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Engine problem?

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Old Jan 12, 2018 | 02:24 AM
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SinisterPotatoSmasher
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Default Engine problem?

Hello everyone, thanks in advance for reading my post. I'm having an issue with my Stang that I think is unusual. My car is an 08 Mustang GT with 41K miles on it. I don't drive it as often as I used to, hence the low miles. Today I started my car and a blue smoke cloud came out of the tail pipes, it was so dense that I couldn't see behind me. I had to wait for the cloud to clear before I could back up. The car has NEVER done this before. It doesn't consume any oil between oil changes. It sat for one week prior to me starting it today and seeing all of the burning oil behind me in my mirror. I'm extremely perceptive with my Stang, and I know it didn't do this the last time I started it, or any other time before that. Is it possible a valve stem seal split while it was sitting and let oil drain into one of the cylinders?
Old Jan 12, 2018 | 08:49 AM
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Possibly broken or worn valve stem oil seals. You could pull the plugs and see if any of them look oily.
It's also possible that the engine could have ran very rich if it was a cold start up. Did you smell any fuel?
Old Jan 12, 2018 | 11:01 AM
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Since it was blue smoke, most likely oil in the cylinders from leaking valve seals. If it is not blue after a warm start up, leak is likely very minor, no big deal. Wouldn't hurt to address it in the near future. Pull the plugs and one of them is bound to be more oily than the others.
Old Jan 12, 2018 | 04:30 PM
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How long did you run it the time before the last smoky start??
Old Jan 12, 2018 | 10:52 PM
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I'm gonna guess a blown head gasket between an oil passage and the combustion chamber.
Old Jan 13, 2018 | 12:30 AM
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SinisterPotatoSmasher
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Originally Posted by Dino Dino Bambino
Possibly broken or worn valve stem oil seals. You could pull the plugs and see if any of them look oily.
It's also possible that the engine could have ran very rich if it was a cold start up. Did you smell any fuel?
That's a good idea, I'll pull the plugs soon and see if one has oil on it. No I didn't smell any fuel, just the smell of burning oil
Old Jan 13, 2018 | 12:36 AM
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Originally Posted by proeagles
Since it was blue smoke, most likely oil in the cylinders from leaking valve seals. If it is not blue after a warm start up, leak is likely very minor, no big deal. Wouldn't hurt to address it in the near future. Pull the plugs and one of them is bound to be more oily than the others.
Okay I'll check for a oily plug when I pull them soon, is it a pain in the butt to replace the stem seals on the 4.6L?
Old Jan 13, 2018 | 12:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Coosawjack
How long did you run it the time before the last smoky start??
I'd say that I drove it for 15 minutes before I parked it for a week. Just a normal drive, I wasn't driving it hard or anything
Old Jan 13, 2018 | 12:41 AM
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Originally Posted by nsguy
I'm gonna guess a blown head gasket between an oil passage and the combustion chamber.
That would suck, is there a way I can check for that? Would a compression test tell me?
Old Jan 13, 2018 | 04:33 AM
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Originally Posted by SinisterPotatoSmasher
That would suck, is there a way I can check for that? Would a compression test tell me?
A cylinder leakdown test might be a better way.



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