H22 White Smoke From Exhaust...help

[LunatiqH22]

A couple months ago I had a big cloud of white smoke come out of my exhaust and a big loss in power. It was just about a minute after I left my house when this happen. I left my house drove the my street (bout 20secs.) Then when I turned onto the main road I gunned it(yes, I know not advisable) right when I put the pedal to the floor a big cloud of white smoke came outta my exhaust with a big loss in power. I pulled over and let the smoke clear. It was very brief...I turned around and went back home. Driving up my street to my house the car was running pretty rough. I finally got around to checkin it out. My oil level is good and clean. So I started it up and let it run for a bit to listen for anything unusual.I did hear a noise coming from the timing area. It sounded like a ball bearing goin out. It started to smoke and seemd like it was gonna die out. At this point I said screw it...If I rebuild or buy another motor then ok, so I started to rev it.After a while it stopped smoking ran ok after that. So I drove it around and it smoked briefly then stopped. Now the only problem I have is the noise. So heres where I want some input....So Ive checkd my oil level, coolant level, and checked coolant flow while the car was on to see if its a bad water pump. It all checked out normal. I have not done anything further...Next thing I was gonna do is check my oil pressure when I get a gauge. I have pulled my valve cover to see if oil is goin up there and it looks like it is. I just wanna know if anyone has had or heard of a similar problem.....Kinda busy/lazy lately to really troubleshoot it myself. I work on vehicles all day at work so im kinda lazy when it comes to my sh!t.....New to the whole honda thing too...Veterans of the forum/h22a i know an engine is an engine but just wanted some input.:cool: So from a young mechanic to the gurus please give me some advice or point me in the right direction....Sorry for the really long post, but i know when you troubleshoot over the internet you gotta be specific....THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!:biggrin:

[bdizzel124]

Blue/black smoke is oil
white smoke is coolant

Id have to say head gasket

[LunatiqH22]

Sorry...I just remembered when I checkd my oil I was about a half quart low....Usually is like that when Im on the vtec alot, which I was before this whole thing happened.And from what I read on the forum its to be expected...

[LunatiqH22]

Blue/black smoke is oil
white smoke is coolant

Id have to say head gasket
See thats where i get confused....Ive always expierenced black smoke being too rich...and white smoke to be either oil or coolant. I have a old beater jeep cherokee that has white smoke everytime I start it and it smells like burning oil. Its got some bad valve seals....Ive seen blue smoke one time a long time ago at the track when a big block blew...The reason why im so stumped is cause my coolant level hasnt dropped at all...Considering the amount of smoke that came outta my exhaust id expect it to be pretty low.:confused: Thanks for the reply!

[99PreludeSh]

yes white smoke could indicate antifreeze, or water entering the cylinders while the engine is trying to burn it with the gas. So check your radiator and over flow, if you are missing some better check your oil and hope it hasnt mixed itself together.

If your oil looks like chocolate milk BUMME DUDE

[bdizzel124]

^yeah i read that your collant level hasnt droped, did you get a CEL, if so did you dianose it

[LunatiqH22]

^yeah i read that your collant level hasnt droped, did you get a CEL, if so did you dianose it
My check engine light comes on off and on....I notice it comes on when the engine is under a load (driving up a slight hill in a higher gear). But if it doesnt go away a few minutes after that it goes away when i shut the car off. Sometimes I could go a few days driving without it coming on.....Also on the white smoke deal...have you ever dropped oil on a exhaust manifold when its hot. I have...and white smoke came from it. Wouldnt this be the same principle? As far as diagnosing it...would I still pull up a code if the light isnt on since it does turn on and off....Or would I have to try and read it while the light is on. Im really stumped here...I bought the car second hand about 4months before this happened....The motor was recently dropped in before I bought it. They did a head job and changed the timing belt. Not sure if they did water pump and oil pump....Im leaning towards water or oil pump. But even at that, the syptoms dont add to that completely.....Thanks again guys for the help....

[99PreludeSh]

Take it up to Autozone and say hey my light keeps going on and off I need it checked. It might read it, it might not. And if they say something stupid like "well we cant check it with out the light on" tell them to fukk off and you can do it yourself with a handy dandy paper clip.

[bdizzel124]

Any time for the help, I have done that before i for got what color it was, you might be right. well did the head gasket crack when they did the head, a water pump will leak on the out side throuhg the seaping valve i think its called. It will normally take all the gunk with it so you think your leaking oil but it will be watery, your getting oil up to the valves so probly not oil pump


The check engine code might still be in the system if there is no light i think so try reading it

[LunatiqH22]

Any time for the help, I have done that before i for got what color it was, you might be right. well did the head gasket crack when they did the head, a water pump will leak on the out side throuhg the seaping valve i think its called. It will normally take all the gunk with it so you think your leaking oil but it will be watery, your getting oil up to the valves so probly not oil pump


The check engine code might still be in the system if there is no light i think so try reading it
You talkin bout the weep hole on the water pump? I know when thats leaking the seals are bad...But no leak...clean driveway...Ohh yah and I pulled my spark plugs...all of them are the same color...They look almost perfect. I dont know any details about the head overhaul...It might have cracked when they took it off...but im pretty sure they replaced it either way. Im mainly concerned about the noise...its driving me crazy....I recorded it but you cant hear it the way I hear it. It really just sounds like when a ball bearing is getting old....That whirling noise..The closest sound I can think of that you guys might be able to understand is like when you brake rotors got some surface rust on them cuz the vehicle hasnt been driven for awhile or the sound it makes when your brake pads are down the the medal...that similiar noise.But its constant and the frequency of the sound is to the engine rotation.I hope you can understand that.....As far as Autozone I dont have one in my area I live on a tiny little U.S. Territory island in the pacific called Guam.....

[bdizzel124]

Wow did you see harold and kumar!!!!!!! lol

but http://preludezone.com/showthread.php?t=2363
should help you

[LunatiqH22]

Wow did you see harold and kumar!!!!!!! lol

but http://preludezone.com/showthread.php?t=2363
should help you
So you guys are givin up on me:confused: lol jk...I got that thread on favorites thanks...Im semi regretting buying this car. I bought it as a potential project. Its a stock h22a obd1....Since then I have had another baby so time and money is kinda tight. I either wanna fix it and drive it for a bit then sell it or keep it and build the motor. Since i really need something to drive I wanna get it running to use or sell...Im just hoping I can fix it without too much time and money...cuz I dont got alot of either one right now. I had a few gremlins before this major problem...I had a rough idle on cold starts...then after temp gauge reached half it ran smooth but at 2k rpm. I havent checked the IAC valve for that problem...I think the previous turned up the idle because on cold starts it runs rough around 1000-1200 rpm...So i figured he turned it up so it would stay running at idle...So tell me if I were to change my oil pump or water pump or both at the same time what is the easiest way to do it...I was loookin at it and its kinda tight in there...Do you guys usually pull the motor for something like that or is it practical to do it with the engine still in the car???

[bdizzel124]

first off, your high idel is from your fast idel control valve
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/bdizzel124/100_0630-2.jpg
Under the throttle body, youll see a valve right after the intake!!!!!
the oil pump you have to remove the oil pan and the water pump ohhh that gonna be fun,
take off the drive side motor mounts (let the motor drop down a little bit) and you should be able to get to the crank sharft pully bolt, Hardest bolt to get off ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!