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HELP!! oil smoke?


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I have an 08SGT with right at 13,000 miles. I have used it for some work travel. Lately I have been working much closer to home so I have had the opportunity to drive my "hoopty" and give the Shelby some well deserved garage rest time. The last couple of times I have driven the car after is sits for about 5 days I have seen a disturbing amount of blue oil smoke come out of the pipes. It is very noticeable and disturbing. It goes away and I do not see or smell anything during or after driving. Late yesterday when I returned from a business trip I tried to record the smoke upon cranking but it was late in the day and the video was a bit dark but it was definitely smoky. I will try and upload the video later. Does anyone have any tips or thoughts on this? Had a similar issue? It always helps to have some ammunition before I go and visit my friendly neighborhood dealer!

 

Thanks

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I have an 08SGT with right at 13,000 miles. I have used it for some work travel. Lately I have been working much closer to home so I have had the opportunity to drive my "hoopty" and give the Shelby some well deserved garage rest time. The last couple of times I have driven the car after is sits for about 5 days I have seen a disturbing amount of blue oil smoke come out of the pipes. It is very noticeable and disturbing. It goes away and I do not see or smell anything during or after driving. Late yesterday when I returned from a business trip I tried to record the smoke upon cranking but it was late in the day and the video was a bit dark but it was definitely smoky. I will try and upload the video later. Does anyone have any tips or thoughts on this? Had a similar issue? It always helps to have some ammunition before I go and visit my friendly neighborhood dealer!

 

Thanks

 

 

I think this is normal, my 05 GT Mustang did this and my 08 SGT/BJ (1585 miles) does it occassionally on start up, it only does it after it has been parked in the garage all week as I generally only drive on Fridays and on the weekend. If you are not using any oil, I would not worry about it as it has come up on the forum before and many of us have experienced it.

 

GG

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Is it smoke or vapor? Does the cloud remain in the air or evaporate seconds after it leaves the pipe? If it's vapor, then all your are seeing is the condinsation in the exhaust pipes turning into steam and "burning" off, which is normal. If you place your hand in the "smoke" does it feel moist or oily?

 

Burning engine oil has a distinct smell to it and will linger in the air for quite some time before dissipating, and if bad (thick) enough, the cloud will stay together and float down and away from the car before it starts to float up.

 

I suspect that you are seeing condinsation, but if your not, then you should take the car into the dealer for inspection because there is no good/acceptable reason to have a young car with only 13K miles on it burning any amount of oil.

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This doesn't feel like "normal" to me, I'm "old skool" about this issue and not really comfortable about it.. But, I've come to expect it too.

 

I have owned Ford powered automobiles exclusively since 1992. Many were later supercharged too. All of them eventually came to "puff" some blue smoke after a cold start-up. I've had many different conbinations too. Roots, positive displacement and centrifugal blowers, shorty, mid length and long tube headers, cats and no cats, 5.4L -3 and -4 V, 4.6L -2, -3 and -4V, and so on. The only common feature between any of them was a "modular" design engine, and they all puffed blue smoke.

 

Seems to me that it's a common behavior of the modular design. If there is any smoke after the start-up, and after the engine and exhaust warm up, you may have another problem to investigate. Until then, relax, and try to accept it.

 

Happy motoring, gents.

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Thanks guys. I am going to let it sit a few more days and get a good video for the dealer. The smoke is definitely blue and hangs in the air. I had not noticed it before and I am pretty sure that I would have. Blue smoke is certainly not something you expect to see from a pretty new car! It was certainly a bit scary to see.

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This does not sound normal to me at all. Mine has sat for a month now and then during the winter and never smoked a bit. I have about 6800 miles on it now. In fact, no car I ever had did this...well...except for my :hysterical3: 1970 Fiat...

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MY SGT has done this since new only 1100 miles on it not used much but after sitting a couple of days it does this dealer says normal even my M3 BMW will do same after sitting awhile, dont think anything to worry about I know this came up in 07 when my cars was new Bruce

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I have the same issue with my KR if its been sitting for more than 7-10 days. Although the smoke I see is pretty much white and dissipates pretty quickly, I too was told not to worry about it. Lots of experts here, so for now, I'm not worried.

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Every 3v we have had in here has done that. If it sits for more than 3 days it will smoke upon start-up. an oil separator will help with the issue but just remember to empty it. If you ever remove the intake, just look at the amount of oil you can get out of it. We have had cars in here with 200 miles and 3500 miles, they all do it.

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Ok thanks to all. I will just relax and enjoy the hell out of the car. It is funny that it seems to have just started doing it, but I have been driving it pretty regularly up to now.

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This is an interesting thread.

 

Our car was purchased a year ago with 3,700 miles on it. It had been driven very little and only in the summer.

 

We have owned it for 12 months and have already put 12,000 plus more miles on the car.

 

I have seen an abnormal amount of oil smoke come out of the car only TWICE since we purchased it. Both times it freaked me out. It was a large cloud of blue smoke that quickly dissipated and then the car was fine and ran normally. Both times, I assumed that the computer was a little out of whack and quickly corrected itself for rich fuel mixture, but now I am wondering...

 

The car has NEVER smoked any other time during start, idle, cruise or harsh throttle.

 

Unfortunately, I cannot say whether the car sat for more than a few days prior to this happening to us, but needless to say, I will pay attention to that potential fact should I see the smoke again.

 

Very interesting...

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  • 2 years later...

Just ran across this thread again and thought I would update.

 

I am now 2 more years down the road from the last post and now at 27k miles.

 

I have seen this heavy blue smoke on startup 6-8 times since the last comment. It does seem to be after the car sits for a week or so.

 

I don't like it at all. I don't really care if it is normal or not, I'd like to stop it.

 

Ran across this thread while researching oil separators. I'm not really sure that will help as suggested if this is really more of a valve guide issue.

 

I think I will speak with the dealer next and get their take on this. Anyone else asked their dealer for a response?

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Bought my 08 new and it now had 38k miles on it. It has done this same thing since it was almost new. Drive it everyday, no problem, let it sit for a few days, blue smoke on startup. I think a catch can is the hot ticket, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

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