Blue smoke on startup

14,000 miles. 2014 5.7. Truck occasionally puffs a cloud of blue smoke upon startup. Anyone else seen this?

 

Yes FFV but do not use FF

 

ECU? Can you elaborate on the update?

 

Bad valve guide seals? Not likely but that's what comes to mind first.

 

First thing I thought of as well, but seems unlikely with such a new vehicle. Would explain smoke on start up only occasionally and then no smoke after running.

 

Sickening

 

My 2015 with 17k miles did the same thing I noticed a week or 2 ago. These little annoying things shouldn't happen

 

So this is funny. I bought a 2009 F-150 with 31,500 miles a month or so ago and it does the same thing. Occasional blue smoke when started cold, not always but on occasion. After doing some research I found the 4.6 liters at least, pulls a strong vacuum out of the right side valve cover up over a humped hose directly into the front of my plenum.

If I start it up and drive out to my mailbox and then shut it off, the next time I start it there's a puff of blue smoke. Ya, it scared the crap out of me to the point I was thinking Tundra trade up until I did some research. It's not valve seals since it'll only does it if I don't let it warm up before shutting it down (mailbox = short trip). If I take a trip to town and then shut it down there's nothing you can do to make is smoke on the next startup, and bad valve seals don't work that way. I just jumped over to this forum to see if Toyota also used a closed loop PCV system similar to Ford, and from what you're describing it does.

My issue is I don't really have a PCV on my F-150 it's really just a filter used in a weak attempt to stop some oil after it comes over the hump on the PCV Hose. The reason I say it's not a PCV valve is if I disconnect the hose while the truck is running it immediately shuts off due to the large vacuum leak. Other than the puff of smoke it runs great. A PCV valve in the normal sense doesn't have a vacuum or full flow all the time. It's actually positive crankcase pressure that pushes air out of the crankcase, hence the term Positive Crankcase Ventilation. As I said if I pull the hose off the truck immediately shuts off. I've looked at your schematic and although Toyota places the PCV on the other end of the hose compared to what I have on my F-150 the end result is still the same. The air/oil dumps into the intake so any oil mist that gets siphoned out of the valve cover gets consumed while your running but on short trips, it collects at what they are calling my PCV valve and when run on short trips the oil doesn't dissipate prior to shutting down. This oil is setting there and when the engine starts the next time it takes a quick pull as the engine comes to life and the oil collected at my PCV valve dumps into the intake, and you get a puff of smoke. I will wager the 5.7 is doing the same thing.

Bottom line is if I could ask some of you guys with a Tundra to test this for me it will save me from buying one since I already have a truck that smokes under these conditions. My concern is not the puff of blue smoke it's the fact that with the extreme suction is scavenging oil mist out of my valve cover and continually funneling it into my plenum while driving. which can't be good for any of these engines.

Tomorrow morning or whenever you read this, go out on a cool morning or warm morning for that matter. Drive a 1/2 to 1 mile, come back and shut it off. Don't come back to it until at least a few hours later (5 to 6) and then start it up while you watch the tailpipe in the mirror or have someone else start it. I'm pretty sure you'll see it smoke. If you then take it for 20 to 30 mile drive bring it back and start it the next morning I will bet it won't smoke.

I appreciate anyone's feedback on this.

Sam

 

Did you ever get this figured out?

 

First off welcome. I think you should just get a Toyota anyways LOL. I had a trailblazer SS in the past. They were known for a lot of oil vapors getting into the intake manifold and coating it. I installed a in-line catch can in the PCV system. I would drain it out at every oil change. I was quite surprised at how much oil would collect in it.
Just thought maybe you want to think about installing something like that since you do these short trips to the mailbox. I’d be curious to see if this cures it for you.

 

Thanks for the welcome, and the catch can was going to be my next post if anyone replied. I wanted to see if anyone mentioned it first. I did install a catch can last week and it did clean it up at least as far as I can see. I'm still not impressed with the system as a whole on the F-150. At least Toyota has the PCV on the other end of the hose going to the plenum and it's vertical. I'll probably end up going with a Tundra at some point in the near future since it bugs me I have to run a catch can on a vehicle with 32k. I've talked to a lot of people on this and they say all the engines have the same thing going on if you don't drive much. I don't see the efficiency in sucking oil out of the engine and burning it. I still have my 1995 F-150 XL 300/5spd with 132k with an actual PCV with no smoke. I may go back to that. Sell this and buy a Tundra.