white smoke of left exhaust

[CabC2]

I just picked up my tip 99c2 cab from getting two new rear potenzas.. when I started the car, some strange sound came of the engine... clank clank clank, and it would increase with more throttle. I turned of the car and restarted it... the noise went away.

But, when driving home around 30 miles /h the engine light came on, and white smoke started coming of the left exhaust.. a lot of smoke, and more when i pushed the throttle.

I drove it for about a mile (i live close to the tire place) and parked it in my garage. The smoke has a light burned smell, of course.

I read several causes throughout the forums and nothing looks good at all. car has 108,000 miles, never a problem.

So, before I take to the mechanic, what am I looking at? Thanks for your help.

[nick49]

Keep your fingers crossed. Hope like hell the white smoke was oil from a failed oil separator and not steam from coolant leaking into the cylinder and combustion chamber.

Good luck, check your coolant level, hopefully it's full and not oily, this will tell you something. Check your oil too, hope it doesn't look milky or like it's at all mixed with coolant.

[jmj996]

I just picked up my tip 99c2 cab from getting two new rear potenzas.. when I started the car, some strange sound came of the engine... clank clank clank, and it would increase with more throttle. I turned of the car and restarted it... the noise went away.

But, when driving home around 30 miles /h the engine light came on, and white smoke started coming of the left exhaust.. a lot of smoke, and more when i pushed the throttle.

I drove it for about a mile (i live close to the tire place) and parked it in my garage. The smoke has a light burned smell, of course.

I read several causes throughout the forums and nothing looks good at all. car has 108,000 miles, never a problem.

So, before I take to the mechanic, what am I looking at? Thanks for your help.

I'm really sorry to hear that. I plan to keep my 99c2cab for the long term, and from all the stories I read on Rennlist I feel like I am bound to run into something like this someday. But at least I feel that if I put a new (updated) Porsche engine in it, I should be in great shape from then on.

Do you trust the tire shop? Any chance they took it for a joyride? You should have a mechanic examine the log in the computer to see if anyone redlined it.

I strongly recommend that you do not try to start the engine again - unless you can pull the plugs and crank it over first. If you do have coolant leaking into one of the cylinders, you could damage internal engine parts very quickly because coolant will not compress like air. Also, if you can pull the plugs on the left bank, you might see one that looks very different. If so, then you know a teardown is in order, and then most likely a replacement engine.

[RFM]

I fear for a failure on the right cyl. bank (left exhaust), AOS failure creates smoke from both cyl. banks and thus both exhausts. Hope i'm wrong.

[CabC2]

I fear for a failure on the right cyl. bank (left exhaust), AOS failure creates smoke from both cyl. banks and thus both exhausts. Hope i'm wrong.

I hope you are wrong too :) ... what would this imply, vs a AOS failure?

[RFM]

Only a detailed inspection may explain the existing problem, all the rest is guessing. Fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

[CabC2]

Back from travel. Need to really look into the issue. Any recommendations in Orange County / LA? There is a miriad of well known shops around... but I don't have a relationship with any and from what I read in the forums, if I have a real problem it is very easy that the wrong shop might give me a solution but not the right one, or the cheaper one. I include dealers... which I'd assume are the most expensive alternative.

Any pointers folks?

[phillipj]

These guys come highly recommended from a friend of mine.. Very honest and skilled.

http://visionmotorsports.com/

Good luck

[CabC2]

Thanks Phillipj,

I have been following your ordeal a few months ago. After have done the swap, and now looking back, what are your two cents?

[CabC2]

Here is a video of the fumes. Shops are closed today so car sitting through weekend. What do you think?

Also, coolant color is brownish... but consistent. It does not smell like oil either.

Oil looks ok... not mixed...

[phillipj]

Thanks Phillipj,

I have been following your ordeal a few months ago. After have done the swap, and now looking back, what are your two cents?

A swap can be a great thing. You can do the 3.4 or a 3.6. Just make sure you do it right. Replace the dme, instrument cluster and rewire the harness. I know that guys at Vision can do this for you. Talk to them about the pros and cons. It's not cheap but your car will be a rocket. Whatever you do.. DON'T DEAL WITH FABIAN ROOCK! :angry:

If your engine is toast you may want to consider taking your losses and getting another car. You have to decide if the investment in a new engine makes sense. You wont be able to sell you car for much more with a new engine than if it had an original engine with 50k miles. Tough decision. Wait and see what your mechanic says. That smoke does not look good but you never know..

Edited November 22, 2009 by phillipj

[CabC2]

Thanks Phillipj,

I have been following your ordeal a few months ago. After have done the swap, and now looking back, what are your two cents?

A swap can be a great thing. You can do the 3.4 or a 3.6. Just make sure you do it right. Replace the dme, instrument cluster and rewire the harness. I know that guys at Vision can do this for you. Talk to them about the pros and cons. It's not cheap but your car will be a rocket. Whatever you do.. DON'T DEAL WITH FABIAN ROOCK! :angry:

If your engine is toast you may want to consider taking your losses and getting another car. You have to decide if the investment in a new engine makes sense. You wont be able to sell you car for much more with a new engine than if it had an original engine with 50k miles. Tough decision. Wait and see what your mechanic says. That smoke does not look good but you never know..

Yes, the car has 109,000 miles so either way is not worth a lot. I am definitively not looking at the investment side; nor I was planning on upgrading to sell it anytime soon. On top of that is a tiptronic, so the engine swap might be a tad more complicated; I am not sure if in the 2002 models the gear box is different or reinforced.

I was planning - if I have to go the swap engine route - going to Roock... did't you do yours with them?

[nick49]

From your vid, it looks exactly like steam from coolant leaking into the combustion chamber. I hope I'm wrong. I've been thru this with my car.

[RFM]

Agree with nick49, do not start the engine, with the spark plugs installed, to prevent possible further damage (liner rupture).

[CabC2]

From your vid, it looks exactly like steam from coolant leaking into the combustion chamber. I hope I'm wrong. I've been thru this with my car.

What was the outcome, in effort and money, in your case?

[phillipj]

[i]I was planning - if I have to go the swap engine route - going to Roock... did't you do yours with them?

[/i]

Noooooooo!!! :o Run away as fast as you can. :o You will be so sorry if you get involved with him... I'm warning you and I can give you other victims names for further evedince.. Let's just say the LN Engineering refuses to do business with him because he never pays his bill. Call Jake Raby and talk to him about Roock..... Consider your self warned...

Edited November 23, 2009 by phillipj

[CabC2]

Got it. No Roock. Don't even want the potential issues. It is bad enough as it is.

[nick49]

I was lucky to have Porsche goodwill a replacement motor and I paid the labor. This was in '06. I think the best route for a complete motor, if you are going to keep the car is the Porsche replacement as it comes with virtually everything new and updated including the injectors, alternator, starter, electronics, power steering pump, belts, internal chains and tensioners, updated RMS and IMS and air/oil separator. All known mechanical issues have been addressed and corrected so you will have your original car with the security and peace of mind of a new power plant and all related accessories. These are every bit as good as a brand new motor but much less expensive.

[RFM]

Let check the issue out before you take the decision to replace the engine, it could be as simple as a blown cylinder head gasket. I would start with that.

[nick49]

I agree with RFM, try to pinpoint where the problem lies before deciding on an ultimate solution. In my case, the chain of events were a slight rattle or knock upon starting, rough running and a flashing CEL in about a half mile from home. I immediately turned around for home and with the car running in the driveway lots of steam and coolant was exiting my right tailpipe. I checked my coolant level and it was not visable in the filler reservoir. I pulled the plugs on the left bank and the exhaust header and found the offending cylinder. My car had less than 45k miles on it at the time.

[CabC2]

Have mechanic looking at it on Friday. Knock on wood.

[phillipj]

Lets hope it's not catastrophic. Hopfully you can fix the existing engine and not have to go the replacement route.

Good Luck!!!!

[CabC2]

Lets hope it's not catastrophic. Hopfully you can fix the existing engine and not have to go the replacement route.

Good Luck!!!!

Thanks. I hope so too. I checked engine prices at Sunset: 11k for a 3.4 with core - 13.5k for 3.6 with no core. Crazy. By the time you add the labor... you are over 15k.

[phillipj]

Lets hope it's not catastrophic. Hopfully you can fix the existing engine and not have to go the replacement route.

Good Luck!!!!

Thanks. I hope so too. I checked engine prices at Sunset: 11k for a 3.4 with core - 13.5k for 3.6 with no core. Crazy. By the time you add the labor... you are over 15k.

Hopefully you can just fix the one you have....