Dear NAM,

I've noticed that my 2005 MC CVT with 1877 miles on it blows a little white smoke when I start it up in the morning till about 1 mile then it stops. Happens when I push down on the accelerator (even if stopped) - not when idling. This is with 92 octane gas. I've checked the temp using the non-scientific temp sensor in the MINI, and the outside temp has ranged between 50 and 58 deg F.

So, any ideas? Is this normal? I park on a very very slight incline, but would have to think a car of this day and age should be able to handle a slight incline (like, 2 deg, maybe 3). Does the MINI engine initially "heat up" higher than it's regular running temp then decrease, which would explain why NO OTHER CAR on the road has any exhaust showing?

Thanks,

Concerned MINI owner John


(yes, I'm being silly about the "Dear NAM," thing)

 

probably just a reaction with the early morning high humidity.

does it happen at the end of the day when you leave work?

 

no other car on the road has it because they have been driving for a while already.

all cars will put out a little "white smoke" when first started.

completely normal, nothing to worry about.

 

No, no smoke later in the day (but then again, the temp isn't as low as it is during the morning).

All cars are like this? Ok. I was just a wee bit worried about my MINIs health.

 

Are you sure its smoke and not water vapor from condensation being heated by the exhaust?

 

No, I'm not.

Are you saying:

1) the air is very humid, containing water vapor. The sudden change in temperature (and local pressure) changes the "Quality" (or x, or state) of the water to a liquid, thereby rendering it visible?

2) water has condensed inside the tailpipe, and is being "burnt off", chaning to a vapor from the heat?

The way to check this would be to park it in the garage for a few nights, to see if this sort of thing repeats itself. That would hopefully discredit #2. #1 could only be know if the actual humidity of the air was known. It's fall, and the morning air is quite damp.

 

If you don't spin your tires every morning you wouldn't have this problem!


JK

-Josh

 

What Rick said.

If there was something wrong that was causing excessive smoke, most likely your onboard diagnostic system would catch it and you'd get a "check engine soon" light.

 

All fossil-fuel burning cars produce H2O as a product of combustion. Hold your hand over the tailpipe of a running car and you will feel the exhaust is moist. It's just after the exhaust heats up, you don't see the water vapor anymore because it's hot.