# random white smoke



## miamisentra (Feb 19, 2006)

Good Evening,

Recently I been having engine issue with my b14 1.6l engine. When am on the expressway my car would suddenly start throwing white smoke for like 5-7 seconds and then stops. 10 minutes later it would appear again and disappear until the next 10-15 minutes.

Yesterday I notice that all my oil is gone, but yet I don't see any oil leaks around the ground or in the engine.I added oil back to the car, but the smoke still continue. When the smoke started I had enough oil because I just did the oil change. The last thing I did to my car was replace the timming chain tensioner and the valve cover gasket. I do feel my car hesitate just a bit when the smoke comes out. Currently, the only error code I get is the EGR malfucntion, but I had this before the smoke appear.

Can somebody please give some suggestion on what this could be. I love this car and I want to fix it


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## sentra77 (Aug 3, 2008)

sounds like you have some worn piston rings this happened to my camry it has 350k on it and still runs like a champ i just put oil in it every 2 days because i have a heavy foot


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## maroonsentra (Mar 3, 2007)

miamisentra said:


> Good Evening,
> 
> Recently I been having engine issue with my b14 1.6l engine. When am on the expressway my car would suddenly start throwing white smoke for like 5-7 seconds and then stops. 10 minutes later it would appear again and disappear until the next 10-15 minutes.
> 
> ...


Sounds like you're burning it. How many miles on the motor? Are you sure it's not leaking? Have to checked the front main seal?


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## etepsnewo (Jul 5, 2008)

If it only smokes after letting off the gas and then accelerating again might be valve guide worn out but sounds like oil leaks to me. Oil filters can leak if over tightened. Check your oil sending unit for leaking too. It is next to the oil filter. Pull the wire and see. If so easy fix, replace it, both for under $10. But it sounds bigger to me so read on.
Check the valve cover gasket! The rubber gasket shrinks over time and the screws will be loose if no one has even tightened them. Don't just tighten the screws, replace the gasket. It is only about $25 and easy to replace. Clean everything up well before you replace it. Tell tail sign is loose screws and oil and dirt all over the engine. On the front side it trickles down behind the exhaust manifold. That area at the head should be aluminum looking, not oil black and fury! The white smoke might be it burning off the exhaust pipe and header. FIX BEFORE YOU HAVE A FIRE!

Nissan 200SX 1.6 engine Valve Cover Removed on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

As stated above. Check the front crankshaft seal too.

CV Axles removed on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Front crankshaft oil seal leak on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Look for oil behind the harmonic balancer 

Nissan 1.6L Timming marks on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

and on the air conditioning compressor and mount area under the car. It also blows around the engine to the firewall side

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/2239904621/sizes/o/in/set-72157594347547443/

and into the passenger side wheel well. In bad cases the rear of the car will have dirty oil drops and splattering on the lower passenger side body under the car and on the trunk and rear bumper or more. The front seal only requires removal of the right front tire, plastic gravel shield, the fan belts and the harmonic balancer (The big double fan belt pulley on the bottom on the engine on passenger side. Use a puller, not a hammer or pry bar!) That big nut in the center may take a impact air wrench to loosen.

CV Axles removed on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Sometimes I remove the oil pan and use a wedge of wood between a crankshaft counter balance on #1 cylinder and the engine block to keep it from turning if I have to get heavy with a breaker bar on the socket to get the nut loose. Careful on the placement of the wood in a thick area of the block. Don't want to crack the block or do damage. Your oil pan probably needs resealing anyway too. The RTV silicone sealant shrinks up too and needs redoing. The seal surface of the harmonic balancer will most likely be grooved where the worn out seal's pressure spring has been digging a groove in it. If it is replace it. Also note. The sealing surface is the outside edge of the raised area on the back side of the harmonic balancer, not the rear face of it. Look for grooving there and get a replacement that matches. Some Auto Parts Stores are selling a HB with that area not machined and smooth. Don't use it it will tear up your new seal and leak big time. Get the one that has the outside edge machined. It fits inside the seal not just up against it.

One curious thing about these leaks is they usually only happen at highway speeds so you don't usually see oil puddles all over the ground after you park. That makes a lot of people think it is burning the oil.

The link to my set of photos including those above. These are of 3 of my 200sx with the 1.6 l in and out of the car fixing similar leaks automatic and 5 speed.. Might help to see it here before you get started or have someone else fix it.

Twins + 1 - a set on Flickr


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

do you lose the small valve cover gasket?

People have had problems with this, its about 1.5 by 2 I believe.

I will try and find a thread for you.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

no part number yet but here is a thread
http://www.nissanforums.com/ga16de-1-6l-engine/132029-weird-power-loss-smoking-oil-leak.html


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

here it is.....


blownb310 posted this.

You guys are all missing a simple item that is more than likely the entire problem. I have seen this several times on a GA16DE. Under the valve cover there is a small rectangular seal that separates the oil being splashed around from the valvetrain, from the internal breather passage. This seal does not come with a valve cover gasket set. It must be gotten seperately. The Nissan part# is: 13271-51J60. You won't belive how cheaply and quickly you just solved your problem.
Please let us all know if I was right.
Thanks


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## miamisentra (Feb 19, 2006)

IanH said:


> here it is.....
> 
> 
> blownb310 posted this.
> ...


I think I know what your talking about. When I bought vavle gasket it brought these rectangle part, but I never installed because it was already there I only replace the outer edge of the gasket. I might have to find it and replaced it anyways. Or should I leave the one that's already installed like I originally did?

Currently my car has 147k miles on it. The white only appear while am accelerating on the highway, but like I said it happens for a brief time and then disappears and reappears again.


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## miamisentra (Feb 19, 2006)

maroonsentra said:


> Sounds like you're burning it. How many miles on the motor? Are you sure it's not leaking? Have to checked the front main seal?


I replaced my front main seal a year ago which eliminated ALOT of my original oil leak.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

I have not had this prolem so I cant directly speak from experience.
Ok let me put it this way.
the last work you did was the timing chain tensioner and the valve gasket
then you get oil disappearing with no sign of a leak, a lot of Oil !!!
Other people have had the same issue, and found the problem is the small seal in the valve cover.
What do you think you should do?


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## miamisentra (Feb 19, 2006)

**Update**

Well, I sent to the Nissan dealer and picked up the small gasket everybody recommended. As mention here, the piece only cost me under $5 with tax. Today I decided to replace it and was shock to find how bad the original gasket was. First, the part was bent and did not have a rubber feel to it, instead, it had a very hard glass like feel to it. When I went to put it in the bag it it fell to the floor and broke apart .......Now that I installed the new one I will begin testing and I will keep you guys updated to see if the smoke disappear or is still here.

I have attached a picture of the new gasket(on the right) next to the old gasket(on the left). Tell me what you think of the original one.

https://cid-3c099006138591f8.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/DSC06144.JPG


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## etepsnewo (Jul 5, 2008)

That's about as bad if not worse than the one I recently replaced on a 200sx I bought in Florida last year. Must be the HOT temps down there. Mine was from St. Pete area. By your user name I guess you are in Miami, even further south.

My valve cover gasket came with that seal so I replaced it too.


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## miamisentra (Feb 19, 2006)

etepsnewo said:


> That's about as bad as the one I recently replaced on a 200sx I bought in Florida. Did your car operate in a HOT climate too?


Hopefully this fix the issue, but I have yet to test the car on the highway.


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## miamisentra (Feb 19, 2006)

***Update****
It's been one week since Saturday and I have yet to see any white smoke. Oil level has been steady this whole week also. I would like to thank everybody who gave suggestions.....Merry Christmas


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## Guro305 (Dec 16, 2007)

I had the same problem. I just replaced that little rectangular gasket today. I hope that takes care of that. I'll keep you guys posted.


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## Guro305 (Dec 16, 2007)

Well, it's been over a week since I changed the gasket and no smoke. I'd say this issue is resolved!


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## exsaloon_geo (May 21, 2009)

Hi to all!

I just bought a NIssan sentra series 4 yr99 model and im having the same problem. The mechanic already replaced the valve gasket but im not sure about that rectangular things. Just in case if its already replaced too and still im having that random smoke when i accelerated around 80km/h up. whats the next thing to check?

thanks!


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## Guro305 (Dec 16, 2007)

Head gasket


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## exsaloon_geo (May 21, 2009)

thanks! ill try to check it out this weekend and hopefully its just that little rectangle thing. tnx so much!


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## Guro305 (Dec 16, 2007)

exsaloon_geo said:


> thanks! ill try to check it out this weekend and hopefully its just that little rectangle thing. tnx so much!


For your sake hopefully. I had that problem too but I had changed the valve cover to one from a 91-94 because those have replaceable spark plug tube gaskets and the little square gasket as well.


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## exsaloon_geo (May 21, 2009)

confirmed! its just that little rectangle thing!

its already been a week now and smoke no more 

Thanks @ Guro305 and to this forum...


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## Guro305 (Dec 16, 2007)

No problem bud. Glad it was something simple. Amazing isn't it?!

I've been smoke-free ever since too so, definitely a sigh of relief.


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