Hey guys... I have a slight concern. My sister said that a few days ago, she saw smoke comming out of my exhaust when I left the stoplight.
My friend had a similar issue. White smoke came out of his exhaust too, a lot. Eventually, he had to replace his motor.

Man, I'm sure it that not serious but I'm gettin kinda worried. What should I do to check the situation of my engine? Is there anything I can do to improve or fix this? I know there are some fluids that I can use in my oil, but they all seem like temporary fixes. I need a sure answer. What are my options? FYI 147K.

 

You need to do a compression test on all the cylinders. I am not sure exactly what the stock compression should be but if the compression is low, then you probably have leak somewhere which will cost you to fix and with 147K ill say go ahead and get another lower mileage engine. However if the compression is good then you might be running rich and the smoke is coming from excess gas being burnt. This can be caused by a whole list of problems, clogged air filter, problem with the computer,etc. You should also try changing your PCV valve maybe that might help. I would do the compression test first then go from there. Hope that helps some

 

How does your car accelerate and idle? Have you pulled any codes yet? It could be as simple as a sensor going bad and causing your car to run rich.

 

My car accelerates and idles just fine. In fact, I'd say it's in better shape now than before, dunno why, it just feels stronger. i get the ks ghost code but that shouldn't cause a change in the fuel air mixture. hmm.

 

White smoke means you probably have a blown head gasket. Check for oil in your coolant although if there was noticeable oil in your coolant you would have a lot of smoke.
Blue smoke means you are burning oil which could be due to worn piston rings or bad valve seals.
Black smoke means your car is running rich which is common for maximas. Check air filter and 02 sensors.
A compression check will let you know if you have a blown head gasket or worn rings. Low compresion in all your cylinders will mean worn rings. Low compression in one or two cylinders next to each other will mean blown head gasket. Ideal compression ratio is around 185 psi for our cars. However with an older engine it will be lower.

 

Older model maximas, or higher mileage usually have higher compression due to carbon buildup, so anything above 175 is good.