Here's another one for you all...

I've read other's experiences in this, but this is the way it goes:

Start V10. Move 10 feet. Shutdown. Start it back up next morning, cloud of blue smoke. So far 5000 miles, and it does it whenever I hit that set of circumstances.

I know, others have this problem and it's "just one of those things". I'd like to fix it.

Not only is it annoying and embarassing, that much oil can't be good for overall plug/cat/O2 health...

I'm thinking weird PVC plumbing. Or other things more ominous that I don't even want to think about. However, it's always a particular startup/shutdown sequence. Could it be related to the IAC being close to the PVC plumbing? It usually is shutdown while still at high idle, with the IAC open a bit.

Could it be the reason for the high IAC failure rate?

thanks!

art k.

 

Sure it's oil and not excess fuel from the prior premature shut down? I know... I know... BLUE smoke... Just thought I'd ask.

You can remove the PVC tubing and see if it still does it.

 

Mine does it too at 69,000 miles. Very embarrasing.

 

What you describe is typical of a valve seal issue.I'm not sure what type the V10 uses.But, if it is a valve seal issue it isn't really a problem unless you have high mileage and worn valve guides.
If it doesn't use an appreciable amount of oil between changes I wouldn't worry about it.

 

The problem is, it blows smoke like a diesel on a cold day. It's a LOT of oil. It can't possibly be coming down the valve guides.

Or wait a minute... that would explain it... but why just when started, run < 1 minute and stopped?

ak

 

My V-10 does this too sometimes. More like a big puff of blue smoke. It has done it once in a while since new. Now has 16,000 miles. Dealer says it is "normal". But then again dealer says almost everything is normal.

 

If you are saying that you start it cold and let it run for only a minute and shut it down.then restart it the next morning cold,then I have an idea.
When you start it cold the fuel mixture is rich if very soon afterward you shut it down until the following day all the unburnt gas from the previous day is sitting there (extra fuel).This would cause your mixture to be essentially doubly rich on the next cold start for a little bit.The excess fuel that has been sitting there for a day can also remove and mix with minute portions of oil on the cylinder walls and add to the smoke you're seeing.Extra fuel alone could produce smoke on a cold engine.Also, would be suprised how little oil it takes to produce smoke out the exhaust.Also,when your catalytic converter is cold it won't burn any of the excess pollutants.

Just a thought.

 

Good points, but I don't think it's excess fuel. Smells like oil, no hint of gas smell at all. If my '74 FE390 doesn't blow blue like that after starting on full choke and shutting down, I doubt the V10 would. Weird. I have to try something with the PVC when I get a chance.

ak

 

This sounds logical to me, on occasion I do smell the excess fuel in the morning, however I haven't experienced any blue smoke on start up yet and I have about 25 K miles.

 

I too have had this occur on my F150 5.4 and my previous 2000 V10 as well as my 03 V10. It only does it if the truck is cold, I start it and drive it up the drive or some very short distance then not start up again till the next day. I know the smoke is excess fuel because it smells like a rich condition on a catalyst equipped engine. The smoke does have a blue hue to it, but it can't be oil because I change oil every 5,000 miles on my vehicles and they are never low, even when they've been towing. I personally think it is normal and has something to do with some sort of enrichment for cold starts.

 

It is never a good idea to start an engine and shut it off before it reaches full operating temperature - I don't care how tight your engine is, it could smoke next time you start it. Almost 100% of engine wear in an engine is done before it reaches normal operating temperature. If you're going to start your engine, let it warm up fully and your problem will be resolved. And when driving, always baby the engine until it reaches normal op. temp. as well.

This works. I have had several Fords with over 250,000 miles on them. None of them ever used any oil or smoked.

 

Any engine shouldnt smoke at all, and i would never accept it as normal. It might be normal for a chevy or a harley. I dispute it being the engine not up to temp then shutting it off, i do this on my truck from time to time and never had any smoke of any kind. I would be looking for some type of problem. I would be embarassed if mine smoked. Good luck! Just my opiniated opinion.

 

I totally agree - I plan on pushing this when I bring it for other warranty work. Like the driveshaft slip joint that is so worn at 5K miles that it vibrates like hell on takeoff. Typically under-greased - had the "clunk" at first, now it's gone.

I have an idea it's something with the PVC sucking in oil. Or else, where would the oil come from? Maybe I should try shutting it down with my foot on the gas to simulate high idle. I think the IAC is keeping the idle up when cold, and when shutdown, the oil cloud appears on startup the next day. The only other thing I can think of is valve guides, but that would mean the heads are flooded with oil. Or is that it? The oil pressure is so high on startup that the heads flood? And only after running it a while do the main/rod bearing clearances go up enough to keep the heads from flooding? Maybe that's why they give you an "idiot light" oil guage?

Besides being embarassing, I doubt the feds would like a NEW vehicle that exceeds every known emissions limit in the first 2 seconds of startup. Mine fogs out at least half of my 100x100 property... and it's reproducable.

If I have to, I'm going outside with the camcorder and record the entire event.

ak

 

Some one else suggested it but most overlooked the remark... it does not take any measurable amount of oil in the combustion process to create a visibly large amount of smoke...


Another writer suggested or implyed that if it is only associated with your unusual cold start, move, shutdown procedure, and we the readers then assume that it does not do this under other "normal" starting circumstances... well I kinda think it is like the guy who complains that "it hurts when I do this" and the doc then says "well don't do that"


A puff or small cloud of smoke on start up that imediatly goes away should not be a great concern...

Allowing that Kerwat's posts are usually well written and thought out, I have to assume that what he is describing is much more than a small puff of smoke.

Some of my observations about manufacturing in the USA versus German, Sweden, or Japan...

In any machining process there are specifications on the dimensions of things like piston diameter, valve stem diameter and length of whatever component you want to describe.

To determin if the machiened part is with in "tolerance" some sort of human or machine "quality Control" is used. Here in the good ole USA the "acceptable limits" of these measurements are a MUCH larger range than our overseas buddies.

In recent history, US manufacturing has gotten MUCH better mainly due to the competition (imagine a 100,000 engine service just five years ago)

BUT there are still very large tolerances allowed, and it is not uncommon for an engine to be assembled with many components that are very near to Undersize or Oversize....

So imagine a set of valves that are on the small side and a set of guides that are on the large side... they might be "In Spec" but obviously have a large amount of interference clearence, same with the pistions.. think of a small plug in a large hole.

Kerwat, assuming that you are smart enough to know that your oil level is NOT overfull... then the only way ever for the oil to get into the combustion chamber is past the rings or down the valve stems. The Positive Crank Vent PVC systems do not usually have a path into the cylinders.

A bad valve guide seal will allow a small amount of OIL to be SUCKED (remember the motor sucks before it pumps) down the valve stem, and this little trickel of oil will make a fairly impressive amount of smoke ( the rocker galley does not need to be flodded with oil as it is sprayed directly on the rockers and valve boss for lube and cooling).

 

I'm watching this thread with interest...

My truck is also sending out a puff of smoke on some startups. It is a 2001 F-250 V-10 with 20,000 miles. During some startups (even in warm Arkansas) it has a puff of blue smoke which obviously has my attention. There is no additional blue smoke during other operations, just at startup.

During the course of 5,000 miles between oil changes I have noticed the oil level will slowly drop on the dipstick. Usually this never gets down to the "ADD" point, but I have noticed it just the same. The time I did have to add oil was during a drive (5,500 miles) from Anchorage, Alaska to Little Rock, Arkansas while towing a trailer. The total trailer weight was 7,500 lbs which is well within the truck's towing capacities. I attributed this oil consumption to the extra stress of towing, especially through the Canadian Rockies.

I am quite regimented in my oil changes and have changed out the oil & filter at Ford's recomended 5,000 mile interval. I even changed the oil & filter while enroute on this trip when it came due in Lincoln, Nebraska. I always use the recommended Motorcraft filter and 5W20 oil which I normally purchase at Wally World.

Anyone who has more info on this V-10 quirk, please chime in.

Edmo