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2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Question: blue smoke on start up engine ticks

Question

Darleneh, 5.3L V8, Arlington, WA, February 22, 2011, 18:06
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 Rookie

Blue smoke on cold start, now ticks. oil looks good and has good level. Oil presure has been 25% lower than it normaly is at idle. Not sure if this could related but i have had to fill up the coolant twice in a month, and the heater will randomly stop working. thank you for your help in advance

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  • Answer #1

    mastertech6371 February 22, 2011, 18:13
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     Master

    blue smoke on start up is usually vale seals that are worn out allowing oil into the cylinders after a long sitting time.

    after many miles, the bearings wear and will lower the oil pressure. change viscosity of your oil and it will hold the oil pressure a lot better.

    coolant leak is something you need to deal with now. have a shop add dye to the system to determine the leak. the low coolant level could be the reason for the heater not working all the time too. do not use sealer as this will clog the heater core and not fix anything.

    Roy

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  • Answer #2

    raiderron February 22, 2011, 21:56
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     Master

    Roy is right on for this problem. He is stealing my thunder...lol...

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  • Answer #3

    Visitor, July 31, 2011, 01:38

    Sticking valve (bad valve seat) or a flapping piston, which would explain the lower oil pressure, flapping means a bad piston ring or oil control ring, keep in mind, oil will give off blue smoke if burned. For the coolant, that just sounds like a leak or a bad cap squirting it everywhere. And you're heater core could just be junk if you're heater stops working.

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