I will be out of the country for 6 mo. My 5 year old Lexus is running great and has 92K miles. However it has been putting out some blue smoke when I first start it up. This worries me. I really would like to buy a Camry Hybrid or a Prius. Am I just looking for an excuse? Do I need to fix this before I sell the Lexus?
Do you think a mechanical inspection performed by the mechanic of a prospective buyer will notice the smoke?
Would you be willing to get the cause of the smoke diagnosed?
92K really isn’t a lot of miles (certainly not into the “suspect mechanical engine damage” range).
Get the smoke issue resolved, one, it will reduce your worry, two, if you do sell the car and a pre-sale inspection mentions it, you have a professional response.
Be aware the Prius is a city/stop and go car, not your best choice for highway driving, (if recovering the preminum you will pay is of consequence)
Your Lexus is a great car, it’s paid for, and you are only going away for 6 months. Gas prices are dropping and will likely not rise till the end of 2009. The blue smoke may be your valve guide seals, not too expensive to fix.
I would get a good mechanic to check this out.
If you like the Lexus, fix it and drive it reliably for another 200,000 miles!!
“Gas prices are dropping and will likely not rise till the end of 2009.”
That means gas prices recently dropped, and may it may continue. One day, the prices will go up, but probably not before an economic recovery is underway. Unless there is a war or big natural disaster that shuts down refining capacity.
I would say the question here is what do YOU want to do. It is kind of hard for me to guess that.
If you really want to get a different car and have money is not a problem, then now would be a good time. You can save six months depreciation. Sell now and buy when you return.
Smoke when first starting up when it is cold is normal, especially if you have been taking only short trips. It should be white smoke. If it is blue, then you can look at oil usage and maybe a converter. If it is black it is a fuel issue.