Random smoking
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 331
Likes: 19
From: Navarre Florida
Random smoking
Ok guys, hopefully someone here can help me out. I just purchased my second c5 z06 a couple days ago and drove a few hours to get it. The ride back was find but later that night, I cranked it up and it started smoking on just the right side of the exhaust. It had a faint "sweet" smell but not real strong like coolant. So after that, I shut it down and started tearing into stuff. Coolant level was fine, the dipstick appeared to be fine, changed the oil and that was clean, pulled the valve covers so I could inspect the valve springs and there was a milky substance underneath the covers. Thought it might be from condensation. Pulled the intake manifold off and replaced those gaskets. After it was all put back together, i cranked it up and no issues. next day goes by and it starts smoking again randomly and then dies off. engine temp is staying normal too.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 67
From: Bahama North Carolina
He said " next day goes by and it starts smoking again randomly and then dies off. engine temp is staying normal too".
Didn't mean that the motor was damaged. It should still run with a leaky gasket.
Didn't mean that the motor was damaged. It should still run with a leaky gasket.
Last edited by BigGun; Jun 13, 2016 at 01:56 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 481
From: OK
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 3,142
Likes: 803
From: Espanola New Mexico
smoking
You did not say what color the smoke was, it could be a clue as to what could be happening, black means to much fuel, blue means it's burning oil, possible bad valve seals, and of course white meaning coolant is getting into the combustion chambers. Hope this helps.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers
Joe Kucinski
The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained
Joe Kucinski
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!
Joe Kucinski
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 331
Likes: 19
From: Navarre Florida
sorry guys, it was burning white smoke from just the one side and the smoke would die off. Car runs great, no codes. Pulled the valve covers again to check and it still had a slight milky substance on the bottom of the valve cover but nothing on the rockers. seems to stop smoking the closer the vehicle gets to operating temps. any other things to look for? the plugs were fine, nothing in the oil, car has 40k on it
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 3,142
Likes: 803
From: Espanola New Mexico
Strong possibility that your head gasket, may be leaking, the reason it stops smoking after the engine reaches operating temp's is the expansion of the engine block and heads, you could re-torque the head bolts and see if that helps, my 2 cents.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 391
Likes: 67
From: Oak Point Texas formerly okc
St. Jude Donor '16
I had white smoke on one side of a 98. It turned out to be a stuck open injector. When I pulled the plugs one cylinder was cleaner than the others and that particular injector was the one that was stuck open. It was a beautiful white smoke! You might pull the plugs on that side and see if one cylinder is cleaner than the others.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 391
Likes: 67
From: Oak Point Texas formerly okc
St. Jude Donor '16
I would still pull the plugs on that side and check if they are all burning the same. The injector could be pouring a little extra gas in when it starts. When mine was smoking, it was hard to get someone to believe it was the injector. I had a 73 VW and the injectors would get stuck all the time. Carried extra with me. The smoke on a stuck injector is really pure white. It is gas burning off. Can you smell any gas in the muffler?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 331
Likes: 19
From: Navarre Florida
I would still pull the plugs on that side and check if they are all burning the same. The injector could be pouring a little extra gas in when it starts. When mine was smoking, it was hard to get someone to believe it was the injector. I had a 73 VW and the injectors would get stuck all the time. Carried extra with me. The smoke on a stuck injector is really pure white. It is gas burning off. Can you smell any gas in the muffler?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 481
From: OK
Good call Pops... thanks for posting your fix 
Why didn't a stuck injector throw a code???? At least a P0300...misfire code
I have read a little where the stuck injector was suspect for hydro lock or at least tearing up the starter and flywheel.... looks like you were fairly lucky
Why didn't a stuck injector throw a code???? At least a P0300...misfire code
I have read a little where the stuck injector was suspect for hydro lock or at least tearing up the starter and flywheel.... looks like you were fairly lucky
Last edited by 73Corvette; Jun 22, 2016 at 10:28 PM.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 391
Likes: 67
From: Oak Point Texas formerly okc
St. Jude Donor '16
Good call Pops... thanks for posting your fix
Why didn't a stuck injector throw a code???? At least a P0300...misfire code
I have read a little where the stuck injector was suspect for hydro lock or at least tearing up the starter and flywheel.... looks like you were fairly lucky
Why didn't a stuck injector throw a code???? At least a P0300...misfire code
I have read a little where the stuck injector was suspect for hydro lock or at least tearing up the starter and flywheel.... looks like you were fairly lucky