1990 Lexus LS 400 White smoke at start up

Tiny
BHOEFE
  • MEMBER
  • 1990 LEXUS LS 400
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
When I start my car after it has been setting for a while it produces a large white cloud of smoke and it smokes until it gets warm (5 minutes). I am not losing ang oil or fuel but I am losing steering fluid. I changed out the high presure line and I think the pump is bad also but could there be any way this fluid is getting into the exhaust manifold. What could be causing the white smoke?
Monday, July 7th, 2008 AT 6:06 PM

6 Replies

Tiny
BLACKOP555
  • MECHANIC
  • 10,386 POSTS
No low coolant level? Does it come out of the exhaust pipe or just from the engine?
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Monday, July 7th, 2008 AT 7:34 PM
Tiny
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Coolent level is good. The only fluid I am losing is steering. I do not have anything dripping from under the car. I noticed another blog where someone said they were losing steering fluid through the vacume system into the fuel injectors. Is that possible?
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Monday, July 7th, 2008 AT 7:47 PM
Tiny
BLACKOP555
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Fluid shouldnt be getting with the injectors, only if it is coming in from the manifold but there shouldnt be enough to turn exhaust white, your transmission fluid staying high? Check at same speed and distance traveled.
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Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 AT 8:33 PM
Tiny
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No transmission fluid loss but just for the h. Of it I pulled the 2 vacume lines from the bottom of the steering pump that go to the intake manifold and plugged them. The car runs rough and now I get a little blue smoke but white smoke has stopped as well as the fluid leak. Is there some type of check valve in the pump?
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Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 AT 8:50 PM
Tiny
BHOEFE
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This turned out to be the air flow sensor attached to the bottom of the steering pump and has two hoses that connect to the intake manafold. When they go bad, they allow steering fluid to leak into the sensor (control valve) and then get sucked into the intake. Cost is between $74.00 and $144.00.
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Monday, July 14th, 2008 AT 7:09 PM
Tiny
BLACKOP555
  • MECHANIC
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Glad to hear you found out the problem.

And thank you for posting your solution! You probably helped someone today!
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Monday, July 14th, 2008 AT 9:44 PM

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