I have an 06 Ranger with approx. 700 miles on it. Recently I've noticed that upon starting the truck after work (I use a remote start as I'm walking up to it), I see a puff of smoke come out of the tail pipe. Could this be due to the rings not being seated yet on the pistons?

 

A slight puff of smoke is normal as long as it's only momentary. Your catalytic converter is designed to turn emissions gases into Carbon Dioxide and Water. When you turn off your truck a small bit of water stays puddled in the exhaust system and blows out as soon as you start it.

 

Thanks. It looks like oil smoke so I was worried about it.

 

keep your eyes out for recalls to just incase it isnt jsut some extra water and its a big problem with the 06'

 

Jeff:
What is the problem you are talking about with the '06? Bill

 

There's no problem yet, but if it is a common problem Ford will do a recall to fix it. (This is assuming that the smoke is not normal).

 

bringing this back up


I have noticed a one second puff of white'ish smoke on cold startup over the last two days. The smoke dissapears after a second and the truck runs as normal...with no power issues. There is no smoke visable on warm startups. The oil level is normal as it was recently changed.

12k miles on an 05 Edge


My question is has there been any recalls due to this? Has anyone brought their truck back and had the problem corrected?

 

yeah i get the same thing from my ranger. on cold start up i get a small cloud of smoke. it smells like oil, but i'm not sure. its an 06' ranger with 3,300 miles on it. i'm gonna go to 10w30 instread of 5w30 to see if that helps. i'm gonna go to the dealership an have them make a record of it incase anything happens in the future. i gotta go anyway cause the damn abs break light already came on and the breaks lock up now!!!!!

 

A: I would suggest going to the dealer and at least have them take a look at it. It's probably nothing. When I put my new exhaust on, this started happening. I think, depending on how your exhaust is routed, that if a little bit of water builds up anywhere that it will do this all the time normally, and isn't something to worry about.

B: If it is something serious, it should still be under warranty, so at least you won't have to pay for anything, and if the dealer is nice, they will give you a rental car while your truck is being fixed.

C: ABS sucks.

 

I remember when I first went to look at my truck before i bought it, a puff of smoke came out when the guy started it, i figured it had sat for a while.. and I havent noticed it since then.. Whiterabbit, if you just have RABS, I can see your point.. thats what my truck has and it sucks a$$. I just love when my front wheels lock up when im trying to avoid hitting something, or turning and braking hard hah..

 

Most vehicles do this. I think you're looking way too deeply into it.

 

That is exactly what I'm talkin about. you lose almost all ability to steer when the fronts lock up.

 

ummmmmm....... i've never had a vehicle to blow a cloud of smoke out on start up.... not even a puff. i'm sure its not "normal" and i will be taking it in for documentation.

 

5w20 is recommended for the 2.3L and 3.0L. The 4.0L takes 5w30.

 

I have had all kinds of cars that puff on start up. It is normal if it is only momentarily. Think about it, water and condensation in the exhaust pipe gets turned into steam and blown out the pipe. I should show you the floor of my gargage which is rust colored where the water gets blown out every time I start my caddy. It will drip and smoke for 5 minutes sometimes depending on when the last time I drove it was. If it is oil you will notice oil loss. I would bet money it is just normal exhaust moisture. My ranger poured water out the tail pipes everytime I started it.

~HJ

 

yeah i know that condensation is normanl but this actually smells like burning oil????
the only thing i know that might be causing it is the fact that i'm using mobil1 5w20 it might be too thin and slick to be using on a new motor????? i put the mobil1 in at 1500 miles.

 

^^^^^^^^

 

Rings will seat within the first drive, the reccomendations for seating is nothing more than the wives tail that is as old as the ringed engine. I break in race motors by warming them up and a steady trip to redline and slowly backing off to idle under load. They are seated then.

As far as a puff of smoke on startup, 95% of the time, it's condesation. The other 5%, it would be a very mild leak down from the valvestem seals. When the motor is off and the oil sits there and works it's way down, the initial 25+ inches of vacuum it pulls during startup can draw a tiny amount through the stem until it fires and builds pressure. The only time it's even worth a second glance is when it starts doing it at idle after it's warmed up but has been sitting at idle for a few minutes.

 

I use 5w30, it's what my owners manual and oil cap both say.. didnt Ford change that in 2003 or something on the 3.0L's to 5w20?

 

The 4 cylinder and the 3.0L changed to 5w20 in 2001. Before that, all three engines specified 5W30.