white smoke on first cold start of the day from up-pipe

[yamaha_rider619]

I noticed my car would smoke on the first start up on a cold day. So i popped the hood, looked around, gave it some gas and saw there was white smoke coming from somewhere near the up-pipe. I could see it front the side next to the air intake, and also in the front by the passenger side. Does this sound like a head gasket or crack in the block or something else? My boost is fine, i have always lost a little bit of oil, and I just checked my coolant overflow today, so i'm not sure if it is losing any, but it was maybe 1/4 inch from the Full line.

[EvoEatr]

Are you sure its white smoke and not blue? Are you sure its not normal condensation and you just have a leak around the joint pipe? Are you noticing any drive ability problems? How many miles are on the vehicle? If your truely concerned I would inspect for external leaks first, than do a cooling system pressure test to just make sure there are no internal leaks such as the HG (though subaru HG's in general very rarely leak internally, let alone leak at all on a boosted boxer)

[yamaha_rider619]

Are you sure its white smoke and not blue? Are you sure its not normal condensation and you just have a leak around the joint pipe? Are you noticing any drive ability problems? How many miles are on the vehicle? If your truely concerned I would inspect for external leaks first, than do a cooling system pressure test to just make sure there are no internal leaks such as the HG (though subaru HG's in general very rarely leak internally, let alone leak at all on a boosted boxer)

it could be blue,i will have to look closer. Is it normally like hint or really dark? It could be condensation too,but would condensation put a huge puff of smoke out of the exhaust on start up? Drivabiity is normal and so is boost. i just get a puff of smoke out of my tailpipe and then some smoking in my engine bay, maybe a bad seal on the up-pipe? there is 118,000 miles, and i cant find any external leaks unless is it a minuscule leak, i will look again too.
Also what do you mean by the joint pipe?

[EvoEatr]

it could be blue,i will have to look closer. Is it normally like hint or really dark? It could be condensation too,but would condensation put a huge puff of smoke out of the exhaust on start up? Drivabiity is normal and so is boost. i just get a puff of smoke out of my tailpipe and then some smoking in my engine bay, maybe a bad seal on the up-pipe? there is 118,000 miles, and i cant find any external leaks unless is it a minuscule leak, i will look again too.
Also what do you mean by the joint pipe?

Usually its just a hint of blue smoke...if you get this on start up it usually means the valve seals are starting to go....However I can say this..I think ive seen it once on a Subaru and I have worked on thousands of them...lol...The joint pipe is just what subaru calls the up-pipe...at least according to the FSM and Subarunet...

[yamaha_rider619]

Usually its just a hint of blue smoke...if you get this on start up it usually means the valve seals are starting to go....However I can say this..I think ive seen it once on a Subaru and I have worked on thousands of them...lol...The joint pipe is just what subaru calls the up-pipe...at least according to the FSM and Subarunet...

So do you think it's the valve seals or something else? On average how much would valve seal replacement cost?

[EvoEatr]

So do you think it's the valve seals or something else? On average how much would valve seal replacement cost?

I'm just mentioning that man...I'm taking a shot from the hip here from the information you have provided lol ...first thing is first...make sure its either oil or coolant if its not water....Also do a very through go over of the car especially around the exhaust to make sure there are no leaks... have you been loosing any oil?

[yamaha_rider619]

I'm just mentioning that man...I'm taking a shot from the hip here from the information you have provided lol ...first thing is first...make sure its either oil or coolant if its not water....Also do a very through go over of the car especially around the exhaust to make sure there are no leaks... have you been loosing any oil?

i have been losing oil a little bit for a long time, but the smoke just started. How can i figure out if its coolant, or oil lol I know there is an exhaust leak by the uppipe and in the cat back. How much would it cost to replace the valve seals? just an estimate..