hello, i hope this is where i ask a question so that others can see and reply. any who this morning i was driving my wife's kia soul 2012 to get us some coffee, on the way back being a guy who like to beat on cars i gave it a bunch of gas because.....well its fun. its an automatic so it down shifted like it should and took off. Everything seemed normal until i notice a giant plume of thick white smoke in the road behind me. With the amount of smoke i thought i had just some how blown the engine or head gasket, but everything seems fine. no dash warnings, i popped the hood, no smoke or anything there, sounded like it was running fine. the only thing that is different is there is more smoke in the exhaust, like it's burning oil. obviously that has me worried, so i found this forum to see if this has happened to anyone else, and if so what was the problem and solution.
Lots of smoke!!!
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Welcome to the forum.
A 2012 should still be under warranty, so you should be talking with your dealer's Service Dept.
My dad would take the old family wagon out on an open stretch of highway, every so often and just 'drop the hammer' so to speak. He called that "blowing the cobs out". At first, the car would lurch, belch a few times, hesitate some and finally begin to RUN. It seemed like the car always ran better after that.
If your wife putts around in the car without ever really 'putting the hammer down', then it could be getting loaded up with #$%@. That type of driving is really hard on these high tech engines.
That is mentioned under the "Severe Usage" section of your Owner's Manual.
I think I'd first change the oil with the weight prescribed by Kia and the numbers on your oil filler cap.
Also made sure you use a Kia filter.
Then to the gas tank add a bottle of "Techron" fuel system cleaner.
A road trip at high speed surely wouldn't hurt anything either. (BLOW THE COBS OUT!!! )
This is all just '1st Echelon' maintenance and doesn't involve getting into the nuts and bolts of the engine.
Good Luck!
TM
A 2012 should still be under warranty, so you should be talking with your dealer's Service Dept.
My dad would take the old family wagon out on an open stretch of highway, every so often and just 'drop the hammer' so to speak. He called that "blowing the cobs out". At first, the car would lurch, belch a few times, hesitate some and finally begin to RUN. It seemed like the car always ran better after that.
If your wife putts around in the car without ever really 'putting the hammer down', then it could be getting loaded up with #$%@. That type of driving is really hard on these high tech engines.
That is mentioned under the "Severe Usage" section of your Owner's Manual.
I think I'd first change the oil with the weight prescribed by Kia and the numbers on your oil filler cap.
Also made sure you use a Kia filter.
Then to the gas tank add a bottle of "Techron" fuel system cleaner.
A road trip at high speed surely wouldn't hurt anything either. (BLOW THE COBS OUT!!! )
This is all just '1st Echelon' maintenance and doesn't involve getting into the nuts and bolts of the engine.
Good Luck!
TM
thanks, thats what im thinking might have been the case here. my wife drives like a grandma, and i live life one 1/4 mile at a time, i took it out again and the smoke in the exhaust was gone and everything was as if it never happened. i believe its the 2L with like 26K on it. she got the oil changed fairly recently. i told her to keep an eye on things.....we will see.
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Constantly putting around (low engine load, and low RPMs) allows carbon buildup in the head. "Opening her up" and revving higher, clears this carbon buildup. Obviously this is subjective to fuel quality, but generally it is a good idea to load up and rev up an engine. It is also better for an engine to be driven far enough to completely warm it up and "dry out" the moisture that naturally occurs in the crankcase and under the hood. There are some good articles out there that explain this better than I can. BUt basically you SHOULD take her out on the highway and open her up. Drive that way for several miles at least. I always say to run the engine at least 10 minutes if you start it for any reason. Your temp should get up to "normal" on the gauge and stay there for 10 minutes or more to boil off moisture ( and internal carbon deposits). This is precisely why people that are travelling salesmen, and many delivery vehicles, tend to get so many miles out of an engine. And the SOul has a rev limiter.....you'd have to try hard to blow the engine, by taking her out on the road. Watch your oil, your coolant, and run the crap out of her!
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I've experienced this before with my 2012 +MT and it scared me too. I think someone said something about the throttle body being in full open and a thing called blow by. It's normal I believe
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As a matter of "just to be sure" it may be wise to replace the PCV valve. If it's sticking at wide open throttle or near the motor crankcase pressure could build to a point that oil is actually being sucked past the rings or through the exhaust ports. Might be something to consider....
I had the same thing happen on my 2013 Soul + this past weekend, while entering onto a 4 lane in Kansas City. A truck in the left lane would not pull over to let me in and I had to gun it, had the A/C on and a huge amount of white smoke belched out of the back. No hesitation or misfire as far as I could tell, but a lot of smoke. Tried to re-create it but could not. I had been driving for 3 hours before this happened. Got me a bit concerned.
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I once read in some engineering journal, that for every pound of fuel that is burning in an engine, one pound of water (vapor) is created. *
That vapor may just collect in the muffler (etc.) till you get on the throttle and 'blow it out'. I'd rather think that white smoke is really Steam. Unburned, or poorly burned fuel will come out black, and the inside of your tail pipe will be coated with black Soot.
So if you're concerned, that your engine may be running too Rich, just run your finger around the inside of your tail pipe.
If your finger comes out black with soot, Old O2 sensors can cause that. As they age, they cause the engine to run richer and richer. In the ideal world, O2 sensors should be changed at about 60k miles to preserve engine efficiency. (like, when does that ever happen?)
Cheers Mates!
TechnoMage
* In blimps (air ships) the exhaust gasses from the engine were run through a condenser and the water put into storage tanks, to maintain the weight and buoyancy of the air ship. Otherwise, the ship would get lighter and lighter as the fuel was burned up.
That vapor may just collect in the muffler (etc.) till you get on the throttle and 'blow it out'. I'd rather think that white smoke is really Steam. Unburned, or poorly burned fuel will come out black, and the inside of your tail pipe will be coated with black Soot.
So if you're concerned, that your engine may be running too Rich, just run your finger around the inside of your tail pipe.
If your finger comes out black with soot, Old O2 sensors can cause that. As they age, they cause the engine to run richer and richer. In the ideal world, O2 sensors should be changed at about 60k miles to preserve engine efficiency. (like, when does that ever happen?)
Cheers Mates!
TechnoMage
* In blimps (air ships) the exhaust gasses from the engine were run through a condenser and the water put into storage tanks, to maintain the weight and buoyancy of the air ship. Otherwise, the ship would get lighter and lighter as the fuel was burned up.
Hello...
My wife and daughter both own Kia Souls, one is the Exclaim and the other is the Base model. BOTH of these cars wil leave a giant plume of smoke (enough to make James Bond jealous) under moderate-to-heavy acceleration. As a matter of fact, my daughter had her car towed to the dealership last night because she thought something "blew" on the car. I will check back in with the dealer findings.
My wife and daughter both own Kia Souls, one is the Exclaim and the other is the Base model. BOTH of these cars wil leave a giant plume of smoke (enough to make James Bond jealous) under moderate-to-heavy acceleration. As a matter of fact, my daughter had her car towed to the dealership last night because she thought something "blew" on the car. I will check back in with the dealer findings.
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Hello and welcome. Some history on the cars would help. If you could, please read this thread, particularly Item 1; it would be appreciated: http://www.kiasoulforums.com/4-new-...ers-guide-user-frequently-asked-question.html
Thank you.
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1,627 Posts
I haven't had to do it with the Soul (and probably never will, given the engine's current condition and my driving habits), but...
One of the things I do from time to time when I suspect a car's engine has carbon and/or sludge buildup is use a diesel-formulated synthetic oil that has API approval for gasoline engines (for example, Rotella T6 or Mobil Delvac 1) and a brand-new filter for a short-interval oil change. Emphasis on short-interval. Here's why.
Lubricating oils formulated for diesel engines have much stronger detergent packages that clean a lot of carbon and sludge out of the engine; and as long as they're within a manufacturer's specified weight and have the API designation for gasoline engines, they won't harm the engine or the cat. But the interval must be kept short -- 1,000 to 1,500 miles at the most -- to prevent clogging up the filter.
If the oil comes out like tar after the first interval (which has been the case with some old cars that I bought used), I'll repeat the procedure again keeping the interval short. I've never had to do it more than twice. Usually once is enough.
Either way, once the engine is cleaned out, I switch to whatever my preferred oil happens to be at the time. I use an interval of 2,500 to 3,000 miles for the first change using the "regular" oil, just to be absolutely sure that any gunk has worked it's way out and that the filter's not clogged up. Then I resume regular oil changes.
I know a lot of people think there's something reckless or dangerous about this, but there really isn't. As long the oil is of the correct weight and meets API requirements for gasoline engines, the only danger is all the sludge clogging up the filter, hence the short OCI.
Richard
One of the things I do from time to time when I suspect a car's engine has carbon and/or sludge buildup is use a diesel-formulated synthetic oil that has API approval for gasoline engines (for example, Rotella T6 or Mobil Delvac 1) and a brand-new filter for a short-interval oil change. Emphasis on short-interval. Here's why.
Lubricating oils formulated for diesel engines have much stronger detergent packages that clean a lot of carbon and sludge out of the engine; and as long as they're within a manufacturer's specified weight and have the API designation for gasoline engines, they won't harm the engine or the cat. But the interval must be kept short -- 1,000 to 1,500 miles at the most -- to prevent clogging up the filter.
If the oil comes out like tar after the first interval (which has been the case with some old cars that I bought used), I'll repeat the procedure again keeping the interval short. I've never had to do it more than twice. Usually once is enough.
Either way, once the engine is cleaned out, I switch to whatever my preferred oil happens to be at the time. I use an interval of 2,500 to 3,000 miles for the first change using the "regular" oil, just to be absolutely sure that any gunk has worked it's way out and that the filter's not clogged up. Then I resume regular oil changes.
I know a lot of people think there's something reckless or dangerous about this, but there really isn't. As long the oil is of the correct weight and meets API requirements for gasoline engines, the only danger is all the sludge clogging up the filter, hence the short OCI.
Richard
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I just run straight kerosene.
That makes everything inside shine like new.
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Either your memory is failing you or you are not keeping up with current events.
I made mention of this EXACT situation last month while putting the go pedal down on the wifes soul.
James bonds aston martin would be envious of the smoke screen we laid down.
Men were crying, women shielded their eyes, birds were wearing goggles and aircraft were diverting, the smoke was so thick.
I think that brief jaunt gave a few squirrels emphysema and a few birds black lung!
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Quote: "So if you're concerned, that your engine may be running too Rich, just run your finger around the inside of your tail pipe.
If your finger comes out black...You've got a bad case of stinky pinky!
Hey... keep your finger away from my tail pipe!
If your finger comes out black...You've got a bad case of stinky pinky!
Hey... keep your finger away from my tail pipe!
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1,627 Posts
LOL, right.
But back in the old days, a lot of people actually did use kerosene to flush out sludged engines. It wasn't very effective. Kerosene simply isn't that great a solvent and has no detergency at all. Just try washing parts in it. Almost anything oil-based is a better solvent. (It also has very poor lubricating qualities, just in case anyone thought you were serious.)
Back in the day, car engines used heavier oils that were nowhere near as advanced as even the most el-cheapo motor oils of today. A lot of people also used 162 F thermostats (or none at all) in the summer, so the engine never got to a decent operating temperature. It wasn't unusual back then to pull a valve cover and find a solid block of sludge, perfectly molded to the inside of the valve cover.
That was why I never used the kerosene treatment. Kerosene has poor solvency and no detergency. Inside an engine, it might soften the sludge, but it wouldn't dissolve and disperse it. More likely it would break enough chunks off of it to block some lubricating passages.
Nonetheless, many people used it and swore by it. I personally think the kerosene flushes were part of the reason so few cars made it past 75,000 miles back then.
With today's precision-engineered, cleaner-running engines, using high-quality oils and filters at good OCIs usually prevents significant sludge and carbon buildup. But in cases like OP's they could be problems because of the frequent short trips. In that case, using the Delvac 1 or Rotella T6 for a short ACI would be a better, safer option than a "flush" both because it's an actual lubricant and because it would disperse the carbon and sludge so it could be trapped by the filter.
Richard
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4,435 Posts
Yes Richard what you are aiming for is a break down (dissolving) not a break up (chunking) of any deposits.
I think you would have to severely ignore oil change intervals to get the kind of deposits you hint of though.
Us motorcyclists run the rotella/delvac. with it's low ash content and low friction modifiers
(kind to wet clutches) with wonderful results.
Our soul exhibited the exact same plume of smoke then it cleared up shortly afterwards with no residual effects.
"Normal" I would deem it, for the short trip grocery getting crowd who occasionally hit the go pedal hard, turning their soul from family truckster into crop duster in a cloud of glory!
I think you would have to severely ignore oil change intervals to get the kind of deposits you hint of though.
Us motorcyclists run the rotella/delvac. with it's low ash content and low friction modifiers
(kind to wet clutches) with wonderful results.
Our soul exhibited the exact same plume of smoke then it cleared up shortly afterwards with no residual effects.
"Normal" I would deem it, for the short trip grocery getting crowd who occasionally hit the go pedal hard, turning their soul from family truckster into crop duster in a cloud of glory!
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