I'm in the process of moving from Alabama to Colorado.
My car is a 2001 Z06 with a built 383 Stroker.
The car has always been a southeastern car it's whole life.
I trailered the car from Alabama to Colorado and went to start the car up and drive it off the trailer and had to drive the car to a car wash to spray it off. The car started up ok and drove ok but on the way back from the car wash (which was only a 1/2 mile down the road) The car stuttered and sounded like it back fired in the intake or something and white smoke was rolling out from under the hood. It has never done anything like this before. It wasn't leaking anything and continued to run the rest of the way back to the house. When I parked the car I popped the hood and there was still some smoke coming out from the engine compartment.
It looked like it was coming from the passenger side from the bottom of the engine possibly from the header. I couldn't really tell exactly where it was coming from. I turned the car off and let it sit for probably an hour and went back out to look everything over. I didn't see anything out of place and started the car up. It started fine and ran fine.
I pulled it into the garage and it's been there ever since. I had to fly back to Alabama to finalize a divorce and place my house on the market.
So I haven't seen the car since December 17th. The car is completely dry underneath and not leaking anything.
My question is could this have been an issue with the higher altitude and computer adjusting to the difference in altitude? Has anyone ever experienced anything like this and is it something I should be concerned with?
Please help me out.
Thanks, JKent

 

P.s. The Altitude in Alabam where I'm from is @ 600' ASL
Altitude in Colorado Where this happened was over 7,000' ASL

 

What kind of intake? Any chance water got in...? That's my guess.

 

Moved to C5 Tech.

 

It's got a stock ls6 intake.
I never sprayed under the hood but I guess it could have gotten in from spraying the nose of the car through the air ducts.
I did spray the nose of the car off quite a bit.
But it just seems like the water would have had to travel a long way to ave gotten in the engine.

 

What kind of air filter ? Stock box or aftermarket like Airaid etc.

 

We've driven from North Carolina (1000' ASL) to Flagstaff, AZ (7100' ASL) with no issues. Maybe our gradual climb in altitude with the engine running had a different affect than yours being hauled there and started, but I wouldn't think so.
I tend to agree with the others about water in the intake. White smoke could have actually been steam, too.
Hopefully it keeps running great for you when you return.

 

I have a Jeep TJ with an LS and have trailered it to CO and it has never done anything like you are describing (500 elevation to 10k elevation). When started it would hunt for idle for a few seconds, but that was it. Power level goes waaaay down though.

Sounds like an unrelated problem to me. Are all vacuum lines still connected? Hear any "hissing" sounds? As others have mentioned, water hitting the maf or getting into the intake?

Just stay away from that 85 octane.

 

do you have a hood seal? without one, you will get water in most aftermarket intakes.