White Smoke from Exhausts

[Dollar Bill]

Guys, have an issue with Chimaera 500 (nearly two years old and only 13,000 Kilos on clock. White smoke clouding out of exhausts after 1-2 minutes of start up. No apparent power loss. Sometimes it does not happen (maybe a day or so) then returns. Water and oil levels all normal, and no issues with starting. At the weekend after 10 minutes of driving produced more smoke than a Michael Jackson concert. Its now in the dealers, but as usual being the only one in Singapore I am looking for some guidance. Any suggestions? Much appreciate any help.

[K4TRV]

Dollar Bill said:

Guys, have an issue with Chimaera 500 (nearly two years old and only 13,000 Kilos on clock. White smoke clouding out of exhausts after 1-2 minutes of start up. *SNIPPED* Its now in the dealers, but as usual being the only one in Singapore I am looking for some guidance. Any suggestions? Much appreciate any help.

Well, as you are in Far East (to UK !!)I doubt its condensation!!!

Does sound like you may have problem with Brake Servo as the white smoke is similar to that when Brake fluid is drawn into intake and burnt in combustion chambers. If diagphram is holed this can allow small amounts of brake fluid which accumulate to get drawn into engine. Before you start the engine, was your Brake pedal "firm" ?? I'm sure the dealers will sort it ???

Trev McM

[RCA]

Head Gasket!!!

[Paul V]

It might be worth speaking the TVR Malaysia, when my Griff was in Singapore it was serviced by them and had some extra cooling bits fitted.

Head gasket would most likely lose power due to lose of compression.

[peterc]

Head gasket is most likely fault or perhaps a cracked head or block - getting more expensive by the minute!

You say smoke? Do you really mean water vapour (steam) mixed into the exhaust? Does it come out of both exhaust pipes just one side?

Water vapour (Steam) is 1000x bigger than the liquid water that it came from. So a small water leak will make huge amounts of steam.

Get it checked urgently by experts, this will save you money on the long run.

[IPAddis]

peterc said:

Does it come out of both exhaust pipes just one side?

Exhaust is a single pipe in the middle so this won't tell you if one bank has a head gasket problem sadly.

[Dollar Bill]

Its coming out of both sides. It may well be steam, but smells wierd.

Appreciate all the suggestions, will pass on to the dealer. Many thanks.

[RCA]

IPAddis said:

peterc said: Does it come out of both exhaust pipes just one side? Exhaust is a single pipe in the middle so this won't tell you if one bank has a head gasket problem sadly.

Don't think it is!!, It is still two seperate pipes going through one box. Could be wrong though!

[trefor]

If the car is not using any oil or water (and one of the levels isn't going up either) then I would suggest this is simply condensation. Does the problem go away after the engine is warmed up? If so, then that's my guess.

[davidn]

Dollor Bill,
Do you have PAS? If yes, I had a similar sounding problem with fluid leaking from under the pump onto the join in the exhaust right below it. White smoke on start up (both exhausts) cleared once fluid burnt off.
If no PAS then sorry for the useless info.
David

[jigs]

I also think the most likely candidate is a faulty brake servo allowing fluid to leak past diaphragm into inlet manifold.

[IPAddis]

RCA said:

IPAddis said: peterc said: Does it come out of both exhaust pipes just one side? Exhaust is a single pipe in the middle so this won't tell you if one bank has a head gasket problem sadly. Don't think it is!!, It is still two seperate pipes going through one box. Could be wrong though!

It'd be nice if it was but the two banks are joined in the engine bay at the aptly named "Y-piece" and then run as a single pipe to the exhaust box where they then split to the two end pipes.

Unless I've gone completely insane that is.

Does the "smoke" go away after 10 minutes? What about when the car is nice and hot (water circa 80-90 degrees C)?

Ian A.

[RCA]

doh!!!, You are indeed correct!!, I should have known this as I have taken the exhaust off about 3 times in the last couple of months!!!!

[k4trv]

K4TRV Said: Well, as you are in Far East (to UK !!) I doubt its condensation!!!

Does sound like you may have problem with Brake Servo as the white smoke is similar to that when Brake fluid is drawn into intake and burnt in combustion chambers. If diagphram is holed this can allow small amounts of brake fluid which accumulate to get drawn into engine. Before you start the engine, was your Brake pedal "firm" ?? I'm sure the dealers will sort it ???

and JIGS said:

jigs said:

I also think the most likely candidate is a faulty brake servo allowing fluid to leak past diaphragm into inlet manifold.

Thanks JIGS, similar thoughts - I wonder what the problem is/was (certainly not condensation when Humidity at +90%) !!!

Trev McM

[tamago]

Hi Dollar Bill
Bit of a thread hijack but I am from SGP and was wondering how you managed to import the Chim there? I have a bit of experience the other way around, i.e. importing an old Jag from HK to the UK but I am particularly wondering about the Certificate of Entitlement and the tax. If you don't mind me asking, is it worth doing? I probably won't export my Chim to Asia (when and if the time comes) as it doesn't have aircon, unless TVR Malaysia can work its magic at a reasonable price...

Glad to know that there is a TVR in SGP though!

[HarryW]

Not convinced about the brake fluid theory here chaps the brake servo whilst connected to the induction system, to get the vacuum, is not IMHO conected directly to the brake fluid system. AFAIK the servo acts on a mechanical linkage to the master cylinder, so the only connection is the mechanical linkage.
The fact that it has an apparent condensate cloud 'sometimes' could be attributed, given no loss of coolant, IMHO possibly to the quality of petrol and a high water content . Do you always use the same garage , is there more of a trend you could identify along those lines. Bottom line if the car is running fine and you are not losing fluids I'd leave alone personally.

Harry

[ribol]

A servo can do this but if the fluid level does not drop then it isn't and it only gets worse. The same goes for the coolant, if the level does not drop then it cannot be that either.
I once had a car that had a fueling problem, the excess fuel watered down the engine oil. As the fuel went into the oil it watered it down and got thinner. The thinner it got the more it burnt off but the oil level was always the same!

Ivan

[yiw1393]

ribol said:

A servo can do this but if the fluid level does not drop then it isn't and it only gets worse. The same goes for the coolant, if the level does not drop then it cannot be that either. I once had a car that had a fueling problem, the excess fuel watered down the engine oil. As the fuel went into the oil it watered it down and got thinner. The thinner it got the more it burnt off but the oil level was always the same! Can't be that though, because oil smoke is blue! Ivan

[jigs]

Maybe you car's a devine pyschic - new Pope on the way!