2000 Mazda Protege blue smoke at startup. Why?

My 2000 Mazda Protege is smoking blue smoke at start up
until it warms up and then it clears up.

Has abt 127k on it and I am the 1st owner and have
taken great care of this car

What is likely cause? Valve guides? Ring job?

I was hoping this car would NOT develop such major wear
at 127k. is this abnormal or normal?

> wrote:
>My 2000 Mazda Protege is smoking blue smoke at start up
>until it warms up and then it clears up.
>
>Has abt 127k on it and I am the 1st owner and have
>taken great care of this car
>
>What is likely cause? Valve guides? Ring job?

Most probably valve guide seals. If it were a ring issue, it would be
less apt to clear up after the engine gets going.

>I was hoping this car would NOT develop such major wear
>at 127k. is this abnormal or normal?

Dunno, depends on the engine and how well you took care of it. Valve guide
seals are pretty easy to do and not all that big a deal. Rings are a big deal.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

(Scott Dorsey) wrote:

> > wrote:
>>My 2000 Mazda Protege is smoking blue smoke at start up
>>until it warms up and then it clears up.
>>
>>Has abt 127k on it and I am the 1st owner and have
>>taken great care of this car
>>
>>What is likely cause? Valve guides? Ring job?
>
>Most probably valve guide seals. If it were a ring issue, it would be
>less apt to clear up after the engine gets going.

OK

>>I was hoping this car would NOT develop such major wear
>>at 127k. is this abnormal or normal?
>
>Dunno, depends on the engine and how well you took care of it. Valve guide
>seals are pretty easy to do and not all that big a deal. Rings are a big deal.
>--scott

Well I've done everything I've supposed to do....change
oil at reg intervals all that.

What you think a reasonable price would be to have
valve guides replaced? I'm unemployed college student
at the moment so cost is an issue. <g>

> wrote:
>
>What you think a reasonable price would be to have
>valve guides replaced? I'm unemployed college student
>at the moment so cost is an issue. <g>

I don't know because I don't know how hard to get to they are in your
car. It's not a hard job to do yourself in the driveway with most cars,
though you'll need compressed air to get the valve to stay in position
while you change the seal. If the engine isn't mounted in some way
where it's impossible to get the valve covers open without pulling the
radiator or something (as is the case on my wife's Subaru), though, you
might as well just keep driving it for a while and live with the smoke.

Get the Haynes manual, look at it, and see.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Prices are different everywhere. To find out how much just call a few good
repair shops in your area.


"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> > wrote:
>>
>>What you think a reasonable price would be to have
>>valve guides replaced? I'm unemployed college student
>>at the moment so cost is an issue. <g>
>
> I don't know because I don't know how hard to get to they are in your
> car. It's not a hard job to do yourself in the driveway with most cars,
> though you'll need compressed air to get the valve to stay in position
> while you change the seal. If the engine isn't mounted in some way
> where it's impossible to get the valve covers open without pulling the
> radiator or something (as is the case on my wife's Subaru), though, you
> might as well just keep driving it for a while and live with the smoke.
>
> Get the Haynes manual, look at it, and see.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:11:49 -0500, wrote:

>My 2000 Mazda Protege is smoking blue smoke at start up
>until it warms up and then it clears up.
>
>Has abt 127k on it and I am the 1st owner and have
>taken great care of this car
>
>What is likely cause? Valve guides? Ring job?

Once the cat warms up it will burn up the oil so while the exhaust
looks clean the engine could still be burning the same amount of oil

Are you using a lot of oil? If not my wild guess would be valve seals.
If you are burning a lot of i would guess rings. Best thing to do
would be to have it checked out by a pro....


>
>I was hoping this car would NOT develop such major wear
>at 127k. is this abnormal or normal?

I'm not a Mazda man myself but I don't hear many complaints about them
having this type of problem. Looks like you were just the lucky one.

Steve B.

Steve B. > wrote:

>Once the cat warms up it will burn up the oil so while the exhaust
>looks clean the engine could still be burning the same amount of oil
>
>Are you using a lot of oil? If not my wild guess would be valve seals.
>If you are burning a lot of i would guess rings. Best thing to do
>would be to have it checked out by a pro....

Good advice!

I will check oil level real close over next week or so
and see if it is using it rapidly. If yes.... I will
suspect rings

But would rings wear out at 127k?

wrote:

> My 2000 Mazda Protege is smoking blue smoke at start up
> until it warms up and then it clears up.
>
> Has abt 127k on it and I am the 1st owner and have
> taken great care of this car
>
> What is likely cause? Valve guides? Ring job?
>
> I was hoping this car would NOT develop such major wear
> at 127k. is this abnormal or normal?

If its JUST at startup, it could be valve stem seals. Not a big concern.
But if it smokes on deceleration or when taking off from a stop, then
its probably valve guides or rings.

I hate to say it, but I've seen a lot of Mazdas and Mitsubishis putting
out blue smoke over the past 10 years or so. More than other brands. In
the case of Mitsu, its been an ongoing problem related to valve guides
dropping out of the heads and also a short/high ring package that
doesn't control oil as well as it should. Don't know exactly what the
common cause with Mazdas is.

Steve > wrote:

>I hate to say it, but I've seen a lot of Mazdas and Mitsubishis

Yeah If I had to do it over again I would have bought a
Toyota or Honda and not the Mazda