I thought I blew the thing up! I was at the end of about a 1/4 mile EV only decel on a straightaway, and decided to pass a slow moving truck at a right hand turn to a different road. After making the right turn and noting it was safe to pass, I stepped on it pretty good. The sucker blew smoke out terribly! After a short interval (not in EV only), I tried an almost pedal to the metal again, and this time, no smoke. Interestingly, the orange engine light turned on on the left side (opposite side of the green engine running light), and after less than a minute, turned back off. I had no troubles after this and all was well, or so I hope. I surmised I had accumulated oil/gas on the 1/4 mile EV stretch, and then when I stepped on it, it blew unburned oil/gas out the back end. Ever happen to you? Though it has never happened to me, I find this a real design flaw, if it in fact happened because of what I was guessing was the cause.

If anyone could try to duplicate that, I'd appreciate it. Again, you pretty much have to step on it to duplicate what I did.

Noel

 

Blue smoke usually means oil in the chamber. This is usually caused by a poor seal/worn rings. The period of EV would allow oil to accumulate in a cylinder if there was a leak. This usually happens in older vehicles with many miles.

As you surmise, the check engine light was probably in response to the unburned hydrocarbons (the oil) in the exhaust.

If it happens again, I would definitely have it checked.

 

Thank you for your insights.

The car is otherwise flawless, blows no smoke, gets 42.4mpg, has excellent power, and has only 15K miles. The 'usually caused by a poor seal/worn rings' would be possible for sure (seal only or stuck ring). The smoke may have been more white than blue. If worn or stuck rings or seal were the issue, wouldn't we see a little evidence of this under other conditions, ie normal driving?

I'm wondering more if the fuel shut off when in EV may be an issue, versus worn rings/seal problems. I'm really hoping someone can attempt to duplicate these exact conditions to see if this is an across the board issue with FFH's, or hybrids in general. The conditions again were: traveling on the flat at about 45mph in EV for between 1/4 and 1/2 mile, slow to 5mph or so staying in EV to make a right hand turn, then really step on it (slowly until in ICE, then step on it close to pedal to the metal or whatever you are comfortable with). If this DOES NOT occur under these conditions with another FFH, then definitely I will get it checked out. If on the other hand others experience this, then perhaps it's a different issue. How would the dealer investigate this? Compression check? Smog check to look for HC levels?

Please someone, try to duplicate this. Wouldn't take but a minute, and won't hurt your vehicle.

 

My FFH has about the same mileage. I'll keep an eye out, but I haven't noted any significant smoke. The engine is fuel injected, so that should be shut off along with the ignition to the ICE. I have a few places where I can try to duplicate your conditions.

 

My question Noel is did you have a recent oil change or any other work done on the engine? The orange light was most likely an O2 sensor reading that the PCM flagged as a emissions problem. I know you live in the hills and I know if our 2.5L engine is not on level ground the oil will not drain completely during an oil change. If you add 5 qts to the engine after the change you may have overfilled your oil pan. I did this using front end ramps in my '09 FEH and seen a big drop in MPG after I changed my oil the first time. I check the oil and found that it was High and had been mixed with older oil. Of course the only way the oil did not drain correctly had to be from the ramps. This is not a problem I've ever seen in all the other Fords I've own. Since the drain on the pan is to the rear you would think the oil up in the engine would drain in that direction also. It doesn't, oil is trapped if the 2.5L is not on level ground when you shut the engine Off.

Just one thing you need to know anyway but if that isn't it you may have a serious gasket problem or cracked somewhere. In that case you will continue to get an emissions light. This is where the SGII comes in handy to do a scan to read the code. I've got a few emissions codes in my '05 but they also cleared after I reset the SGII. Bad gas I think must be the problem with my '05 but I've never seen any smoke.

GaryG

 

Gary, I'm hoping this is the very issue. In fact, I posted a request on for someone to duplicate my situation Ford Fusion Forum about an hour ago, and while typing remembered I had changed the oil at the Ford dealer last Friday. What's more, at my most recent oil change there 5K miles ago, I checked the oil before driving off, and it was overfilled. I had them drain it back off. Since I was in a hurry this time around, I skipped this step.

I went out after remembering the oil change and noticed the oil was overfilled at least 3/16". I'm going to take it down and have them drain it back down to at or just below the upper line. What I'm not sure about, other than the fact I've always heard over filling oil can do engine damage, is exactly what happens when you overfill by this amount. Significant other issues:

1. The car uses no oil between 5K oil changes. Where there a seal/stuck ring issue, one would guess it might go down a little, but nada.
2. I never see smoke, other than this one instance, when I stepped on it quite hard immediately after 1/3 mile EV.
3. The emissions light went off within 30 seconds or so, and never came back on again.

Thanks for your insights, let's hope it's just from the overfilling.

 

Don't forget, I don't ever see smoke under normal driving either. You would have to duplicate this to be meaningful: 1/3m or more EV, then step on it smoothly, but nearly fully and sustained for 15 seconds or so.

Thanks Traveller

 

Noel, my oil level is at the correct level half way between the full and add mark. If you just drain to the full mark that may be still to high. If there is another new FFH on the lot compare the oil level and have it drained to where it is at on level ground. To much oil is bad for the engine and MPG. Also, make sure the new oil was not mixed with old oil. Make them do it right!

GaryG

 

Thx Gary, I left for the dealership before reading your note. It is just below the upper mark now after they drained some off, so I'm sure I'm OK with that. Again, I don't have smoke or emissions lights normally. While there were at it they ran the codes, and one was not tripped, presumably because it self-corrected after just 20 or 30 seconds. Thanks for the heads up on that.

 

Noel, the overfill must have been off the charts and that was the reason for the smoke and emissions light. That much oil was drowning the walls of your cylinders and getting past the compression rings.

Find out if the dealer is using front end ramps or if their just stupid and adding to much oil. If they are using ramps your oil was contaminated with to much of the old oil and you should get a free oil change and document it for damage that may have been caused and show up later. They could have caused damage to the rings and pistons but I sure hope not. Document everything that has happen and copy this thread for your records. I would read this thread of mine and copy it also for the record:
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20734

Note the date I first posted that tread and try to take a picture of any ramps your dealer may be using. You don't need to much oil in your engine because just a little with drop your MPG and a lot will damage your engine.

GaryG