My 88 d15b2 dpfi automatic starts fine with no smoke when cold. When I drive somewhere and leave the car for 5-10 minutes, then start the car while the engine is still hot, its produces a ton of white smoke for a minute and the engine sputters. Then the smoke stops and the car runs fine after that. The oil looks fine..no milky appearance, and the antifreeze does not have oily film. any ideas?

 

Ai'd it for you...This set of symptoms is classic for a specific type of head gasket or intake manifold failure common in the D15B2 engines. Because your oil and coolant aren't mixing (no "milkshake"), it suggests the leak is combustion-to-coolant rather than oil-to-coolant.

Here is what is likely happening:

The "Heat Soak" Leak

When the engine is running, the cooling system is under pressure. However, the heat and pressure of combustion usually keep the coolant from entering the cylinder.

1. The Shutdown: When you turn the engine off, the water pump stops, but the engine is still hot. This creates "heat soak," where the coolant pressure remains high while the engine block and head expand slightly.
   
2. The Seepage: During those 5–10 minutes, a small amount of coolant is being pushed through a tiny crack or a failing spot in the head gasket (or sometimes the intake manifold gasket) into one of your cylinders.
   
3. The Restart: When you restart the car, that "puddle" of coolant is burned off all at once. This causes the sputtering (a temporary misfire because a wet spark plug won't fire) and the ton of white smoke (which is actually steam). Once the puddle is cleared, the car runs fine again.
   

 

Thank you jdub808, I learned a lot from your response.