All the fluids have a distinctive odor to me.  I've smelled oil, coolant,
transmission fluid, gas, diesel...and sometimes a joint as well....  Oh wow
man....

Steven
91 Westy

On Dec 22, 2017 5:23 PM, "David McNeely" <davmcneely40@gmail.com> wrote:

> Oil burning emits blue, not white smoke, but some folks might not tell the
> difference.  Truly white smoke is usually engine coolant vaporizing then
> condensing in the air.  Burning oil also has a distinct odor.  At least
> that is my experience as well as what experienced others have told me.
> Either way, I'd not count on learning anything good upon further
> examination (or driving).
>
> On Fri, Dec 22, 2017 at 12:56 PM, John Rodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. This "clouds of white smoke"
> > while going up a hill (I my case going around a tight on-ramp curve)
> along
> > with an empty reservoir and full overflow tank,  has happened to me in
> two
> > of my vans and in both cases it preceded and engine failure requiring an
> > engine overhaul.
> >
> > The empty reservoir combined with full overflow tank indicate an internal
> > seal failure leaking combustion gases into the cooling system, thereby
> > pressurizind it and blowing the coolant out of the system by  way of the
> > overflow tank. Coolant won't necessarily give the billowing white stuff
> but
> > more like steam. But real billowing white stuff that is somewhat opaque
> > that shows going up hill or around a curve is most likely  oil. You need
> to
> > have a compression test done right away.
> >
> > I my situation in case #1 I would get billowing smoke going around a
> curved
> > ramp.I was new to vanagons back then, ignored it, being it was Thursday,
> > thinking I would have it looked at on Monday. Wrong!! Sarurday night on
> > I-40  in between Somewhere and  Nowhere, Oklahoma, cruising right along
> > with everything looking good, I heard a loud "POP"in the rear, and I
> > instinctively look in thevresr view mirror.  There was an 18 wheeler
> > closing from behind and in his light I could see clouds of smoke boiling
> up
> > from behind the van. There was a ramp just ahead  at a service station. I
> > pulled jinto their parking. Oil was every where. Back of the van, and the
> > engine as dripping oil all over underneath. Checked the oil level,  itt
> > didn't measure on the dipstick. I put more oil in up to the mark and
> > started the engine. Oil pouredcfrom underneath. I was done. Called a
> > flatbed to come and get the van and hauled into Clinton, OK. Had to
> stayar
> > Holiday Inn 'til Monday. Had the van again towed to a garage. They noted
> > the oil was coming from a rocker box gasket and put one on. On starting
> the
> > engine, the new gasket immediately blew out. A compression test then
> > compression on one cylinder to be competely flat. The conclusion was
> > something had happened internally, and exhaust gasses were pressurizing
> the
> > case, going up thru the pushrod tubes into the valve rocker area and then
> > blowing out the seal/ gasket. Being under pressore the oil was really
> > blowing out. They- nor I - was prepared to deal witn an engine change,
> so I
> > GOT A U-haul truck and Auto-trailer and hauled it to Birmingham, Ala to a
> > shop I knew there. On teardown it was found that  the head and piston had
> > buned through pressuring the case. I wasn't far from a major engine
> > failure, probably throwing a rod.i'n any case I got a good price on a new
> > engine from a local rebuilder.
> >
> > Same van, different engine. I basically ran out the engine. At 178 ,000
> > miles it stared smoking and I  could smell coolant. Cylinders were low on
> > compression check , so the engine was pulled. On disassembly, the heads
> > were cracked 9 places. Given that this was the second run on this
> engine, I
> > figured it was done!
> >
> > I'm now working on a Subaru EJ2 .5 conversion including the 5 speed
> > transmission. No hurry, but will post 'pictures and progress!! Btw, this
> is
> > an '88 Tintop!
> >
> > John R
> >
> > On Dec 22, 2017 08:56, "Marc Perdue" <mcperdue@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Yeah, so, my van seems incapable of running longer than a week or two
> > > without something happening, dang it.
> > >
> > > You all may recall I had written about the red blinky light coming back
> > on
> > > just after starting the van up. There was plenty of coolant, and the
> temp
> > > seemed fine, though I discovered it was leaking a small amount of
> coolant
> > > from the lower thermostat housing.
> > >
> > > I took the van into my local Volvo shop because they love working on
> vans
> > > and they're closer than 40 miles away. They fixed it and cleaned it up
> > > inside and out, an additional service I got for "free" from many visits
> > > getting vehicles repaired. The van looked and ran great . . . for a
> > while.
> > >
> > > Last Saturday, I bought a "new" car to trim down my fleet of vehicles.
> I
> > > know, that doesn't make sense. I bought it so I could get rid of my POS
> > BMW
> > > wagon, plus we're giving my wife's Volvo to my daughter. New car is a
> > 1999
> > > Volvo V 70 R with 81K miles on it. Woot!
> > >
> > > Back to the van, I was driving the van up to the DMV to take care of
> > stuff
> > > for the new car and I noticed that whenever I went uphill, big clouds
> of
> > > white "smoke" went billowing out the back. Well, I noticed this when I
> > was
> > > about a mile from home, so I took it back home and grabbed a different
> > car
> > > to go to the DMV. Sigh...
> > >
> > > I checked the van later and, while I can't see any signs of a leak, the
> > > coolant reservoir is empty and the expansion tank is down by about an
> > inch.
> > > For the moment, I'm thinking that the shop, after replacing the
> > thermostat
> > > housing failed to deal with any coolant having been lost during the
> work,
> > > and/or bleeding the system...
> > >
> > > There's no end with this van...
> > > Marc Perdue
> > >
> >
>