I have a '96 plymouth voyager that blows a cloud of smoke out of the tailpipe after it sits idling for at least 15 or 20 seconds. It doesn’t do it while it’s idling, once I’m in motion, or when the engine’s still cold. Anybody have any ideas?
What color is the smoke? Blueish, black or white. It does make a difference.
If it’s like almost every older Plymouth/Dodge minivan I’ve seen on the roads, the smoke is bluish and the engine is probably burning oil.
It sounds like valve guide leakdown; the oil inside the valve covers leaks past the valve guides into the cylinders. When the car starts up this oil burns off, and gives off the blue smoke. Normal running does not allow the accumulation of oil.
A good verification of this is to take your foot off the gas pedal at normal highway speed and look in the rearview mirror. The engine vacuum will suck oil past the guides as well and give off a blue smoke.
3.0L,if so ,the valve guides fall and need to be repaired,buy means of pushing guides back into place and installing a cir clip.to retain the guides.
not CHEAP but will fix the issue.
That problem was pretty much fixed by '96, the the valve seals were still a problem. But the OPhasn’t told us which engine the van has.
sorry,BRO! just a WWAG! on my part. if not that the cylenders now look like eggs .
I used to have a '94 and it had a 3.0L so it’s either that or a 3.3L.