Blue smoke on 2003 Camry

Hi,

I was looking at used 2003 4cyl camry, it was about 20 degrees, the
saleman started the car and I was behind the car, looking at the
exhaust I noticed nothing for 5 seconds or so, then blue smoke for a
few seconds then white (normal condensation). Is this a problem? The
car has 50K on it and all the service records (dealer serviced). Maybe
excessive engine wear or maybe I'm paronoid? Otherwise it was in
pristine condition.

thanks for any help!!

"C. E. White" <cewhite3@remove> wrote in message
news:479f3c0f@kcnews01...
>
> <bungalow_stevem> wrote in message
> news:fd0dcb69-10ec-4f7f-8bfd-d365d442c2da@f47g2000hsd..com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I was looking at used 2003 4cyl camry, it was about 20 degrees, the
>> saleman started the car and I was behind the car, looking at the
>> exhaust I noticed nothing for 5 seconds or so, then blue smoke for a
>> few seconds then white (normal condensation). Is this a problem? The
>> car has 50K on it and all the service records (dealer serviced). Maybe
>> excessive engine wear or maybe I'm paronoid? Otherwise it was in
>> pristine condition.
>>
>> thanks for any help!!
>
> This is very common for Camrys. Just make sure the inside of the valve
> cover is clean. I'd suggest having an independent mechanic look it over.
>
> Ed

First off, you have to find a car dealer who'll be willing to let you remove
a valve cover from one of his cars to look inside. If you buy the car
first, you'd be welome to do it.

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:13puvoi2fc76t87@corp..com...
>
> "C. E. White" <cewhite3@remove> wrote in message
> news:479f3c0f@kcnews01...
>>
>> <bungalow_stevem> wrote in message
>> news:fd0dcb69-10ec-4f7f-8bfd-d365d442c2da@f47g2000hsd..com...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I was looking at used 2003 4cyl camry, it was about 20 degrees, the
>>> saleman started the car and I was behind the car, looking at the
>>> exhaust I noticed nothing for 5 seconds or so, then blue smoke for a
>>> few seconds then white (normal condensation). Is this a problem? The
>>> car has 50K on it and all the service records (dealer serviced). Maybe
>>> excessive engine wear or maybe I'm paronoid? Otherwise it was in
>>> pristine condition.
>>>
>>> thanks for any help!!
>>
>> This is very common for Camrys. Just make sure the inside of the valve
>> cover is clean. I'd suggest having an independent mechanic look it over.
>>
>> Ed
>
> First off, you have to find a car dealer who'll be willing to let you
> remove a valve cover from one of his cars to look inside. If you buy
> the car first, you'd be welome to do it.

You can look through the oil fill hole (a dental mirro canhelp here). If the
oil hasn't been properly changed it is likely to be nasty looking. You can
also look at the dip stick. A brown varnish stain on the dip stick is a bad
sign.

Ed

Many Toyotas are famous for blue-smoke startups. Mostly the valve stem
seals deteriorated and allowed oil to leak into the combustion chamber
while the car sat. If this was the case even subsequent cold starts
(before the engine warmed) there should be no blue smoke.

Valve stem seals are rubber parts that should be changed along with
valve cover gasket and oil seals. But it's often not done because of
the added cost of taking off the cam shafts. I'd just use Fel-Pro
valve stem seals instead.

Leaking rings would give blue smoke most of the time as well as with a
stuck open PCV valve. But sounds like only the first start after the
engine sat for a while would do this?

On Jan 28, 8:39 pm, "bungalow_st...m"
<bungalow_st...m> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I was looking at used 2003 4cyl camry, it was about 20 degrees, the
> saleman started the car and I was behind the car, looking at the
> exhaust I noticed nothing for 5 seconds or so, then blue smoke for a
> few seconds then white (normal condensation). Is this a problem? The
> car has 50K on it and all the service records (dealer serviced). Maybe
> excessive engine wear or maybe I'm paronoid? Otherwise it was in
> pristine condition.
>
> thanks for any help!!

C. E. White wrote:
> <bungalow_stevem> wrote in message
> news:fd0dcb69-10ec-4f7f-8bfd-d365d442c2da@f47g2000hsd..com...
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>I was looking at used 2003 4cyl camry, it was about 20 degrees, the
>>saleman started the car and I was behind the car, looking at the
>>exhaust I noticed nothing for 5 seconds or so, then blue smoke for a
>>few seconds then white (normal condensation). Is this a problem? The
>>car has 50K on it and all the service records (dealer serviced).
>>Maybe
>>excessive engine wear or maybe I'm paronoid? Otherwise it was in
>>pristine condition.
>>
>>thanks for any help!!
>
>
> This is very common for Camrys. Just make sure the inside of the valve
> cover is clean. I'd suggest having an independent mechanic look it
> over.
>
> Ed
>
>

As cars get older they sometimes burn oil when really light weights
(0W-30 or even 5W-30) are used. Our Camry doesn't, but my Honda does. If
you are using one of those weights in a car that's doing it, try using
10W-30 instead. OTOH, this is a car you haven't bought yet, so I'd keep
looking. It could have a damaged engine.

johngdole@m wrote:

I have been getting the blue smoke on startup while cold - just like my
old VW Rabbit some 20 years ago. The Camry is a 2000 model with 100K
miles. I had assumed it was the valve stem seals but doesn't replacing
them require removing the head? This sounds expensive. I suppose I could
try to replace the PCV valve first...

david

> Many Toyotas are famous for blue-smoke startups. Mostly the valve stem
> seals deteriorated and allowed oil to leak into the combustion chamber
> while the car sat. If this was the case even subsequent cold starts
> (before the engine warmed) there should be no blue smoke.
>
> Valve stem seals are rubber parts that should be changed along with
> valve cover gasket and oil seals. But it's often not done because of
> the added cost of taking off the cam shafts. I'd just use Fel-Pro
> valve stem seals instead.
>
> Leaking rings would give blue smoke most of the time as well as with a
> stuck open PCV valve. But sounds like only the first start after the
> engine sat for a while would do this?
>