smoke on start up HELP - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

johnmorton · 08-29-2012, 08:07 AM

hi ppl
when i start my boxter i get a lot of blue smoke from the exhaust, it doesnt happen all the time any1 know why this is happening????????

Pastor T · 08-29-2012, 08:22 AM

check this thread, it seems to be what you are talking about.
jackdar Blue smoke on start up 06-18-2012, 04:07 PM

johnmorton · 08-29-2012, 08:32 AM

hi pastor
thanks for the help, dont know how to get to that thread, lol, im new and havnt got my head round this yet. ha ha

thstone · 08-29-2012, 09:24 AM

Here is the correct link to the thread of interest: http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/35973-blue-smoke-start-up.html

CoBeerToad · 08-29-2012, 09:31 AM

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/35973-blue-smoke-start-up.html

trimer · 08-30-2012, 05:21 AM

I have been meaning to write on this topic. I too had this happen every once in a while (wasnt really blue in color but that was looking out of my rearview mirror so not 100% sure). I may have found the trick to it though...at least for my car. \

When I pull in the garage, I let the car idle for about 30 -45 seconds to just calm it down so to speak. I typically drive the car fairly hard when I take it out...so I figured why not let it relax a little before shutting her off. When it was happening every so often, it would be after a drive where I was going pretty hard, pulled in the garage and just shut it down...

Since I have been doing this - over the past couple months, I have not had any smoke at all on start up.

shadrach74 · 08-30-2012, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trimer

I have been meaning to write on this topic. I too had this happen every once in a while (wasnt really blue in color but that was looking out of my rearview mirror so not 100% sure). I may have found the trick to it though...at least for my car. \

When I pull in the garage, I let the car idle for about 30 -45 seconds to just calm it down so to speak. I typically drive the car fairly hard when I take it out...so I figured why not let it relax a little before shutting her off. When it was happening every so often, it would be after a drive where I was going pretty hard, pulled in the garage and just shut it down...

Since I have been doing this - over the past couple months, I have not had any smoke at all on start up.

Anthropomorphism-any attribution of human characteristics (or characteristics assumed to belong only to humans) to other animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities.

As emotional as I am about cars, I try to excise emotion from my thinking about physics and mechanics.

Unless you're pulling into the garage at red line, the 45 sec cool down in the garage does no more for the car than the gentle drive down your home street into your driveway.

Mark_T · 08-30-2012, 07:05 AM

I don't experience smoke at start-up, except when I first start it in the spring and then there is a little bit for a few seconds.

From what I understand though, a little blue smoke at start-up is fairly normal for these cars and nothing to worry about. However, if it starts billowing large amounts of white smoke then shut it down right away and search "AOS failure".

trimer · 08-30-2012, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadrach74

Anthropomorphism-any attribution of human characteristics (or characteristics assumed to belong only to humans) to other animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities.

As emotional as I am about cars, I try to excise emotion from my thinking about physics and mechanics.

Unless you're pulling into the garage at red line, the 45 sec cool down in the garage does no more for the car than the gentle drive down your home street into your driveway.

Funny - that is why I said MY car...and the fact that it hasnt happened since I started doing that means that I will continue to do it. I dont drive my car in at redline...but it also doesnt go in the garage having coasted for a mile through the hood. Spend a little more time coming up with big words...it is fascinating.

Mark_T · 08-30-2012, 01:41 PM

anticoanthropomorphistdisestablishmentarianism

- being against not having a standard by which jointly owned inanimate objects are given human attributes

next...

SeanZ4 · 08-30-2012, 01:48 PM

I like ham.

Cater · 08-30-2012, 02:21 PM

Smoke on start up is a pretty regular problem on Boxsters, it's the oil separator more times then not.

Mark_T · 08-30-2012, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cater

Smoke on start up is a pretty regular problem on Boxsters, it's the oil separator more times then not.

Sorry, but that's not correct. If the AOS is gone then there are billows of white smoke and it is continuous, not just at start-up. This is just a little blue smoke at start-up and is probably nothing to worry about, unlike the AOS which, if gone, should definitely be worried about.

If there is a concern about the AOS then do the oil filler cap test to confirm or eliminate it as a suspect.

Mark_T · 08-30-2012, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanZ4

I like ham.

Would you like it in a Box...

san rensho · 08-30-2012, 05:24 PM

Most blue smoke on startup is caused by two conditions, one. you start a cold car and move it a few feet and then shut it down, the next start up, you get blue smoke. Second condition, "run the car hard and put it to bed wet" You are at the track, caning the car, then you go into the pit and turn the car off immediately, next startup, blue smoke.

My understanding is that in both of these conditions, oil that has accumulated in the heads, that hasn't gotten back in the sump is the culprit. Solution in both cases is to run the car so the scavenge pumps can do their job and get the oil out of the heads.

johnmorton · 08-31-2012, 07:58 AM

hi ppl
thanks for the help

don't think its much to worry about as it doesn't do it a lot, but I'll try the oil filler cap test,,, so i just feel for a vacuum???

again

Mark_T · 08-31-2012, 09:26 AM

Yup. the cap will be difficult to pull of if there is a problem and you will feel definite vacuum once it is off.

shadrach74 · 08-31-2012, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trimer

Funny - that is why I said MY car...and the fact that it hasnt happened since I started doing that means that I will continue to do it. I dont drive my car in at redline...but it also doesnt go in the garage having coasted for a mile through the hood. Spend a little more time coming up with big words...it is fascinating.

Oh don't be so sensitive. I was just pointing out that "letting it calm down" and "she needs to relax a little" don't offer much in the way of an answer and could be purely anecdotal. The vomit icon in your post is somewhat apropos for the kind of "technical" answer that you offered.

Cater · 08-31-2012, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark_T

Sorry, but that's not correct. If the AOS is gone then there are billows of white smoke and it is continuous, not just at start-up. This is just a little blue smoke at start-up and is probably nothing to worry about, unlike the AOS which, if gone, should definitely be worried about.

If there is a concern about the AOS then do the oil filler cap test to confirm or eliminate it as a suspect.

The smoke is only going to be there on start up if it's the oil separator.
My brother has had this happen with his car and It is a very common problem with Boxsters.

shadrach74 · 08-31-2012, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cater

The smoke is only going to be there on start up if it's the oil separator.
My brother has had this happen with his car and It is a very common problem with Boxsters.

This is not true. The nature of any flat engine is for small amounts of oil to pool in the cylinders at shut down. The only reason it does not happen all of the time is because engine tolerances, lubricants and lubrication systems have improved a great deal over the yeasr. Oil can also leak back through the valve guides depending on wear. To say that smoke on start up is an AOS only issue absolutely false...