# '08 Altima: white smoke on start up



## LSUTIGER (Mar 26, 2014)

For about a month, when I start my car a cloud of white smoke is coming from both mufflers. Oil is being checked daily because it is low every couple of days. Oil level seamed to be low on Saturday so 1qt of oil was added, oil was checked again on Wednesday and was back down to where it was on Saturday, so another qt was added. It seems that when it gets low on oil there is a clatter noise for a few seconds. All other fluid levels are good. Oil doesn't appear to be milky or bad, good clean oil. It only smokes on start up and usually only after it has been sitting for aprox 2-4 hours or more. Any idea what could be causing this or how costly it is to repair?


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## worthirt (May 21, 2013)

Probaly your piston rings. Changing basically requires a rebuild of the motor. What I'm saying is that you have to take apart so much of the motor to change them, you should probaly just rebuild it at that point, that or get a new motor.


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

white smoke suggests coolant (blue, oil) which engine? I'am thinking head gskt..... sitting, coolant is seeping into a cylinder(s) and burning off when you start it, you could pull the plugs and check the color, or compression/leak down tests...


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## LSUTIGER (Mar 26, 2014)

It's a 3.5L V6.


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## worthirt (May 21, 2013)

Oops my bad, got in a hurry. SPEEDO is correct on this one. It's also possible that you have water in the exhaust. Have you checked your fluids lately (focus on the radiaitor fluid). if you mistook the color as white, it may have a little blue in it, then it's oil.


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## kdennis (Jan 13, 2015)

*'08 Altima Coupe*

I have an '08 Altima Coupe and it does the same thing. I have been researching it and apparently this is an issue with Nissans. I only have 67k miles, and it smokes on start up, but only for a few minutes, and doesn't do it every time. I am also losing a lot of oil, but there isn't oil spots under the car. I've read it can be everything from a bad valve cover gasket, to pistons, to rings, etc. The oil isn't milky and the car isn't getting hot or losing power. Any ideas?


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