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White smoke from the engine, and my fan doesn't work.

8K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  RedemPhex 
#1 ·
The night I bought the car in August, there was white smoke coming from the engine bay after driving it. Earlier this month, I checked the oil and it was almost empty! The oil level was good when I bought it in August. I replaced the PCV valve that seemed to be burning off the oil and caused oil marks on my valve cover. I thought it would stop the white smoke. Now, today it's been raining. After driving my car for about 30 miles, I parked at my school. I noticed the same white smoke coming from the engine. I turned off the car and opened the hood to let it cool, but it persisted. :scream:I am sure it is not from the exhaust.

I know the fan is controlled by the thermostat and only comes on at a certain temperature. But it has NEVER come on. Even after short driving, my valve cover is very hot, it feels as if I've been racing my engine. Is there a way I can install a switch or keep the fan on at all times?

And what is that white smoke? Is it condensation, because it looked like it was coming from inside, it is a thin, white gas. Smells like nothing. I thought the PCV valve would fix this ****. Meh.
 
#3 ·
Wouldn't white smoke or steam be indicative of coolant leaking and burning on the engine/exhaust? It would have a sweet smell though. I would think you'd know if it was burnt oil because it would smell as such.

Where is the smoke coming from, specifically?
 
#5 ·
I had that happen with an old Dodge, cracked block, all the oil was pushed into the coolant, radiator look like a milkshake. Car ran fine except for noisy tappets and a bit of steam. Ran it for 3 months like that because I had no money and it would still run.
 
#6 ·
Can you possibly figure out where the smoke is coming from? Do your belts squeal at all? Do you have the splash guard thing under your motor? Check the radiator for any leaks maybe. Is it running hot? How many miles does it show and look for leaks around the oild pan, valve cover, CAS, and main seals if you can. Is there smoke when you start it cold in the mornings? How many oil changes, if any, have you done?

Sorry for so many questions. But you did provide a lot of info in your OP. Just trying to get some more insight to help you out. lol
 
#7 ·
I opened up the engine but I didn't see any smoke inside really :/ That really puzzles me. Or maybe the air pushed it all away. Belts dont squeal and the splash guard is intact. The radiator is brand new, and the engine runs pretty hot because the stupid fan doesn't come on. The odo shows 160, but the previous owner says the motor has 30k. No oil changes yet, but I added some 10w-40 when I saw that almost had no oil left. There is white smoke from the exhaust when I do a cold start, bu I assume that's normal. There was a leak on the PCV valve but I replaced it. There was some oil seeping from the valve cover before but I think it went away. Thanks for the questions! :)
 
#8 ·
Could the "smoke" be steam? From water hitting the header maybe?

Dunno, if you want to check the fan operation, use this:

http://www.miata.net/garage/CoolingSystemProblems_files/image018.png

TFA test:

Test with the “TFA” to “GND” jumper in the Diagnostic Connector and see whether the fan turns on when the ignition is on. If it does, the Water Thermoswitch needs to be replaced, its connector needs to be cleaned, or its wiring needs repair. If not, and there are no other problems with the engine that are electrical in nature, either the Cooling Fan Relay (the “IG” relay in Figure 1) or the fan motor is bad.

From here: http://www.miata.net/garage/CoolingSystemProblems.html

The smoke doesn't smell at all????

Hope you figure it out!
 
#9 ·
Its probably best to work out the issue with the thermostat not turning on the fan than to just install a switch. Its possible the problem is in the fan or the thermo. I had a neighboor who wanted to do the same thing, I went out and tried to move his fan, turns out its jammed. I am not sure what could jam it, but your possibilities could be a bad fan motor or a malfunction thermo...

As for your steam and leaking and all that, you will have to identify the location. Since you haven't replaced your oil filter, I would go and make sure that **** is on tight (and there isn't a second o-ring stuck on the mount location). I bought my car and the PO never tightened the filter so I was constantly leaking oil. I freaked out for a while before I figured that the leak was from the filter.

Now if you only see steam on rainy days and cold starts, then its likely you are getting some water leaking into your engine bay. Especially if it doesn't smell, I mean you can smell oil burning without seeing it. Coolant is also very distinct, although maybe not as pungent.
 
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