White steam, but new headgasket?(Pics)

[sjgYFZ200]

Ok any help would be good. My car has 50,000 original miles, and just had a new headgasket put in about 3 months ago. Felpro, with new OEM head bolts. Torqued to spec. The car hasnt been driven since May of 2003. Anyways, when i start it up, its really smoking alot. Im not sure if its burning coolant, because the check coolant light hasnt come on. Here is a picture of the car idiling in the driveway today, I would say the temperature was around 40 degrees. Has anyone heard of a HG not "taking"? the head was checked for strightness, and it was ok...im stumped

 

[militiadsm]

Could be the fact that it was cold outside, i know my car does that when the temperature outside gets a little cooler, i dont think its a problem with the car.

 

[dsm10sec]

When my friend's camry sat in the garage for about three months A LOT of white smoke poured out. I highly doubt it's coolant because there just isn't enough white smoke there. When I blew my head and burned coolant in one of the cylinders there was a smoke cloud at LEAST 1/4 mile behind me. Also, when I started my car in 40* weather when it was raining it did that, only untill the car warmed up though.

 

[BMPDirk]

if the car was sitting for a very long time, condensation builds up in the gas tank, thats what the white smoke might be.

 

[psychlow]

Catalytic converters change some of the exhaust gas into water vapor. Water vapor will also condense and collect in the exhaust system when it gets cold outside, and when the pipes warm up the water vapor will come out as steam as it evaporates.

Compression check the engine to make sure the HG isn't leaking.

 

[eclipse90gsxt]

I think you already answered your own question. You live in NY as I do and its cold outside, Condensation. To be safe do a compression test like said above.

 

[sjgYFZ200]

Sure i thought about that, but no other cars seemed to be doing it. I think im just getting too worried about it though, ill let it go and do a compression test.

 

[psychlow]

As long as your compression numbers are good, and the exhaust doesn't smell like maple syrup (evaporated coolant) don't worry about it.

 

[olmytsi]

drive it for a few days (not hard) and see wat happens.

 

[Turblown]

Compression check... and... when a head gasket is blown you usually get white smoke under the hood too... at least I did in my case.

 

[sjgYFZ200]

drive it for a few days (not hard) and see wat happens.

That was gonna be my next question. Since the car has been sitting for close to two years, and hasnt been driven since a headgasket install, is there anything special i should do? I was just going to give it several runs to operating temperature, nothing severe. Maybe a nice highway run too, to clean out the junk in the engine.

 

[heavyD]

Looks normal for a cold start at 40 deg. Once the engine gets up to operating temp and the exhaust pipes are hot you should see a reduction of condensation in the exhaust.

 

[4geze63]

deffinatly water vapors in the pipe. when my car sat in the driveway it did that each time I started it which was once per week. it was faily humid here though.

 

[p5150]

you might want to try re-torquing the head

 

[alexg1323]

my car does that just about every day when i start it up in the cold. Untill it warms up and depending on the humidity and temp it can create a large cloud while it warms up. Its just the by product of combustion, H2O and your cars always making it just some days it makes steam.