Paul Boucher
Well-Known Member
So I need you guys help. My dad is in the hospital, so I don't have a source for figuring out what is going on. I am afraid I might have a blown head gasket, or something worse, but don't know. This is my first Mopar so all of this is new to me.
I did my first oil change yesterday. Everything went good until I fired it up. When I fired it up I got some decent smoke from the exhaust. It has not done that before. I can't really tell if it is blue or white smoke, but if I had to say, it is white. This is the first oil change since I bought the car, and I found out that the original owner was using 10w-40 conventional then adding a zinc additive. I didn't know this before I changed the oil. I used ZR1 synthetic 10w-30.
Unfortunately I don't think the smoke is from the oil change or overfill, but don't know. It had sat for a week before I changed the oil. I changed it cold, so I didn't fire it up before I changed the oil to know if it would have smoked before. I did fill the oil filter half way and lubed the o-ring before installing. I used 5.5 quarts of oil. The oil is reading right at the full line. After about 3-4 minutes the smoke stopped. I drove it for about 10-15 minutes and it didn't smoke again.
I let is sit overnight and fired it up this morning. Smoke. But not as much as last night, and after about 2-3 minutes was gone. Drove it around the neighborhood and no smoke. Let it sit for a few hours and fired it up again, smoke. Sames at this morning, goes away, drove, nothing. There was some water that came out of the exhaust for those few minutes it smoked, but I don't know if this is normal exhaust condensation. I would say the smoke smells a little sweet, but once again, this is my first Mopar or car issue, so I really don't know. I held a paper towel to the tail pipe and it did get wet, but no color residue of any sort. I do know that I can still smell it on my hand an hour later and after washing my hands.
I did notice that when I got back all three times what sounds, best I can describe, like frying oil in a pan for a few seconds then a little like a draining down sound and then a few drips sound. I started the car and turned it off a few times to identify where it is coming from and it sounds like it is under the passenger side valve cover. I don't recall having heard this any time before now.
I checked the coolant this morning and it does not seem to be loosing any. I pulled the filler cap and there was a small amount of water droplets on the inside. It did not look gummy like some of the pics I have seen online, but there was a small film along with the water droplets.
I don't hear any other clicking or knocking noises from the engine, and there is no smoke from the engine bay or when the filler cap was removed while running.
This is everything I have so far. I have a call out to my uncle, but he lives 4 hours away, so he can only help give me advice. Unfortunately my dad is in the hospital with a brain tumor and is not well enough to even help with advice. Any help you guys and provide is greatly appreciate! I just want to make sure I don't do anything to cause any further damage.
Unfortunately I have not amassed a huge number of tools like my dad or uncles, so I don't have the capacity to really go crazy with tearing things apart to diagnose but am open to suggestions.
I did my first oil change yesterday. Everything went good until I fired it up. When I fired it up I got some decent smoke from the exhaust. It has not done that before. I can't really tell if it is blue or white smoke, but if I had to say, it is white. This is the first oil change since I bought the car, and I found out that the original owner was using 10w-40 conventional then adding a zinc additive. I didn't know this before I changed the oil. I used ZR1 synthetic 10w-30.
Unfortunately I don't think the smoke is from the oil change or overfill, but don't know. It had sat for a week before I changed the oil. I changed it cold, so I didn't fire it up before I changed the oil to know if it would have smoked before. I did fill the oil filter half way and lubed the o-ring before installing. I used 5.5 quarts of oil. The oil is reading right at the full line. After about 3-4 minutes the smoke stopped. I drove it for about 10-15 minutes and it didn't smoke again.
I let is sit overnight and fired it up this morning. Smoke. But not as much as last night, and after about 2-3 minutes was gone. Drove it around the neighborhood and no smoke. Let it sit for a few hours and fired it up again, smoke. Sames at this morning, goes away, drove, nothing. There was some water that came out of the exhaust for those few minutes it smoked, but I don't know if this is normal exhaust condensation. I would say the smoke smells a little sweet, but once again, this is my first Mopar or car issue, so I really don't know. I held a paper towel to the tail pipe and it did get wet, but no color residue of any sort. I do know that I can still smell it on my hand an hour later and after washing my hands.
I did notice that when I got back all three times what sounds, best I can describe, like frying oil in a pan for a few seconds then a little like a draining down sound and then a few drips sound. I started the car and turned it off a few times to identify where it is coming from and it sounds like it is under the passenger side valve cover. I don't recall having heard this any time before now.
I checked the coolant this morning and it does not seem to be loosing any. I pulled the filler cap and there was a small amount of water droplets on the inside. It did not look gummy like some of the pics I have seen online, but there was a small film along with the water droplets.
I don't hear any other clicking or knocking noises from the engine, and there is no smoke from the engine bay or when the filler cap was removed while running.
This is everything I have so far. I have a call out to my uncle, but he lives 4 hours away, so he can only help give me advice. Unfortunately my dad is in the hospital with a brain tumor and is not well enough to even help with advice. Any help you guys and provide is greatly appreciate! I just want to make sure I don't do anything to cause any further damage.
Unfortunately I have not amassed a huge number of tools like my dad or uncles, so I don't have the capacity to really go crazy with tearing things apart to diagnose but am open to suggestions.
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