Drove about 40 miles in the dense SF fog the other nite. Parked outside at my girlfriends over nite after. Next morn start the car and things are fine. Drive three miles home. Spend about thirty min there and the get back to the car. Start. Smooooke everywhere out the passenger side inner exhaust pipe. Heavy dense smoke. Turned car off and on again. Got better. Almost but not quite disappeared when I decided that I'd better ask my girlfriend for a lift to the aeroport. Just smelled like exhaust. And there was condensation in the affected tailpipe dripping out the back. Oil pressure fine. Oil level down 200 mL from full.

I suspect this is condensation from, basically, driving the car in 100% humidity.

What say ye?

I'm outta town now and when I get back home will start it up and see what happens. Is this worth a trip to the dealer for eval?

Lewis

 

I doubt it, but if you're really worried...
If nothing else seems wrong (oil p, dashboard lights, noises) I'd take for a spin, get it nice and warm, nothing aggressive necessary you know? see if it sticks around.

 

May sound silly, but before you noticed the smoke, was your car parked sideways on a slope (being San Francisco)?

 

Parked flat...in my garage.

 

Characteristic of the boxer/flat engine - they do this occasionally.

 

+1 - especially after engine has been run for just a short time and not fully warmed up. The next cold start can be smoky. I find this when I move cars around on the driveway / garage for example.

All 3 of my P-cars have done it.

As long as its not all the time and stops smoking almost right away I'd say you are fine.

 

My GTS does this occasionally. The GTS seems to do it more often then my previous two 997S. I am not concerned since the occasional smoke on start-up seems to be a trait of the boxer 6.

 

I drive in the same fog you do and sometimes get a noticeable stream of exhaust smoke upon ignition but it lasts for maybe five to ten seconds (plus my car lives in a garage). But it is nothing as extreme as you mention. The car has done this since I took delivery and as it is so sporadic and clears so quickly I've never thought of it as a problem (it doesn't seem any worse than the exhaust from our Audi's tailpipe). I know this is only a data point and I'm sorry I can't give you any helpful input.

 

First time one my cars did it was at the track. I just knew something was wrong, badly wrong!
The tech from my dealership was there and said in less it was constant then don't worry because that will happen again. I'd say I average about once every 100-135 starts. No way to predict when, however.

It has happened on all 3 I have owned, though seldom on the GT3.

 

I think your girlfriends husband did something to your car.

 

That sounds typical of a short engine run time. Upon restart the engine can emit copious amounts of oil smoke for a brief time. One can even be misled by water vapor which in some climatic conditions can generate some pretty impressive clouds of what looks like smoke from the back of the car.

But water vapor 'clouds' dissipate very quickly while oil smoke 'clouds' will linger or at least remain intact even while being blown away/downwind by a breeze.

But the engine should not (maybe with one exception) manifest any other abnormal behavior.

The exception is if the car sat out in the rain, or heavy fog, it might (might) manifest some misfires concurrent with the oil smoking. My Turbo has done this twice after being parked outside in heavy rain all night or all day.

With no CEL and no other signs of any engine trouble I'd say you have nothing to worry about.

But of course when you start the engine again if you hear/feel anything amiss if the smoking continues, if the idle is rougher than normal, varies, anything out of the ordinary shut off the engine pronto and have the car flat bedded to a shop for a professional's attention.

Sincerely,

Macster.

 

Thanks for the comments. She's fine upon my return. Drives like a dream!

Saw a nice lovely old Speedster yesterday when went by dealership near SF on way home from SFO to peek at cars. Half million buckos in case anyone is interested.

Saw a new 911 Cab on street in SF. Just cannot like the body style.