Smoke/Oil pouring out exhaust and motor

[ingalls71]

I have a 2002 4.4 with 107k. I started it and let it warm up for about 5 min in our winter climate. As I drove away it sputtered and started pouring white smoke out both sides of the exhaust. The smoke was so bad it filled my garage in seconds. It smelled like burned oil. I also noticed an oil trail leaking from somewhere in the engine bay. I haven't taken anything apart so I can't say where the oil is coming from yet.

The valley gasket had a minor leak prior to this issue.

After reading posts here, I suspect the oil seperator leaking into the engine but don't if this would also cause an external leak as well. The oil that leaked onto the driveway washed off with a fairly light wet snow today.

What does this issue sound like? Any ideas on the internal and external leak? Would the valley gasket cause the coolant and oil to mix?

[GmoneyLI]

I'm assuming you mean valve gasket and not valley gasket lol I hate autocorrect as well

Head gasket can case coolant to mix with your oil. Easy way to check is if you see the coolant level go down while ur engine is running. I would normally test with water instead of anti freeze but don't know of you feel like draining and filling your system a few times in the cold lol

What your describing sounds a little different. Oil only burns like you described if it enters the combustion chamber. For it to both enter the combustion chamber and leak out of the engine.. And mix with coolant..R u positive the oil leaked from the engine and not the exhaust?

How fast are u loosing oil? U could have a busted piston ring. That would send oil into the combustion chamber very quickly.

[jbond007]

Originally Posted by ingalls71

I have a 2002 4.4 with 107k. I started it and let it warm up for about 5 min in our winter climate. As I drove away it sputtered and started pouring white smoke out both sides of the exhaust. The smoke was so bad it filled my garage in seconds. It smelled like burned oil. I also noticed an oil trail leaking from somewhere in the engine bay. I haven't taken anything apart so I can't say where the oil is coming from yet.

The valley gasket had a minor leak prior to this issue.

After reading posts here, I suspect the oil seperator leaking into the engine but don't if this would also cause an external leak as well. The oil that leaked onto the driveway washed off with a fairly light wet snow today.

What does this issue sound like? Any ideas on the internal and external leak? Would the valley gasket cause the coolant and oil to mix?

I agree. You're on the right track. Start with the oil separators. Next would be the valve covers as they have a "labyrinth" type oil separation feature instead of the ol' PVC valve style. As the oil separators and valve covers get sludged up, you'll siphon up oil which gets dumped into the intake. I notice this happens the most after sitting and idling, then taking off - white smoke! happens most with people in cold climates as you describe.

[ingalls71]

It's had a slow coolant leak from what the dealer called a valley gasket. This may or may not explain the low coolant. The coolant indicator shows low but still floats.

There is oil on the right rear of the engine block. Can't tell where it's coming from. I haven't been able to lift the vehicle yet and the skid plate is still on. Without doing so I can't seem to indentify if the oil is dripping down from a gasket or splashing out from the exhaust. No oil registers in the dipstick.

Would a bad gasket from an oil separator also leak external? Or does this sound like it's splashing out an exhaust connection?

I will research the forum for oil separator. Right now I don't have a clue as to where it is, what it looks like or how to fix it.

[GmoneyLI]

If ur dipstick doesn't touch oil you're burning it at a very fast rate. I'm assuming this was one occurrence so correct me if I'm wrong.

In my experience when oil leaks through the head gasket or the valve cover it does so at a much slower pace than what you are describing.

What I'm hearing is oil getting sucked into the combustion chamber rapidly. Some is being burned and some is getting spit out.

I could be wrong though..

[ingalls71]

After reading about this oil separator I found a thread that sounds like my issue.

This started after sitting outside in single digits for a few days. It cause the separator to burp and blow the valve cover gasket. Sounds like BINGO to me!

Repair with the updated separator according to other posts.

Any flaws with this plan?

[ingalls71]

GmoneyLI - It most definately was leaking out the exhaust. I could have sent smoke signals to China it was so bad. I mean I couldn't see my hand in front of my face bad. That was from both exhaust end pipes.

But also from the right side of the engine.

From what I've read here, I'm thinking oil separator and valve cover gasket.

Any other thoughts?

[JCL]

Sounds like the oil separator but think about the failure mode. It can freeze, and your idling it won't help, it will extend the warm-up time. If it freezes open oil can be drawn into the inlet manifold by engine vacuum and you get smoke out the tailpipe. No leaks, though. If it freezes closed the crankcase can get pressurized and it pushes out any gasket it can, usually the valve cover gasket first. Oil leaks out onto the exhaust manifold and you get smoke up front, but not out the tailpipe.

White smoke is usually coolant, not oil. Can be hard to tell, though. Since you had problems before this (valley gasket, low coolant) you could have multiple problems, making it harder to diagnose.

Start by figuring out where the leaks are coming from. And add oil before running it.