Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here XJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.

White smoke at 75mph

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 11:20 PM
  #1  
wilcherkyle's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO inline six
Default White smoke at 75mph

Any takers on what this means ? 95 xj 4.0
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 11:30 PM
  #2  
KJamesJR's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 905
Likes: 8
From: New Hampshire
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
Default

How many miles are on it? When was the last oil change?
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 11:31 PM
  #3  
BatmanXJ's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,249
Likes: 12
From: Hamburg AR
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
Default

What good can come from going 75mph? I would think the Tranny fluid since 75mph is high rpm Higher heat.

It often means that you are burning antifreeze. Sometimes when the head gasket goes or going it will produce a passage for the antifreeze to pass from the capillaries into the combustion chamber. It is easy to check if you have an air compressor. Remove one of the rear sparkplugs and the radiator cap. Fill the radiator and then push some air into the sparkplug hole (get a good seal in case a valve is open). Repeat with all the cylinders and watch for air bubbles coming up into the radiator. If bubbles come up or fluid is pumped out, the head gasket is blown and must be replaced. It is more likely to happen at the back of the engine because it is farthest away from the fan and therefore gets less cooling. Also check your oil for discoloration. If it is a brownish color it could mean your oil and antifreeze are mixing and has the potential to damage your bearings.

smoke or semi white can be produced in several ways. One way is oil this is normally a whitish blue to blue smoke and has the apparent smell of oil being burned. Next could be antifreeze when it is being burned it has a sweet type of smell and tends to dissipate in the air rather quickly. Next is automatic transmission fluid which is normally found on automatic transmissions and its normally drawn into an engine thru a vacuum line via a defective transmission modulator valve or some other defective part. Transmission fluid is very apparent and billows out so bad that you can't see anything behind you. Last but not least another type of smoke that is not white but black is the presents of to much gas/fuel being burned in the engine. PS the one good thing about transmission fluid being burned is it is an excellent way to clean the carbon out of an engine.

Last edited by BatmanXJ; Aug 9, 2012 at 11:38 PM.
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 11:35 PM
  #4  
freegdr's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 47,923
Likes: 38
From: Broward County Fl.
Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 12 hole bosch Injectors
Default

forgot brake fluid ive seen a brake booster be half full of brake fluid and be sucked in a motor thru vacuum tube it also smoke horribly and white.
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 11:40 PM
  #5  
BatmanXJ's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,249
Likes: 12
From: Hamburg AR
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
Default

Originally Posted by freegdr
forgot brake fluid ive seen a brake booster be half full of brake fluid and be sucked in a motor thru vacuum tube it also smoke horribly and white.
Agree with this could also be a cause. The fix. don't drive it 75 MPH haha
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 11:42 PM
  #6  
freegdr's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 47,923
Likes: 38
From: Broward County Fl.
Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 12 hole bosch Injectors
Default

question for op any fluids being consumed ?
Reply
Old Aug 10, 2012 | 12:15 AM
  #7  
cherokee90's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 524
Likes: 0
From: austin texas
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Default

check your rear axle, if its a dana35 the outer bearing could be going out boiling the fluid inside. if you see fluid leaking out of the axle do not drive it cause your axle shaft is held in by that bearing and is about to come out. look for leaks in the tranny/motor to it could be getting blown on the exhaust at that high of a speed.
Reply
Old Aug 10, 2012 | 04:59 AM
  #8  
tjwalker's Avatar
CF Veteran
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,841
Likes: 117
From: In the middle of Minnesota!
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Default

Originally Posted by freegdr
question for op any fluids being consumed ?
Agreed. A close monitoring of all fluids looking for level drop is always on the "to do list" for this symptom. Especially antifreeze.
Reply
Old Aug 10, 2012 | 08:33 AM
  #9  
alnielsen's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 701
Likes: 1
From: DuPage County, IL
Year: 1994
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6 HO
Default

White Smoke = antifreeze/coolant
Dark Smoke = Oil

Time for a compression check.
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jmsummers2012
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
56
Jun 12, 2025 02:04 AM
bryweb
Jeep Builds
31
Mar 28, 2019 06:47 PM
skarpyona
Jeep Builds
37
Dec 13, 2018 12:39 AM
RangerWeaver
Jeep Builds
229
May 20, 2018 09:24 PM
Brandonrcm
Miscellaneous
0
Sep 25, 2015 11:55 AM

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:13 AM.