Avalance Exhaust Smoke Problem

kuba98

Well all that I can say is SWEET however we have had two problems with our 2002 Chevrolet valance. One is that when my husband and I purchased the truck they neglected to fill up the oil which lead to the Engine Light on the dash to light up. Apparently the engine only had 2 quarts of oil but the service manager and our dealer (Jerry Rot in Colorado) made us feel confident that further issues would not be a problem. The other issue however has not been resolved or known of. On numerous occasions of our 8 day ownership, when the valance is started up in the morning from a cold start the exhaust would blow out a thick black cloud of smoke. This problem with the exhaust seems to be intermit ant however is a major concern. Has ANYONE noticed problems similar with their Exhaust system on either the valance, Tahoe or Suburban?
Any sort of comments would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks

hicaira

Hate to tell you this but the original oversight that left your engine with only two quarts of oil has damaged the thing. GM is hoping that you will continue to drive it and listen to their lies that nothing is wrong until the warranty expires, at which time you will have to pay for a re-build.

Lack of lubrication when new has probably shot your rings and maybe valve seats. Other damage was most likely inflicted too. It is a matter of time before the whole thing fails.

Make them replace it. ASAP.

HiC

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, I don't know....black smoke is a sign of excess fuel, not engine wear. It's blue smoke you dont' want to see...black isn't so bad. Have them scope the car and find out why it's running so rich when cold.

kuba98

Mr. HiC & Mr. Shiftright -
So you seem very educated in the ways of automation....have you had a similar problem with another vehicle? What was the out come?
My husband did mention to me after reading your reply that the smoke is not necessarily black but more light white color....any advice?
Thanks
Kuba98

hicaira

Normally, three kinds of smoke:
1. Black. See Mr. Shifty's response above. Often has black carbon deposits associated with it.

2. Blue. Burning oil. Usually rings or other oil leaking into the cylinders.

3. White. Smoke please, not steam which is normal for cold engines (usually more noticable on cold mornings). If smoke, it usually means water contamination or antifreeze burning (blown head gaskets and the like).

You could have more than one problem at the same time. Or, one problem could end up causing others.

Regardless of which it is, it is NOT normal and the dealer needs to 1. tell you what it is, 2. tell you what is causing it, and 3. fix it, for good, under warranty.

Good luck,

HiC

kuba98

Mr. HiC -
Thank you for your response and luckily here in Colorado it is not cold enough yet to provide that type of 'White Smoke'....but thanks.

Kuba98

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, I think white smoke on start up is pretty normal, especially if it goes away after a few minutes. One of the by-products of the combustion of gasoline is H20---quite a bit actually.

If you want to determine the condition of your engine, have a cylinder leakdown test done on it, and then you'll be dealing with quantitative data (actual numbers) rather than just worrying about the color of the smoke...it's more re-assuring and also puts you on a factual basis with the dealer rather than an emotional or conceptual one.

Smoke is just smoke, it could mean something or nothing at all.

kuba98

kuba98

IF you want to see what happened please refer to the latest and greatest issue with our BRAND NEW 2002 CHEVY AVALANCHE under SUV's Avalanche Engine Replacement.