'02 Mustang GT Smokes Occasionally, Dealer Says

[BrianB]

After a little more than a year of allowing the Dealer to trouble shoot this problem I have taken over ...

Occasionally, seems like after the car gets a busy day of running errands and then sits a day or so, at start up it smokes, misses, idles rough and has an engine noise, maybe a lifter, or something valve related.

I swear oil is leaking down in to a cylinder from a bad valve seal, but the dealer isn't buying it. Their last two comments were, it had too much oil from the last time they changed the oil, and this time they say it's carbon build up.

Blue smoke to me means oil in the cylinder. Oil in the Cylinder to me is a serious problem on a car with 22K. Is it time for another Dealer to have a look for a second opinion? I don't even think they've pulled the plugs to have a look or have done a compression test.

Thanks,
Brian

[krakhedd]

I know a little something about engines/motors (literally, A LITTLE), but am able to brainstorm too, so I hope I think of something that helps you here.

Blue smoke can only be engine oil. Maybe you've got bad O-rings on 1 or more of the pistons. Enough oil leaking into a cylinder might cause rough idle/etc.

A long shot, but maybe the valve cover breather isn't functioning properly/effectively, and after the motor cools down, the oil condenses, perhaps finding its way into 1 cylinder.

It doesn't take much oil to fool newer, computer-controlled cars, which are looking for stringent operating conditions.

Dealers are not in this business to fix your problem(s), they are in it to make money off of you. Unless there's a dealer/mechanic you know/trust, and even sometimes with ones you do, their primary concern is to generate revenue.

[old_man]

Sounds like time to start screaming lemon law.

[mikecooper]

try www.dfwstangs.com they are the stang people around here

[MudDawg]

There is a potential problem with some of the newer engines that may relate to your problem. It is possible for the intake gaskets to leak coolant into one or more intake runner(s). The symptom are similar to what you describe. In severe cases the affected cylinder(s) can hydro-lock on start up and kick out a rod or break a piston. Other probs can be sparkplugs blowing out of the head and valve seats falling out...either way it's from freakin' sorry engineering and production practices.

The service department at my local dealership is in denial. (One of my fleet trucks broke a piston) The only answer the service department will give is "it wore out". The mileage on the engine is less than a third of what we got on the old inline motors. When the motor is removed for replacement, I will perform a failure analysis.

I am having to pay 4k for a new engine assembly, or toss an otherwise perfectly good truck