smoke right after start up

[cutt]

anybody else get a puff of smoke on start up?

[Murader03]

This was/is a commonly seen with the Cobra engine starting with the '96. I only saw it a few times with my '99 over the 3 years I had the car. It covered 100,000 miles in that time period. I saw noadverse side effects from the puff of smoke. There also wasn't any high oil comsumption. It normally never used more than a quart between 5000 mile oil changes. Haven't see it with the MM as of today and 4000 miles.

[Larry Vogel]

What color is it?

[gja]

I sometimes see a puff of pale white smoke if it is cold and damp. I would think it is from the catalytics cooking-off some unburned deposits as it has a fuel smell. It does not smell or have the color of oil getting past a seal/ring point. I had a 74 Monte Carlo w/454 that did this too. Never amounted to anything.

[cutt]

i really didnt notice the color but it was more like a cloud i guess it was kinda white.its about 55 degees here and it had been sitting about 15 hours

[Kelly]

I can smell burnt oil when I start mine, but have no visible smoke.

[Bigdogjim]

I too have noticed this smoke, white in color only out of the passsenger side pipe. Never really noticed till I had remote start put on. It does not happen all the time, actually only once or twice. Just a puff!
Big Dog

[SergntMac]

Just a thought...

At this time of the year, it's not unusual to see gasoline quality dip in this region. Condensation forms in the underground tanks as the ground freezes, and some of that could be getting into the gas, more than usual anyway. I'm not suprised to see a bit of steam every now and then, and when I do, I just add a pint of rubbing alcohol to a full tank, and it seems to go away. I haven't had to do that with my MM yet, but it's been twice a year for the last five with the Mountaineer's 5.0, until we get into real winter temps.

[mtnh]

Hey Cutt, remember that dragstrip visit with 200 miles on the clock?? :^)

[Dennis Reinhart]

This is normally attributed to valve guide seals, the 4.6 DOHC has had problems all along with this, you can take the heads off of a brand new engine and have good valve job and gain 30 HP, so I would just keep an eye on it, get you a little note book and jot the date and times down and how often it happens and if it continues or gets worse talk to the dealer.

[Slowpoke]

is it safe to add rubbing alcohol to a full tank of gas? what is the benefit? which type of rubbing alcohol?

[mtnh]

Isopropyl alcohol is also known as "Drygas" and "gas line anti-freeze", and rubbing alcohol is close to it, with typically 70% isopropyl and some oil to make the massage easier. I have no idea if there is added water in that alcohol, but if it is 70% isopropyl, then what is the rest? Anyway, the drygas stuff is much more pure. It's also harmless and helps get the water in the gas tank burned.