A bit worried. Black smoke

[TurboWill]

Hey guys, Friday I bought a used 09 wrx sedan. It had 27,000 miles. It came with an after market exhaust. Not sure what type. So I started the car yesterday after sat for a few days. A huge black cloud of smoke came out and filled up my garage. It smelled like burning oil but went away after 5-10 seconds. It has never done that before. I have only had the car a few days lol. Is it engine blow by?

[zax]

Black smoke is not oil. Black smoke is generally unburnt fuel. Had the car been sitting for long? Is the exhaust catless? Did you prime the fuel pump a few times (i.e. turn the car on) but not start it?

Blue smoke is oil. White smoke is coolant.

EDIT:
Hahaha you actually mentioned that it sat for a few days

[Rambo]

I don't know, my car sits for months at a time when I travel, and other than the car taking a couple seconds longer to start as the fuel primes, I don't see anything unusual. I would check for a catless exhaust though. That, combined with sitting around might make a cloud like that.

[TurboWill]

Ok the exhaust is catless. I don't know how to prime the fuel pump? I'm also thinking the car might have been running synthetic and the dealer did an oil change with regular oil?

[Rambo]

Ok the exhaust is catless. I don't know how to prime the fuel pump? I'm also thinking the car might have been running synthetic and the dealer did an oil change with regular oil?

Again, black smoke is not burning oil. If that were the case, your exhaust would look very blue. It's unmistakable. I don't think you have an oil problem, I think your catless exhaust is the most likely culprit.

[TurboWill]

Black smoke is not oil. Black smoke is generally unburnt fuel. Had the car been sitting for long? Is the exhaust catless? Did you prime the fuel pump a few times (i.e. turn the car on) but not start it?

Blue smoke is oil. White smoke is coolant.

EDIT:
Hahaha you actually mentioned that it sat for a few days

It's not black smoke but it's deff dark and smells like a oil burning smell.

[zax]

It's not black smoke but it's deff dark and smells like a oil burning smell.

If you're that worried, do a compression test. I doubt it's your turbo with that few miles, but if the exhaust is catless and you haven't been tuned... well it could easily be a piston ring... please tell me you're tuned???

[xFalleNx]

Most likely it's your catless exhaust, so I hope....but this is great, solid advice!

If you're that worried, do a compression test. I doubt it's your turbo with that few miles, but if the exhaust is catless and you haven't been tuned... well it could easily be a piston ring... please tell me you're tuned???

[TurboWill]

Yes the car is tuned, I am bringing it back to the dealer

[xFalleNx]

You got it from a dealer with a catless exhaust?

[Mikie13]

I wonder how a dealer sold a car with technically an illegal exhaust...

[xFalleNx]

I wonder how a dealer sold a car with technically an illegal exhaust...

Yeah, that's what I'm getting at....kinda sounds fishy to me. Was this a Subaru dealership OP?

[mangostick]

I'd find a local subaru shop and take it there first. Especially if this car has been tuned.

I second (third? lol), how the hell did you get a catless car from a dealer in NY???? One of the strictest emmissions states in the country. Was it not a legit dealer? Or ... uhm... and if it was tuned what method was used? (ap/open source) if it was a ap (access port) did you get that along with the car?

Lots of questions I know but if you want to keep and enjoy this car you need to know its history a bit more in-depth or you may find yourself paying for very expensive fixes.

[TurboWill]

I figured it had a cat?! So I test drive it, felt great. I didn't look at the midpipe until I saw the smoke and checked for the cat. I bought it from massapequa Infiniti. They told me to bring the car back tomorrow. I'm not going to drive it anymore. Do I have the right to just return the car and get my money back? Or request the put a legal exhaust on? I do not know how it was tuned but it came with a computer with 3 different maps on it.

[Rambo]

I figured it had a cat?! So I test drive it, felt great. I didn't look at the midpipe until I saw the smoke and checked for the cat. I bought it from massapequa Infiniti. They told me to bring the car back tomorrow. I'm not going to drive it anymore. Do I have the right to just return the car and get my money back? Or request the put a legal exhaust on? I do not know how it was tuned but it came with a computer with 3 different maps on it.

Hang on, you should be looking at the downpipe, not the midpipe, for a cat. It might just have a catback exhaust, which replaces the midpipe and muffler, but leaves the factory downpipe (which has a cat) intact.

If the downpipe doesn't have a cat, then I'd say you have legal grounds to return the car for a refund, especially from a reputable dealer.