Hey everyone,

Been reading the forums for awhile now. Just purchased my S2000 about a week ago. It is a 2003 with 22,000 miles in perfect stock shape.

Here is the problem: Whenever I start the car and it is not warmed up, I get one cloud of white smoke out of the tailpipes. It does not smoke if the engine is warm and it doesn't smoke while driving. Could this be a head gasket problem? I watched the coolant levels on the reservoir tank and it seemed to lose a small amount over the last week. I am going to be more diligent about watching it this week to make sure.

I also am not sure if this is normal for S2000s. My civic never made any smoke, even with 170,000 miles. I talked to one of the guys at the local Honda dealership, and he mentioned a possible problem with the valves? Would this cause white smoke? He aslo said the S2000 was a "wolf in sheep's clothing" and could not be driven very hard? Anyone else heard anything like this before from Honda?

I did all the maintenance and repairs on my Civic, but I am no technician. If it is a head gasket problem, would I be able to replace it myself? I read on here that it is pretty intensive...

Thanks in advance for the help, sorry for the long post!

Looking forward to learning about and enjoying this great car!

Jim

 

perhaps a leakdown test will tell you where your problems are coming from...

 

i am positive that is it from the valves. adjustement or seals.

head gasket leaks will give smoke no matter if the car is cold or hot

 

I guess that is good news...

I checked the Carfax, and last year the car was only driven 500 miles. Could the valves be sticking because of lack of use? Would something like Lucas fuel additive help lubricate and fix the problem?

What other options do I have? Will a leak down test pinpoint the valves?