Test drive - Smoke from exhaust

Nono Toure

Test drove a 2013 Hyundai ix35 today at a Hyundai dealers. I drove about 12 miles. The first 4 or 5 miles there was loads of smoke from the exhaust, it wasn't black, but maybe a light grey. But I mean loads of smoke.

Anyways it stopped after that. Someone told me before if smoke is coming from exhaust that I should take off the oil cap and check for air, so I did that and there was lots of air coming from it when engine was ticking over.

Should I stay away?

Toyotafanboi

Sounds like standard condensation on a day like today. A '13 ix35 has 2 years manufacturer warranty remaining so I wouldn't worry too much.

Esel

Are you sure it wasn't just water vapour?

Nono Toure

Well I said to the salesman that it could be condensation but he said he had it running earlier in the day just ticking over for 30 mins and said it probably just needs a servicing..
Anything to worry about with all that air coming from the oil cap when I took it off?

Toyotafanboi

Having it running earlier, allowing it to cool and running it again would make condensation even worse.

Cheensbo

Nono Toure wrote: »

Well I said to the salesman that it could be condensation but he said he had it running earlier in the day just ticking over for 30 mins and said it probably just needs a servicing..
Anything to worry about with all that air coming from the oil cap when I took it off?

The fact that he said it probably just needs "a servicing" is enough for me to say he has absolutely no idea what he's talking about.

Honestly though it'll most likely be water vapour, my own car is a portable fog machine at the moment - it gets lost in a shroud of steam/vapour at traffic lights, and leaves a cloud behind it when you give it the boot.

bazz26

There are about 80 2013 ix35s for sale just on carzone, if you have any doubts with one then just move onto another.

Voodoomelon

The white smoke from my 740 is unbelievable at the moment. 15 minutes into work, sits for 8 hours then 15 minutes home. A few other small journeys here and there, you actually can't see anything out the back window sometimes. Oil level and coolant are constant week in and out; it's hard to tell just by looking and smelling fumes on a car you're not familiar with.

brembo26

Cheensbo wrote: »

The fact that he said it probably just needs "a servicing" is enough for me to say he has absolutely no idea what he's talking about.

Honestly though it'll most likely be water vapour, my own car is a portable fog machine at the moment - it gets lost in a shroud of steam/vapour at traffic lights, and leaves a cloud behind it when you give it the boot.

I am a mechanic in a dealership and the sales lads come into us regularly asking about things and saying they havent the first clue about cars :P

Supergurrier

Voodoomelon wrote: »

The white smoke from my 740 is unbelievable at the moment. 15 minutes into work, sits for 8 hours then 15 minutes home. A few other small journeys here and there, you actually can't see anything out the back window sometimes. Oil level and coolant are constant week in and out; it's hard to tell just by looking and smelling fumes on a car you're not familiar with.

Shmell of clutch off my car hai, is she broke lad ? :pac:

9935452

Nono Toure wrote: »

Well I said to the salesman that it could be condensation but he said he had it running earlier in the day just ticking over for 30 mins and said it probably just needs a servicing..
Anything to worry about with all that air coming from the oil cap when I took it off?

That's a typical salesman tactic.
You would hear of them having the radio turned up when starting a car to hide knocking sounds .
He could be clueless but might know a lot more than he is letting on.
I say walk away from the car. Plenty more for sale.

B00056718

Look at a particular portion of the smoke. If it disappears in a second or two it's a condensation. If it stays there as the wind carries it away it's a smoke.

porsche boy

In my experience sales folk are not hired for their mechanical expertise, they can sell and that's all they have to do.

CianRyan

Who told you to take the oil cap off while the car was running?
I don't think they like you very much.

9935452

CianRyan wrote: »

Who told you to take the oil cap off while the car was running?
I don't think they like you very much.

Why shouldnt you take the oil cap off when the car is running?
Its how you check for a blow/smoke, its not pressurised ,nothing should blow out .
If it does something is wrong with the car.

Atlantic Dawn

9935452 wrote: »

Why shouldnt you take the oil cap off when the car is running?
Its how you check for a blow/smoke, its not pressurised ,nothing should blow out .
If it does something is wrong with the car.

The oil will splatter all over the place with the engine running even if the car is not moving.

9935452

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The oil will splatter all over the place with the engine running even if the car is not moving.

Any of the cars ive ever owned have never thrown oil out the filler cap with the cap off and the engine running

CianRyan

9935452 wrote: »

Any of the cars ive ever owned have never thrown oil out the filler cap with the cap off and the engine running

You're lucky then.

Leonard Hofstadter

9935452 wrote: »

Why shouldnt you take the oil cap off when the car is running?
Its how you check for a blow/smoke, its not pressurised ,nothing should blow out .
If it does something is wrong with the car.

Exactly, on a BMW with the M54 six cylinder engine the easiest way to test whether the CCV is working as it should is to take off the oil cap when the engine is running. If there is a gulp of air then you know it needs to be replaced (CCV failure is the principal cause of high oil consumption in these engines).

So, nothing at all wrong with doing it when the engine is running in some cars just to test if everything is working as it should.