m20 very light white smoke at idle.

[Flipp]

hey R3v fam,

ive noticed very light white smoke coming from my exhaust. i first put it off as water vapor, or just the colder mornings. but now i sometimes see it after the car is warm and at idle.

i dont have any loss in coolant, if so its very very little and not noticeable. also my m20 doesnt over heat at all. the temp gauge needle usually sit just after the first line or half way between the first and second. pretty normal.

another thing i noticed is that i have the slightest bit of rough idle. i wouldnt even call it rough idle. like my rpm needle stays solid at idle but if i look close enough it will blip just slightly. not sure if its related or not.


just wanted to see if this was a normal thing with most e30's. i know most older cars will have these kind of things but im kinda new to the e30 platform. just drop me your thoughts/

thanks guys!oh and happy new year to all of you :ST1G:

[R31 Mark]

white smoke is usually water being burnt, like with a leaking headgasket. Could also just be fuel or vapours though. If it is bluish then its oil, which would be rings or just valve stems seals or guides. Maybe it would help if you got a video up to if possible :)

[lcoleman]

I've noticed my car will blow out condensation for a while, even after the coolant is warm. Usually it disappears by the time the oil warms up, though. I have no other symptoms of HG issues, so I don't worry about it.

This "problem" will be exacerbated if you have a worn out or no cat, as the cat generates a lot of heat while it, urm, catalyses.

[Dirty325ix]

Just keep track of coolant levels and keep an eye on your oil
If those stay in check don't stress it its just condensation burning off

[Flipp]

Dirty325ix, thats exactly what im thinking. im not really sweating it. just wanted to get a few others opinion on it. thanks guys!