas got into the crankcase. The oil got so thin that the oil pressure light was coming on. With the symptoms you are having, your gas may not be burning completely. What is left over may be working into the crankcase. It is not so much the time, but the current problems/smoke that made me a little concerned your oil may be loosing it ability to lubricate properly. Just didn't want damage to occur because of lack of lubrication. Hope it works out for you!


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## sunnysentra (Jul 24, 2002)

I am going to say head gasket because of this:

If you ever overheated at any time or you have not flushed the system at any time or had the proper mixture, then you can overheat and not really know it. The temp guage in Nissans varies 40-60 degrees or more, the needle points in the middle, but its not really reliable unless its pegging hot. Also, the water jackets can corrode, you can get hot spots in the head and block that will warp the head or gasket. This is why its inportant to flush that system at least 30,000 miles or 2 years. Rust and corrosion can plug up those tiny orifices that flow water and if blocked, spells disaster. 

Look for the Head gasket, do a cylinder leakdown and radiator leakdown for proper testing. 

Chris 92 classic


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## HATEnFATE (Dec 24, 2002)

How long did you let your car run when you ran it? There shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary that went wrong, as long as you let it get fully warm. 


> or that its just really cold out


You said it's cold, are you 100% sure that it's not just a LOT of crap because your car is cold? If you just run your car but never move it then your exhaust doesn't get fully hot either. you might just be seeing a LOT of hot air coming from your cold ass exhaust pipe. 
Smell your exhaust and make 100% sure it's smoke and not just steam beause it's sitting there running and not moving. You'll know the smoke smell. In the winter my car will pump out white steam until I DRIVE it for at least 10 minutes and then even sometimes it wont go away. depends on how cold it is. 

Thats what it sounds like to me.


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

Holy crap guys...... some new information:
I drove my car for about a mile to see how it would do and it ran fckn awesome....

until i started it the next day (today) it is misfiring while idling, i checked the oil HOURS LATER (car is cold as fuck by then) and its about 2 centimeters above the H line on the dipstick, WHILE COLD!?!?! where is it sucking all of this extra crap from? anyone?? there is still coolant in the overflow container... where could it possibly be obtaining all of this new oil?? (or water??!??) the way its idling reminds me of how it idles when one of the spark plug wires comes disconnected from one of the spark plugs so that sounds like an easy fix, but what about the oil? please help, you guys rock


Chris


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

if you guys think its my head gasket will you just give it to me straight: could i do it myself without taking the car anywhere (cuz i wont drive it with the oil thats in it now, its sucking it out of nowhere, no fckn way)


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## HATEnFATE (Dec 24, 2002)

hmmm what did you oil look like? If you had coolant in it, it would be milky and runny.


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

Thanks for responding fast, i went outside and slowly but surely filled a shotglass about half full of oil just cuz its dark and cold out so i dont want to pull the plug underneath tonight and it has totally normal color and consitency


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

how could i test the radiator fluid for oil content, also?


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## HATEnFATE (Dec 24, 2002)

Look in your overflow bottle.
Remove your radiator cap and look to see if you can see oil floating on top of your coolant.


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

> where is it sucking all of this extra crap from?


One possibility is you are getting gas in your oil. That will raise the level. Sometimes injectors leak, so that could cause extra smoke when starting until the extra fuel is burned. The extra fuel may also be getting past your rings. The oil may look normal, but fuel will cause a higher reading on the dipstick.



> next day (today) it is misfiring while idling


My experience was that misfiring was caused by two things, a bad plug wire, or a bad injector. 

Pulling the head is a big job, at least it was for me. One way to check if you are getting gas or antifreeze in the oil is to have a lab test the oil. Blackstone does it for $20.


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

Okay... I can't see any water in my oil or any oil in my water so maybe what you were saying about the injectors is right... im gonna tune up & change water and oil and see if it is still acquiring extra oil in the next few days


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

I have been thinking of your situation today. I have been told it is normal for some water or other combustion by products to accumulate in the oil when the engine is not fully warmed up. If you fully warm up the engine, say taking it on the highway, it will burn off. Gas is different, at least in my case. It just thinned the oil out until the oil pressure light came on at a stop sign. So, some of what is happening may be normal since you may not be getting the engine fully warm. Also, I imagine the starting every other day has contributed to carbon build-up in the combustion chamber and injectors. When you drove it a mile, it may have run good, but some of that junk may start messing up your injectors as it breaks loose. I think that was my situation. For three years I worked 2 miles from my house. I would shuttle back and forth several times a day, and the engine would rarely get fully warmed up, especially in the winter. I am sure that contributed to my injector failure. Now, if my car runs rough, I take it on the highway, open the throttle, and it corrects itself. Who knows how much junk has accumulated? One more thing, exhaust systems rust out from the inside out. If the system is not warm enough to burn off the moisture, it causes the exhaust to deteriorate at a faster rate.


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

Okay.... I'm kind of slow but are you saying it might be going higher up on the dipstick cuz of how cold it is here in oregon? and it might be fine? i was listening to it misfire earlier as it was warming up and it misfired the same way all the way to warm up the same way it has when my problem #2 cylinder spark plug wire has come undone from the spark plug

I would hate to have wasted all of this thread for nothing but less than i would hate fixing anything on my car, LOL

Chris


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

I was just trying to cover all the bases. But, since you are getting a misfire, you are getting unburned fuel. What is not burned has to go somewhere. But, yes, I imagine Oregon is cold this time of year. An engine that does not get warm does get some moisture in the oil, that will evaporate when run warm for a while (so I have been told). Did you replace the plug wire that came off? I am on my second set of plug wires. The OEM ones and one aftermarket set shorted out. Plus, replaced injector #1. You may want to remove the plug wires one at time to see which cylinder is missing (if you can't tell at this point). 



> I would hate to have wasted all of this thread for nothing but less than i would hate fixing anything on my car, LOL


Actually, this is an adventure. I am just a Nissan owner passing on the limited things I know or have experienced.  Your car should not be missing, so that needs to be addressed at some point.


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

The plug wires on it are some ridiculous napa crap because it conveniently misfired in front of one and i had the $$ so stopped and did it real quick... what plug wires are recommended?? Also, i have been using NGK plugs is that legit??


I'm just glad so many people have the same car as me and knows so much about my car. my GA16 has been good to me and when its not, im going SR20 for sheezy. hehe


Chris


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

Most recommendations I have read here say go OEM with plug wires. But, my OEM plug wires went 85,000, and my Advance Xact ones went 85,000 miles. My mechanic put on whatever his supplier provided. They seem to work fine. I have had good performance with stock NGK plugs. So, your plug wires may be fine. My suspicion is an injector problem...If you have not changed the fuel filter for a while, it may be a good idea. Gas does get bad over time. You may be getting a lot of junk in your gas tank since your car has just been sitting for such a long time.


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

Theres just something about the way it sounds that tells me ignition system... i wish i could pull the car inside to capture a .wav file.. you would know what i mean.


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

You may be right. I was ready to pull my fuel rail this last fall. I was almost home. Pulled off the highway, and got the da..da..da..da...sound. I was missing on a cylinder. I thought great, I lost another injector. I was about to pull the fuel rail, then said it was not worth it. I drove it to my mechanic. When he was testing for a bad injector he found the plug wire that was shorted out. I could not tell the difference. But, unless you check out things, it is hard to tell the cause of the problem you are experiencing.


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