Blue puff is back!
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,643
Likes: 8
From: NE Texas
Originally posted by krewat
Ah yes, the Smeagol looks.. utter revulsion, complete fear, or open greed?
Ah yes, the Smeagol looks.. utter revulsion, complete fear, or open greed?
As far as not throwing a code, I think the coils peak high and low and compensate for that "miss" - somehow - and the PCM may even consider it marginal.
Look, I'm talking like the PCM is Precious!
Thread Starter
|
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
Likes: 423
From: Long Island USA
Originally posted by Big Orn
I laughed out loud at that! My kids had me sit down and watch that movie, which at first I thought was a waste of time, but it turned out to be a good one... all in all.
As far as not throwing a code, I think the coils peak high and low and compensate for that "miss" - somehow - and the PCM may even consider it marginal.
Look, I'm talking like the PCM is Precious!
I laughed out loud at that! My kids had me sit down and watch that movie, which at first I thought was a waste of time, but it turned out to be a good one... all in all.
As far as not throwing a code, I think the coils peak high and low and compensate for that "miss" - somehow - and the PCM may even consider it marginal.
Look, I'm talking like the PCM is Precious!
OT: I take it you didn't read the books?
art k.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,643
Likes: 8
From: NE Texas
Originally posted by krewat
I don't understand, high and low peaks?
I don't understand, high and low peaks?
Originally posted by krewat
OT: I take it you didn't read the books?
OT: I take it you didn't read the books?
New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Yes it happens on the 5.4. I have a 2003 E350 with 16000 miles and it does EXACTLY the same thing. I video taped it and took it to the dealer. I started it 6 times in a row on cold start after moving it a few feet the night before. I stopped at 6 starts but believe it would have happened even after 20 starts. The blue puff got thicker and thicker with each start. The dealer came up with a few lame excuses as to why it would do this but offered no solution. I guess they don't want to be replacing valve seals on a few million engines.
New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
By the way Ron, thanks for the nice welcome. This is my first Ford since my beloved 1973 F250. The dealer did say excess fuel was being dumped into the cylinders with each consecutive start and washing the oil down. This made sense to me but we could not duplicate the problem with any of the 5.4s on the lot, new or used. And still no solution from the dealer.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 164
Likes: 1
From: Upper Saddle River, NJ
I had this happen to me 2 weeks ago. Moved the truck 20 feet the night before and let it sit. The next morning when I started it up, it started with a rough sound and generated some oil smoke. It went away pretty quickly, but it was definitely there. This is the first time this has happened.
Bill
Bill
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 475
Likes: 1
From: La Habra, CA
If there is blue smoke, something's wrong. It probably won't effect longevity. My bet is a week valve seal, or a marginal ring or 2. Could be excess fuel washing the oil off the cylinder and then burning, but it's not normal. If it was they would all do it.
My 5.4 150 used to smoke on startup, but that engine definetely wasn't right. It had the worst piston slap I've ever heard. It was a lease, so I didn't push to hard on the warranty deal.
Eric
My 5.4 150 used to smoke on startup, but that engine definetely wasn't right. It had the worst piston slap I've ever heard. It was a lease, so I didn't push to hard on the warranty deal.
Eric
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,708
Likes: 3
From: North Dakota
I thought I was the only one with this problem - my 03 does the same thing right to the T - Moved it from the driveway into the garage - next day had the puff - only had the truck for 4 months so I've only seen this twice so far but both times after being moved a short distance. Dang near lost sleep over it the first time! Have decided possibly fuel but I to thought it was to blue to be loaded up on fuel. sure looked like oil to me - I try to let it run at least a few minutes if i need to move it a short distance - doesn't seem to do it then. Oh yeh, first time I notice it was at 21,500 miles, about a week after buying it.
New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: gardnerville,nv
I had the same problem myself. I bought a 2000 used with 50K on it. A week after I bought it this smoking thing started at start-up. I took it back because the dealer offered a warranty but they refused to cover this and the dealer mechanic said it was a leaky valve guide and it was going to cost me over $1000 to fix it. I told him it didn't bother me that bad and I wasn't losing any oil so I wasn't fully sold on the determination. I am glad to hear I'm not the only one with this problem.
Thread Starter
|
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
Likes: 423
From: Long Island USA
I get a loud noise that lasts less than one second in the same conditions that I get the blue puff, but not always both at the same time. (Note that I started this thread 
It sounds like air, not metal, so I'm not too worried ...
I looked behind the butterfly in the throttle body on my 17K mile V10, there's a heavy coating of carbon/oil back there... I think with the IAC wide open on shutdown (cold start, still at high idle), then restart with it that way, something is sucking oil back up from either the PCV valve or the valve-cover breather. It may be something as simple as putting more of a baffle in the breather tube.
Because of the V10's natural IM-balance (the reason for the counterbalance shaft in the left head) the block's internal crankcase pressue is unstable (not all pistons moving up and down at the same rate to cancel each other out). On startup there's no vacuum, some maybe that's got something to do with pushing oil up the PCV or breather tubes...
Still gotta get in there and remove both hoses and see if there's oil in them...
While I've heard of 5.4's smoking on startup, they don't seem to be the same symptoms of "cold start, move/run motor for 5-10 seconds, shutdown, restart next day - PUFF..." they are usually each and every time.
One other data point: I use 5W30 Castrol dino oil, and use absolutely NO oil between 3K oil changes.
art k.
It sounds like air, not metal, so I'm not too worried ...
I looked behind the butterfly in the throttle body on my 17K mile V10, there's a heavy coating of carbon/oil back there... I think with the IAC wide open on shutdown (cold start, still at high idle), then restart with it that way, something is sucking oil back up from either the PCV valve or the valve-cover breather. It may be something as simple as putting more of a baffle in the breather tube.
Because of the V10's natural IM-balance (the reason for the counterbalance shaft in the left head) the block's internal crankcase pressue is unstable (not all pistons moving up and down at the same rate to cancel each other out). On startup there's no vacuum, some maybe that's got something to do with pushing oil up the PCV or breather tubes...
Still gotta get in there and remove both hoses and see if there's oil in them...
While I've heard of 5.4's smoking on startup, they don't seem to be the same symptoms of "cold start, move/run motor for 5-10 seconds, shutdown, restart next day - PUFF..." they are usually each and every time.
One other data point: I use 5W30 Castrol dino oil, and use absolutely NO oil between 3K oil changes.
art k.
New User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
My situation is similar to SLE's...28K miles, '03. I just parked it in my driveway and repositioned it about 10 minutes later. On start up the next morning I got the blue puff but don't remember any unusual noise. Hasn't happened since (and I sure kept an eye on it). But then, I haven't done the short start and park since, either.
I'm not savvy enough to posit an opinion on the cause. But it doesn't seem to be a problem as the engine runs smoothly and doesn't burn any oil.
I'm not savvy enough to posit an opinion on the cause. But it doesn't seem to be a problem as the engine runs smoothly and doesn't burn any oil.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,708
Likes: 3
From: North Dakota
Just an update, I have now had the truck for near 6 months and have only seen the blue puff twice and since posting on this thread the first time I havent' seen it since. It has to be something associated with the short run time and then restarting.