Help before i go crazy please?

[Nyyankees3511]

So my car has been running great no flaws at all until today. I started my car after going to school and letting it sit for 9 to 12. I started it and i saw blue smoke rise, i really was gonna kill myself. It went away after like 1 second literally. I shut it off and started it again but no smoke at all. It seems to only happen after it sits for like 1 hour and when istart it it goes away. The first time was a pretty big amount of smoke and now its down to like a small puff. i have a v6. What should i do before i go nutts.

[Hsakuragi]

u are burning oil...

[SPF 0]

Somehow oil is leaking into the combustion chamber. The blue smoke you're seeing is from the oil that has made its way past the (rings, valve seals, ?). <i>Personally</i>, I'd get a leakdown test (not a compression test) to find the problem. Bear in mind that particular piece of advice comes from my motorcycle background and may not be entirely applicable to car.

[ClassySolaraGuy]

I agree with both... My friends Jeep did that. It was caused by oil leaking into the exhuast system.

[Nyyankees3511]

Thanks guys ill see if it does it again. My question is that in doesnt do it when i start it in the morning its only after i restart it like 1 hour later. Im hoping it doesnt do it any more.

[SPF 0]

That strikes me as odd. You would (or maybe it's just me) think the burning would be the most pronounced after sitting overnight as the oil has had hours and hours to seep past the seals.

[Jetfixer]

You are definately burning oil and it's probably coming through the valves. Bad rings and you would see smoke all the time while running. With valve seals or guides leaking, you are getting a small amount in the cylinder all the time, so check your oil level more often. When you turn the engine off you still have oil pressure for a while. This pressure is what is forcing oil into the cylinder that burns away when you start it up again. Trust me, it will not get better, it will get worse. If you are mechanically inclined, you need to find out where it's getting in so you can avoid getting ripped off later. Pull your spark plugs. You will see some oil fouling on at least one of them. It's likely that you can fix the problem more cheaply if you only have to deal with one bank of cylinders. Keep in mind that oil fouling will also ruin other expensive parts like O2 sensors and catalytic converters. I agree with the idea of getting a leak-down test, but pulling the plugs might get you the same answer faster.

[Nyyankees3511]

What do i look for with the plugs?

[SPF 0]

While I don't want to put words in Jetfixer's mouth (having a dental practice I can tell you that it's not sanitary), but my guess would be look for black fouled plugs.

[Jetfixer]

You are definately looking for a black oily or hard crusty coating, and hopefully only on one plug.

[Nyyankees3511]

I just changed them yesterday and the plugs were pretty much clean.

[Nyyankees3511]

What could it be i mean its not there as soon as i start it, it takes like 5 seconds and a small puff comes out? I really hope i dont need engine work already this car has been serviced every 3000 miles at the dealer.

[Nyyankees3511]

I started it this morning guys and there was no smoke at all. Maybe the problem is fixed.

[mshearon]

Oil is seeping past a valve guide(s) into the cylinder, when you start the engine you see a quick puff of smoke. You don't see the smoke in the morning because the oil has a chance to seep past the rings and back into the crankcase.

[Nyyankees3511]

^ that could be it. Do you guys suggest i use 10w30 since i have high mileage (101k). Its a wierd problem because it doesnt do it in the morning only like after restarting the car 1 hr later.