Light to Medium White smoke for about 40 secs on cold start in the morning or when the engine cold

[Agustin Alfonso Cesar Charles]

Yes, after googling it says that I may have a cracked or leaking head gasket. But I haven

Topic

[college man]

not understanding how the top part of radiator is empty but overflow full? If you take the radiator cap off when engine cold is coolant full to top of radiator neck?
post back with more info. make, model, engine size and mileage would also help

[dreamer2355]

You have posted your question in the wrong section. You need to be posting in the ‘Service and Repair’ section.

However, i would look into using a block tester to see if you have any combustion gasses in the coolant as well as using a coolant pressure tester to see if you have any internal or external leaks.

[Agustin Alfonso Cesar Charles]

@dreamer2355 why my question is in the wrong section? since I am not looking for a repair, is just manteinance because the system is actually working great.

@collegeman sorry, I thought I had my signature enabled, anyways, is a 1995 Suzuky Swift 1.6L 16

[dreamer2355]

If you read the header for the maintenance section it states –

Keep your vehicle looking and running its best with this advice

Its not really directed for questions. Its supposed to be a guide for people made by others on how to keep your vehicle in good order.

However, if you do the tests i stated above, it will rule out whether or not you have a head gasket issue.

You also may want to look at these few video’s by Eric –

Bleeding a cooling system –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUpXgAJ1 … t3EVppbf88

Cooling system trouble shooting –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUzOTnsW … 99HlbSvyqQ

[Agustin Alfonso Cesar Charles]

Damm, my bad. C:Plet

[college man]

heres what I would try. with the engine cold. remove rad cap.top off coolant full. start vehicle and see if coolant bubbles over. if it does than head
gasket bad. check oil for milky color. last try a compression test on all cylinders. Did this vehicle over heat at one time? good luck and keep us posted. C8-)

[dreamer2355]

Liquids expand once heated so the coolant may over flow once the vehicle is at operating temperature with out the pressurized radiator cap.

[Jhowe93]

most vehicles spit out white smoke on cold days, its just water vapor meeting hot exhaust from the cold air,

[Agustin Alfonso Cesar Charles]

Update: Done the Bubble test, still waiting to do the compression check, did travel this weekend, and on destiny next morning there was the smoke again, on return next morning, suddenly no more smoke…S:-o just as before, but, I am going to the theory of some valve guide problem, or rubber seals. But it can not be, since the engine got rebuilt just a month ago.

But, there is another thing. Since then I haven

[college man]

if your using the correct viscosity and weight oil for that engine than it should not be the oil. what weight oil are you using? C8-)

[dreamer2355]

I would conduct the tests as link earlier through Eric’s video’s before making any assumptions.

[Agustin Alfonso Cesar Charles]

Castrol 20W-50, before the overhaul I use 15W40, but since there always heat around here, a thicker oil seems to give me better results.

BTW, already did a bleeding and the system seems to be working good now. The cap doesn

[dreamer2355]

That oil seems awfully thick. It will cause oil starvation issues during a cold start.

[hbvx]

^He lives in Venezula, I believe a 10w-40 Euro spec’d oil would work well.

Is this a petro/gas or diesel app? How hot ‘are’ the ambient temperatures during the summer days? How cold are the winters? Lowest vs average for both please.

[dreamer2355]

For the OP –

Id recommend this website for all your automotive fluid questions, particularly about oil –

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ub … p?ubb=cfrm

Also if you go to the home page, there is a good explanation of how oil work sat different temperatures, what HTHS means, what TBN means and so forth.

[Author]

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