White smoke is pouring our of my 94 civic DX and I assumed it was my head gasket. I was advised to do a compression test.

Here are the results for the compression test.

#1 145 psi Dry #2 100 psi Dry #3 150 psi Dry #4 150 psi dry

#2 150 psi Wet/added oil to cylinder

Does it sound like worn rings in the #2

Almost think I should do a leak test on it. Wazzz your thoughts? thanks again

 

typically white smoke=water indicating a head gasket probably leaking into #2 cylinder. Your exhaust probably has a sweet smell to it. If it
were worn rings you would be burning oil and producing black smoke.

 

why do people keep saying black smoke is oil burning? Please don't pass on wrong information. Sometimes the bluish smoke from the exhaust may look white. Hard to tell bu just the color on that one. So when someone says white smoke it is best to find out what is the root cause and the oder doesn't always come through. The best way to find out is through test like compression followed by leakage test. Also if the compression came up during the wet test, that indicated worn rings. Please read the following for the problems of exhaust smoke related to color.

White smoke: White smoke is caused by water and or antifreeze entering the cylinder, and the engine trying to burn it with the fuel. The white smoke is steam. There are special gaskets (head gaskets are the primary gaskets) that keep the antifreeze from entering the cylinder area. The cylinder is where the fuel and air mixture are being compressed and burned. Any amount of antifreeze that enters this area will produce a white steam that will be present at the tailpipe area.

If white smoke is present, check to see if the proper amount of antifreeze is inside the radiator and the overflow bottle. Also check to see if antifreeze has contaminated the engine oil. You can look at the engine oil dipstick, or look at the under side of the engine oil filler cap. If the oil is contaminated with antifreeze, it will have the appearance of a chocolate milkshake. Do not start the engine if the oil is contaminated with antifreeze, as serious internal engine damage can result.

How did antifreeze get in the oil or cylinder in the first place? The engine probably overheated and a head gasket failed due to excessive heat, thus allowing antifreeze to enter the cylinder (Where it is not meant to be).

Blue Smoke: Blue smoke is caused by engine oil entering the cylinder area and being burned along with the fuel air mixture. As with the white smoke, just a small drop of oil leaking into the cylinder can produce blue smoke out the tailpipe. Blue smoke is more likely in older or higher mileage vehicles than newer cars with fewer miles.

How did the engine oil get inside the cylinder in the first place? The car has many seals, gaskets, and O-rings that are designed to keep the engine oil from entering the cylinder, and one of them has failed. If too much oil leaks into the cylinder and fouls the spark plug, it will cause a misfire (engine miss) in that cylinder, and the spark plug will have to be replaced or cleaned of the oil. Using thicker weight engine oil or an oil additive designed to reduce oil leaks might help reduce the amount of oil leaking into the cylinder.

Black Smoke: Black smoke is caused by excess fuel that has entered the cylinder area and cannot be burned completely. Another term for excess fuel is "running rich." Poor fuel mileage is also a common complaint when black smoke comes out of the tailpipe. Black smoke out the tailpipe is the least cause for alarm. Excess fuel will usually effect engine performance, reduce fuel economy, and produce a fuel odor.

 

Sounds like coolant may be getting into cylinder #2.

 

97CivicEX your right got my black and blue smoke backwards. Sorry for any confusion.

 

do you see the blue smoke few mins after you started the car or is it permanent?
if its there for a few mins right after you started the engine then it might the the condensation evaporating from the exaust system, if its permanent then it means that the coolant is getting into the cylinder and you either got a crack in the engine block or your gascets or seals are in a need of a replacement.