# White smoke after oil change **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 8, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344 "2014-06-08T04:31:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![falco4758](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/45deac/32.png) [@falco4758](https://community.cartalk.com/u/falco4758)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/1 "2014-06-08T04:31:47Z")
so i went 30k over the reccomended 3 k oil change, stupid i know! Anyway i got a synthetic change, and while i was leaving i noticed white smoke coming out of the tail pipe, it quickly subsided so i didnt go back to the shop. Anyway throughout the week it had been coming out when i start it up, then stopping short after,now today a week later it is really bad pouring out of the exhaust and even coming through my vents this most recent drive! what could of caused this??? They filled my windshield wiper container up, and i know that either had a leak or is broken because it stopped working a few months ago, could that be causing it?? let me know i dont want to drive it if it is not safe and could damage the engine, thanks… ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 4:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/2 "2014-06-08T04:53:52Z")
How curious are you? Have you checked the dip stick? For a few thousand dollars you can have the engine torn down and autopsied but that would be somewhat premature… But not much. The damage is done. You can continue to use the car and top off the oil as needed or you can trade it in or you can get the engine autopsied then rebuilt. Or is this post bait for a marathon? ---
**Author:** ![Howie32703](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@Howie32703](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Howie32703)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 5:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/3 "2014-06-08T05:04:34Z")
Driving 27,000 miles past an oil change is bad, did you ever check the oil level in between ? Sounds like coked up rings. Changing to synthetic after this was not good, now the new oil is trying to clean up all the sludge…Time for a new engine or teardown as Rod Knox suggested …Oil is cheap and the lifeblood of any motor. I change mine every 3 to 4k and have put over 200k on motors with no problems. I have a 25 year old lawn tractor and still going strong, change it every spring. Never had an internal engine failure due to oil. There is no reason why engines can’t go to 200k with proper and timely maintenance…Good Luck ! Been driving for almost 50 years. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 5:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/4 "2014-06-08T05:21:05Z")
Just out of curiosity, did you ever CHECK your oil during this 33,000 mile oil marathon? Nomatter, You’ve seriously neglected the engine, and now the “price” begins to become evident. Rod has given you your options. Meanwhile, consider this to have been an expensive lesson. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 5:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/5 "2014-06-08T05:50:15Z")
> They filled my windshield wiper container up, and i know that either had a leak or is broken because it stopped working a few months ago, could that be causing it?? Troll, Troll, go away … ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 5:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/6 "2014-06-08T05:53:54Z")
I don’t think this is a troll. I think it’s someone with a serious problem looking for help. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 7:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/7 "2014-06-08T07:50:00Z")
Open your hood and check things. Are you losing coolant? Are you losing oil? Is the oil a foamy, light brown color? If the answer is no, you are good to go. If it is yes to any of these, then you need to find a good mechanic soon. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 8:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/8 "2014-06-08T08:12:44Z")
I don t think its a troll but…, some posts seem too good to be true. bait? red meat for the lions? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 9:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/9 "2014-06-08T09:50:16Z")
Meow. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/10 "2014-06-08T15:30:39Z")
Asking if a broken windshield washer bottle will cause lots of smoke out of the tailpipe after 30+k with out an oil change, is a troll. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/11 "2014-06-08T15:36:19Z")
**^** I agree 100% with PvtPublic. _Don’t feed the troll!_ ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/12 "2014-06-08T15:46:08Z")
The OP does not appear to be a troll to me - just someone who now wishes he or she changed their oil more often. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/13 "2014-06-08T15:49:04Z")
@JoeMario–That was my first impression also, but then I considered whether anyone–no matter how mechanically impaired they might be–would really consider a leaking WW fluid reservoir to be the source of exhaust smoke, and I concluded that this was a troll. I could be wrong, but I don’t think that I am. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/14 "2014-06-08T17:11:11Z")
A head gasket problem could cause the coolant to leak through the vents which could coat the outside the windshield which could lead an inspecting operator to assume washer fluid is involved. “I was dumb once too” ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/15 "2014-06-08T19:01:30Z")
I can’t agree. There are those drivers out there who have absolutely zero idea how a car works or how to keep a car running. Or even what all those plastic bottles under the hood are for. Then they’re totally stumped as to why the car is doing something strange. To me this sounds like one of those people. Myself, I’m, willing to give the OP the benefit of the doubt. I can understand why others feel differently. It is a bit hard to imagine. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/16 "2014-06-08T19:40:42Z")
nevermind ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/17 "2014-06-09T02:47:03Z")
“Asking if a broken windshield washer bottle will cause lots of smoke out of the tailpipe after 30+k with out an oil change, is a troll.” I disagree OP clearly neglected the vehicle. No doubt about it. But they fessed up, they’re not trying to hide it. By trying to connect the smoke with the washer fluid, OP has simply demonstrated that they’re not car savvy, like we are Not being car savvy doesn’t equate to being a troll, as far as I’m concerned ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/18 "2014-06-09T03:02:35Z")
I give the OP the benefit of the doubt on the complaint. It’s not uncommon for someone who is not mechanically minded to incorrectly tie one totally unrelated component into another. Case in point. The older lady who owned a Chrysler and had the water pump only replaced. A few days later she was back and insisted that the pump replacement was the direct cause of the window motor in the right rear door going bad. “It worked fine before the pump…” she says. That being said, I think the OP’s car is on thin ice mechanically. Going about 30k miles without an oil change will ruin anything. Maybe this smoke is due to heavy sludging in the cylinder head(s) which is allowing oil to pool and seep past the valve guides instead of draining back into the crankcase. ---
**Author:** ![irlandes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5e925/32.png) [@irlandes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/irlandes)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 4:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/19 "2014-06-09T04:07:10Z")
I used to teach the Boy Scouts: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. There is too much accusing people of being trolls when there is no real basis for that accusation except a negative view of fellow humans. Yes, this is a person who has no idea at all about cars. None. Less than I have about brain surgery, which isn’t much. No one can make up a story like this one. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344/20 "2014-06-09T19:37:15Z")
oh I think many people could make up a story like this. could even be some misguided web lackey trying to distract us from an uncomfortable thread, like Carolyn Please, by posting a an outlandish thread. (not Carolyn, she is more straightforward) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/white-smoke-after-oil-change/85344.md?page=2)