Help...not The Average Smoking Problem

[88911INGA]

Guys, new here, but not to cars/mechanics. I've been a BMW guy til 2 yrs ago when I got my 88 911 w/ 83K on the clock and good docs. Ever since it's had the smoking problem. It goes like this...crank cold car, let idle or drive off, doesn't matter-after 3-5 minutes WHITE smoke (sweetish smelling, maybe condensation) pours out for another 3-5 minutes, then disappears and runs cleanly thereafter. Any ideas? I've checked the obvious, never overfilled oil, vaccuum and ventilation hoses seem fine, valves adjusted. It does burn through about 1qt of 20W50 Castrol hi mileage every 700 miles or so, and I know that this is normal. Any help is greatly appreciated. Brad

[Loren]

I think you need to do a leak down test to see what is going on with the smoke and oil usage. My guess is that the valve guides are worn and that the car needs a top-end rebuild.

[88911INGA]

Loren, yeah I was thinking of that, too. I've had that suggestion before, but when I checked the plugs, they showed no signs of oil leaking into the cylinder, they were light tan. With the amount of smoke I thought it would show up on the plugs...Oh well, I guess I'll go get a leakdown set. Thanks again, Brad

[magcuda]

88 was a bad year for valve guides for some reason.

or I have seen cars that weren't driven that much "stick a ring" and cause smoking. go to the parts store and get some snake oil for stuck rings and see if that helps.