maximairaq

OK maxima experts, here's a stunner, would really love to hear expert ideas on this one.

it's a 2007 maxima, with only 45K on it, my driving style is moderate, and no real heavy driving.

the car puffs a real cloud of puff smoke on start up, and as it warms-up, it sometimes does when reved up, sometimes never, and at idle, you can notice a small line of white smoke coming out of the exhaust.

I've done lot's of inspection, opened the intake manifold, and here it is, a pile of Fuel-oil like black liquid (it's too thin to be oil, more like black gas liquid), gathering on cyl3 valves, with the left hand valve having more amount than the right side one.
the pile of liquid is there mostly when it is cold like overnight or 4 hours after cooling; BTW, weather in here is about 30 - 40 Celsius.
now for things that are to be rolled out:

1- valve seals, negative, i changed the ones on the two valves, still same amount.
2- HG, no way, coolant is pure, and levels remain normal
3- HG, again no way, no water into oil, no fume or anything, oil level might be slightly dropping, which is natural, assuming that this gas is washing the oil, and burning with it.
4- no DTC CODES, none.
5- I cleaned injectors, tested them, still same case apply.
6- changed order of everything ; spark plugs, injectors, coils, still same liquid on cyl 3 valves.
7- PCV valve, it's working, hissing when disconnected, cleaned it as well.
8- Fuel pump, an after market , might be a bit weak, but it's working, and it has been in the car, lots before problem started.
9- car performance is great, no real drops or anything out or ordinary, yet some high vacuum sound can might be heard sometimes when driving and stepping on gas suddenly.
10, finally, engine is clean, no slugs or anything.

OK, people, I know this is a long article, but I'm rather dumfounded, and i'll really appreciate an expert idea in here.

thanks,

MAXMEL44

It might be the valve cover itself. I have an 07 that had the same problem. They had to replace the rear valve cover..

maximairaq

I actually checked the cover, it's clean and tidy, so is the rest of the engine below it, nothing unusual.

i was checking the OBD scanner readings however, it seems that i always have a short fuel trim of above -15%, sometimes even more, and it stays there no matter what; and B2 readings mostly is different than B1.

is that fuel trim a cause to the problem, or is it a result.

and to mention the fact that the Oil also smells like fuel, and as i said in my post opening, it really looks like fuel on top of that cyl. 3;

Cyl 3 no is miss-firing, and by openning the spark plug, i see it's head covered with fuel.

where in is that fuel coming from !! i checked everything, injectors, fuel rail, fuel dampers, FPR, and fuel pump.

only evap canister and it's peripherals hasn't checked it yet, but should there be a code for this !! nothing pops out on the ECU. !!

anyone have any ideas !?

L36

iTrader: (4)

If its white smoke, its probably the moisture that collected in your muffler overnight. That or busted head gasket but you already ruled that out. If it was a cloud of blackish smoke, then its too much fuel related. Given what you said about the climate, I'm pretty sure its just muffler moisture.