When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have a 78 with almost no mods. Recently got the car from my father. I am at the beginner level in terms of troubleshooting.
when I start the car, I have about 30 seconds before a medium density cloud of white smoke starts rising from the drivers side of the engine bay. Can’t see it when looking underneath the engine bay. It seems to be coming from the back left side of the engine, near a bolt. any suggestions?
generally, smoke color
blue is oil burning
black is too much fuel burning
white is mostly coolant burning, but trans fluid
automatic can burn white to my eye.
the area you circled is wet looking.
not so much oily as wet.
does the smoke stay coming off the engine or does it quit?
do you lose coolant?
welcome.
between all the people here, someone will identify whats going on.
Is it overheating? Does the smoke continue for long period of time. Brake fluid is possible at that location. If it was coolant, you would almost taste it. Sweet tasting…..you would know. If that’s the issue buy a block tester on Amazon for cheap and test the block for a crack or gasket failure. Sounds intimidating but it’s very simple to do. I wouldn’t cross out oil burning at the exhaust manifold which is right where that bolt is. You could simply have a leaky valve cover. Are you leaking oil? Are oil levels maintaining? I know I threw a lot at you but these are questions that could help us help you and things that are easy to check off a list of many possibilities.
k .. i am going to say (forgetting the color for the moment), it is too far away to be brake..my guess is oil from valve cover leaking... i took a pic from mine very similiar..below
this fixed for me.. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ification.html
Sorry, is that a rat's nest on the exhaust manifold????
quite possibly! I was downrange for 6 months, this was its initial ops check. You shoulda seen the spiderwebs after pulling it from the barn and uncovering it
all kidding aside...
C-3's especially later models have a tendency to loosen the 'end' exhaust manifold bolts...which creates a exhaust leak.
Can you characterize the 'smoke' with any PFFFT noise coming from the manifolds.
If you DO HEAR a PPFT!...then my surmise is that the car is evaporating moisture, and as the car warms up the manifolds expand and the moisture goes away due to 'coming up to temp.'
Like others have said 'white smoke/fumes' is moisture/water/AF.
Is it overheating? Does the smoke continue for long period of time. Brake fluid is possible at that location. If it was coolant, you would almost taste it. Sweet tasting…..you would know. If that’s the issue buy a block tester on Amazon for cheap and test the block for a crack or gasket failure. Sounds intimidating but it’s very simple to do. I wouldn’t cross out oil burning at the exhaust manifold which is right where that bolt is. You could simply have a leaky valve cover. Are you leaking oil? Are oil levels maintaining? I know I threw a lot at you but these are questions that could help us help you and things that are easy to check off a list of many possibilities.
thankfully it isn’t overheating. I can’t smell/taste much, thanks a lot Covid, so I’m not sure if it’s coolant. Oil levels are steady. You have given me several great leads, thank you!
White smoke in engine bay
