White smoke and sounding a bit clattery

[Steve A]

After a good couple of years of neglect........
There's no excuse but to be totally honest with you I've had two daughters to marry off and what with becoming a granddad I've just not had the time

Anyway I thought it was about time I got the Elan back on the road and become a more active member on the Elan scene or so I thought

So I've been starting the Elan up from time to time, probably not enough but it always started OK and what with it being SORN I couldn't do much else.
Just before christmas I started her up and it sounded a bit clattery and the Engine warning light came on I promptly turned it off and decided best saved for the new year.

After the new year the battery went totally flat (due to running all the christmas lights outside and not having a spare socket for the charger) so it lost the fault code that might have given me a clue
Once the battery was charged it started on the button but sounded clattery, no engine light and the exhaust was giving off white smoke ( I am reliably informed that when I came in I stunk ).

So now paranoia was starting to set in, could it be the dreaded HGF
It did have a hint of white stuff in the rocker cover cap but then it has been stop/started a lot and not given a good run so maybe this is what you'd expect ?
No bubbles in the expansion tank.


There was a lot of fluid from the exhaust
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I removed the plugs, No. 1 looked normal but 2,3,&4 looked like this


I did a compression test figures are taken from a cold engine with no oil added:

1=145
2=140
3=140
4=140

So given these figures it would suggest that the HG is OK but where do I go from here

[Dave Eds]

Start it, leave it running on tickover and let the fans kick in 3 or 4 times. Fresh petrol? Sniff test?

[lotusflasherman]

I've sometimes found when I haven't used an SE for a while I can get a CEL on start up and it runs rough and looks a bit rich - sooty exhaust, like yours. I just switch off after about 30 seconds and try again and it's always run fine next go.

Bit like Control/Alt/Delete when the PC didn't boot up properly ...

PS ... Clean the plugs with a wire brush and try again. Bet they'll be fine...

[Rice crispy]

Need to get out for a run and see how it is

[Rambo]

Try it again as the others have suggested and I think it will be OK

You may well get a CEL on next time and it will probably be code 99. Fault =

















Lack of use

[Steve A]

Hmmm, I'm hoping the White smoke is a red herring, but it did stink the garage out it didn't pass the wife's sniff test

Need to get out for a run and see how it is

Yes I agree how's your car Dave , did you need a HG?

I've sometimes found when I haven't used an SE for a while I can get a CEL on start up and it runs rough and looks a bit rich - sooty exhaust, like yours. I just switch off after about 30 seconds and try again and it's always run fine next go.

Bit like Control/Alt/Delete when the PC didn't boot up properly ...

PS ... Clean the plugs with a wire brush and try again. Bet they'll be fine...

Yes Elan's tend to be like that and I suppose leaving it for months between starting doesn't help

[Rambo]

By the way, that white mousse/emulsion in your oil filler cap doesn't look good

[Steve A]

First time I've ever done the paper clip test, that really good

And I found my Elan scan cable which I though would be a good Idea to leave plugged in but then totally forgot about and then hunted the house high and low for

[Steve A]

By the way, that white mousse/emulsion in your oil filler cap doesn't look good

anyone else got it, I'm hoping it's lack of use

[lotusflasherman]

By the way, that white mousse/emulsion in your oil filler cap doesn't look good

anyone else got it, I'm hoping it's lack of use

but short journeys and oil not getting warm can lead to that, and some oils are worse than others ... What's the oil on the dipstick look like? If it's all like that then it's probably a HGF

[Steve A]

By the way, that white mousse/emulsion in your oil filler cap doesn't look good

anyone else got it, I'm hoping it's lack of use

but short journeys and oil not getting warm can lead to that, and some oils are worse than others ... What's the oil on the dipstick look like? If it's all like that then it's probably a HGF

It's fine, the only sign is in the cap and the photo makes it look worse because it's so big (I hope)

[lotusflasherman]

It's fine, the only sign is in the cap and the photo makes it look worse because it's so big (I hope)

Sounds good... there's a chance the underside of the cam cover may look similar so if you've got plenty of spare time remove and clean it off and maybe cams too, but that may be me just being too fussy... it's your choice.

Then I'd leave it running for a long time. Dave Ed's said till fans kick in 3 or 4 times but I'd say till the sump gets hot to touch. Oil temp comes up a long time after coolant temp.

[esprit888]

By the way, that white mousse/emulsion in your oil filler cap doesn't look good

anyone else got it, I'm hoping it's lack of use

Starting often without allowing the oil (note OIL not coolant!) to get up to temp will give you the white mousse effect on the cap, the more you don't the worse it gets. Gotta get it hot, I mean hot, to evaporate all the moisture that has collected in the oil and exhaust. Once you think have evaporated it, change your oil. This is a good read:
http://autos.winnipegfreepress.com/news ... s/id-5823/

[Jamie N]

Starting often without allowing the oil (note OIL not coolant!) to get up to temp will give you the white mousse effect on the cap, the more you don't the worse it gets. Gotta get it hot, I mean hot, to evaporate all the moisture that has collected in the oil and exhaust. Once you think have evaporated it, change your oil. This is a good read:
http://autos.winnipegfreepress.com/news ... s/id-5823/

Agree with that. The other thing is if you have been starting it for short periods over the past wee while the whole exhaust system will be full of moisture, the steam could be that, But if it is HGF don't fret about it too much Steve, it really isn't that hard a job, it can be done in a weekend no problem, I am sure other folks will back me up on that, and the good thing is once its done you wont have to worry about impending HGF again, well not for a long time anyway! .

[Steve A]

Obviously I wouldn't want to change to HG but if if comes to it I will
I just want to get it up and running
Anyway we've got some seals to sort out

[rip]

Your plugs don't look that bad. They are just sooty, which is the sign of rich running. Running the engine with low coolant temp will cause that.
When I had HGF, one of my plugs looked oily. It wasn't oil, it was soot & moisture. When I shone a light into my cylinders through the plug holes, one of the piston crowns had water droplets on it. When it idled, it punched out LOTS of steam & ran a bit rough. Accelerating cleared this until the next time I idled.

You have mentioned none of those symptoms so hopefully you are just seeing the signs of a lack of use.

[Dave Eds]

As I said Steve get it hot enough to get pressure in the coolant system and then (carefully) do the sniff test. You will then know if you've had oil or gases going the wrong way just by the smell of the coolant. Has you coolant level dropped therefore perhaps indicating coolant is going where it shouldn't. Steam out the exhaust could also smell of coolant or could as others say be just moisture through lack of use.

[Steve A]

Inside the bores looks ok, coolant is a bit low, need to run it more.
That's the trouble when you have it SORN with no MOT it needs good run.

[Steve A]

I've ordered a sniffer which should confirm either way

[rip]

Start it, leave it running on tickover and let the fans kick in 3 or 4 times.

I read that with a Lancastrian accent. Can't think why