I have a 94 Honda Civic and when I turn it on and leave it to warm up (I let it warm up all the way) and when I go it starts smoking when I completely stop. About 5 minutes pass by and I stop again and the smoke is gone. What could be causing this to happen?

 

Any suggestions?

 

More information, where is the smoke coming from? What engine? Mods? does it smoke when you accelerate or when you stop(it is unclear from your first post)? Have you checked your oil to see if it is milky? Your coolant level? Any CELs(Check engine lights)? etc?

 

The smoke is coming from the exhaust. Completely stock D15B7 SOHC engine no mods. It smokes when I start it and leave it to warm up and than I go and when I come to a stop you can see the smoke. It's only when I start to drive it and than after about 5 minutes I come to a stop it stops smoking. My oil is good and my coolant level is good too.

 

What color is the smoke? White, gray, black...

 

either burning coolant,oil, or its winter and its normal.

open your radiator cap when you start the car and let it warm up, if it bubbles and spills over then its your head gasket

 

I believe it's white.

Will try that "instrument" when I get off of school. Thanks guys

 

Could always do a good ol fashion compression test?

 

get rid of it asap

 

∆ care to elaborate on that reasoning?

 

Get rid of what? The engine?

 

the car

why?

less hassle to buy another car than to deal with a blown engine

 

cause smoke mean's it "done" stop making crap up, there's enough ppl doing that already. OP it's more they likely just the winter taking it toll, and if it is burning some coolant/oil it's an old car it'll do that if it's not eating oil like crazy etc just leave it.

 

White means water but not necessarily coolant.

After you drive the exhaust is hot and the air will condense water inside of it once you park. Once you start and warm the car up the ewill burn that water off but it can take it a little while. If it's a head gasket and it's blowing steam (white smoke) it won't be a little, it will be a lot of "smoke" and it won't matter the tempurature outside. Also it will be everytime you accelerate it will be at it's worst, not just once and then go away.

If the smoke was blue that would be oil and if it was black it would be unburnt fuel or running to rich.

During winter especially it takes even longer for the exhaust to purge all the water.

If you look at other cars exhaust in the mornings you can quite often see the water draining out.

It's common, don't worry about it, just monitor your coolant levels and condition and oil levels and conditions and the car should last you just fine.

Of note, the D15B7 used a graphite headgasket and they are known to go over time. But you will see coolant levels drop, plumes of white smoke and or milky looking oil and a severe loss of power when it does.

I've heard of some guys driving a year or so with a leaking head gasket they just kept topping up the coolant with water daily until the thing finally died.

 

Yeah I do believe it's burning some oil (since it is almost a 20 year old car) and the temperature that it suddenly dropped to be cold. It's just until the car warms up and I drive around the block it smokes but after I drive it for about 3 minutes the smoking stops.

Really appreciate the relevant comments. Thanks

 

I actually have the same problem with my 94 civic and I'm going to change the thermostat and head gasket today. Hopefully it works. Did you ever change the gasket?

 

I did not. I was just thinking of doing a whole engine swamp. Let me know if works by changing the gasket and thermostat