I just picked up an 03 SS for $100 lol. It blows white smoke at a cold start (sitting overnight). I topped off the coolant early this morning and let it run. Burned coolant and shorty stopped completely. Lower intake, cracked head, bad head gasket?

 

Stopped burning coolant or engine stopped running? Most failures with gaskets are the lower intake manifold gaskets. If you replace them make sure you use the aluminum ones

 

It stopped burning coolant. I bought this off my niece, and she would let it sit for weeks or a month at a time. I started it up today and it smoked for about 3 min and completely went away. I've been driving it for about an hour and no smoke, rough idle, etc. heat works great and car runs amazing. I also just got a DTC of a cylinder 5 misfire, but like I said, the car idles smooth. But the DTC, is making me think a valve problem.

Thanks for for the response!

 

Does it run somewhat rough when you first crank it (cold)? If it does and then smooths out later when it warms up then it is most likely the lower intake gasket is letting coolant in the cylinders and it burns off after it gets warm. You would smell this in your engine oil. Pull the oil stick and smell it or look for signs of slight milky oil.

 

You sure your not mistaking the "smoke" for steam or in a better term condensation?

Why do you feel the misfire is a valve?

 

I was thinking valve because I had another one of these that had a bad valve and smoked and misfired. I changed the head and it ran prefect. But yes it does somewhat crank ****ty at a cold start. It's for sure smoke, and a lot of it for a few min. Thanks for the replies guys, I'll start with the lower intake.

 

If your thinking valve why not run a compression test and also a cylinder leak down test before pulling it apart. No sense in replacing the Lim gaskets if it's not the issue and then have to buy them again if the head needs pulled. (Yes people reuse Lim gaskets but I don't so it would be a waste for me)