Car immediately smoking like a barbecue after having been turned on for four years?

Hi,

Thank you very much for your kind reply.

When I turned on the car for the first time in 4 years, that was actually in the months before Covid, and I've been far from home the entire pandemic, recently returning now.

So, when you requested videos or photos, I vaguely remembered that I might have done something like that in the months leading up to the pandemic in hopes of finding a car expert to help me. So, I went and searched through my computer files, and it turns out I did make some videos back then. And watching the videos now has refreshed my memory:

In addition to the smoking like a barbecue from under the hood in the area near the windshield wiper blades, I remember now that the vehicle was also smoking like a barbecue from the tailpipe after 4 years of standing idle, though if I recall correctly, the smoke starts virtually immediately from the area under the hood, and the smoke from the tailpipe follows shortly afterwards.

Video 1 has less smoke in it than Video 2 but may help you to more precisely figure out where the smoke is coming from. I recommend watching Video 1 indoors with the screen brightness strong and the room lights down to see the smoke well, because it's more faint than Video 2.

Video 2 shows significant smoke coming from the same area under the hood between the engine and the area by the windshield wipers as Video 1. The very first time I turned on the car after 4 years, before making this video, the smoke was even more intense than in this video, literally looking like a barbecue that easily could be seen from 100 ft away.

Video 3 is the smoking like a barbecue from the tailpipe.

Having watched these videos, do you still believe the EGR valve is involved? Using the diagram you provided, I lifted the hood, and the EGR valve solenoid appears to be quite a distance away (is the EGR valve under the EGR valve solenoid in the diagram you provided?) Or could the EGR valve have something to do with the original problem -- the needing to hit the gas repeatedly just to get it up to 20 mph or 30 mph before hitting cruise control -- before the car was then left idle for 4 years?

So based on the videos, do you believe that the smoking like a barbecue from under the hood is oil or steering wheel fluid?

If it is oil, do you believe it is the same problem as the smoke coming out of the tailpipe, or a different problem?

After a car is left idle for 4 years, is it normal to have that smoking under the hood and/or from the tailpipe?

So my hope is to check all the fluids, put in a new battery, drygas (in case any humidity got in over the years), excellent fuel system cleaner, and get this car running again, since I was told by the manager of an auto parts store that the original problem was likely only due to a very dirty fuel system, and that a very good fuel system cleaner could likely have resolved it, had I known. (Do you agree with his assessment?)

Based on these videos, is it still important to do the EGR valve test?(As noted above, I'm not 100% sure of the location of the EGR valve itself relative to the EGR valve solenoid in the diagram, and the video also mentions that they first removed the intake manifold to provide a better view, but is there any video that would show how to first remove the intake manifold on this model or similar GM car?)

Do you believe it would be safe for me to wash away the areas where the smoke was coming from under the hood with cold water before starting the vehicle and then drive it for an oil change? Or do you believe it would be better for it to be towed for an oil change, or try to have someone come and do the oil change in my driveway? Or do you believe that the videos show a more serious problem has developed from its not having been turned on for 4 years, and it should now be immediately towed to a mechanic?

Finally, after all these years, it's kind of dirty under the hood, so I'm wondering if you agree with the mechanic who told me many years ago that, so long as everything is cold, it's safe to gently use a garden hose on anything under the hood. Or do you think a damp rag or damp paper towels are probably safer? (I guess maybe to prevent water from going where it's not supposed to be in case there happens to be any unknown crack anywhere).

Thanks so much again for kindly taking the time to answer my questions!