Yesterday I started the car after it had been sitting for a couple of days and there was a HUGE cloud of blue exhaust. It hasn't done it since, and it had never done it before. It has used some oil since the last change, which is unusual. What'* this one gonna cost me?

New valve seals...$20

Cheers,

Ain't done it since...FREEEEEE

To find out if the valve seals (or guides) are bad, find a long hill to coast down with your foot off the gas. Accelerate quickly at the bottom of the hill.

If it blows out blue smoke, it'* seals or guides.

Bob, What is the theory behind the long hill? I've only known of letting it sit overnight and looking for the puff the next morning. When it happens each morning it'* time to do them.

In theory if stomped too hard at the bottom of the hill and not a normal stomperof the pedal you'll see a cloud of junk that could be mistaken, right?

Thanks

Bill: high vaccum conditions, such as coasting down a hill with the throttle closed, will suck oil past bad valve seals or guides. Opening the throttle at the end of the coast tends to burn off the oil that accumulates in the combustion chamber when the throttle is opened suddenly, hence the puff of blue smoke.

If they're bad and you try this test, you'll know it.

A puff of blue smoke at startup means, to me at least, that the rings are losing seal, not the valve guides.

Oils cheap, why don't you try changing it to a heavier grade?

I don't know. I haven't noticed any smoke at all in the last several days, but the oil pressure guage seems low when idling at a light, and then when I accelerate, it jumps back up to where it belongs.