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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHAdvice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Leading reported evidence
Use car
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
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0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Frequently discussed work
Check each cylinder (pull plugs
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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1
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Suggestion
Next steps are to pull the plugs on Bank 2 - 4-6 and check for wetness or fouling, then compression check each cylinder (pull plugs on both sides to make it easier), do a bleed down compression check on each cylinder (does it hold pressure or bleed down), then boroscope each cylinder before pulling anything apart.
Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Read full discussion summary
Leading evidence: 'Use car' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'aos valve' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check each cylinder (pull plugs' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that suspect a cause
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Suspected cause · Original poster
I thought it was the AOS valve but the coolant level for sure drops after one of its steam sessions and it had a usual sweet coolant smell.
Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Check each cylinder (pull plugs
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Next steps are to pull the plugs on Bank 2 - 4-6 and check for wetness or fouling, then compression check each cylinder (pull plugs on both sides to make it easier), do a bleed down compression check on each cylinder (does it hold pressure or bleed down), then boroscope each cylinder before pulling anything apart.
Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Check wetness or fouling
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Next steps are to pull the plugs on Bank 2 - 4-6 and check for wetness or fouling, then compression check each cylinder (pull plugs on both sides to make it easier), do a bleed down compression check on each cylinder (does it hold pressure or bleed down), then boroscope each cylinder before pulling anything apart.
Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Repair of the engine is $$$$$$
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Depending on your model year for cost of replacement/repair, you need to do as much as possible to locate the problem because either replacement/repair of the engine is $$$$$$.
Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Frequently discussed actions (8)
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Check each cylinder (pull plugs
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Next steps are to pull the plugs on Bank 2 - 4-6 and check for wetness or fouling, then compression check each cylinder (pull plugs on both sides to make it easier), do a bleed down compression check on each cylinder (does it hold pressure or bleed down), then boroscope each cylinder before pulling anything apart.
Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Check wetness or fouling
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Next steps are to pull the plugs on Bank 2 - 4-6 and check for wetness or fouling, then compression check each cylinder (pull plugs on both sides to make it easier), do a bleed down compression check on each cylinder (does it hold pressure or bleed down), then boroscope each cylinder before pulling anything apart.
Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Repair of the engine is $$$$$$
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Depending on your model year for cost of replacement/repair, you need to do as much as possible to locate the problem because either replacement/repair of the engine is $$$$$$.
Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Use coolant
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
The AOS uses coolant for heat and when the internal diaphragm goes it allows coolant vapor into the intake system, thereby resulting in "steam" from the exhaust.
Advice please- Occasional coolant cloud from exhaust
Coverage and how to read this overview
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
8 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T200546Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Its got me stumped
Early M96, no intermixing ( no coolant in oil/ no oil in coolant) YET
Runs well , engine is smooth.
No overheating.
heater works great.
Used the car today for 1-2 hours, it ran great . Parked the car for 30-40 minutes, started car up, huge cloud of steam/coolant from exhaust . This is the 3rd time its done this. I get a fault code for a misfire on bank 4-6.
It clears itself out in 1-2 minutes and runs perfect again
If this was a cracked cylinder or cracked head, I would have intermixing correct?
Is this just a simple head gasket?
Thank you for the reply,
I thought it was the AOS valve but the coolant level for sure drops after one of its steam sessions and it had a usual sweet coolant smell.
Im not super worried as I have a good engine ready to go in but its just so strange.... Because there is no intermixing, I am at a loss.....
If the cylinder head is cracked, the coolant usually gets into the combustion chamber(s) and then pushed out the exhaust, just as yours is doing. No intermix shows when most of the fluid exits as steam.....
The coolant smell at the exhaust is a good giveaway.
I agree...AOS is the most likely culprit. The AOS uses coolant for heat and when the internal diaphragm goes it allows coolant vapor into the intake system, thereby resulting in "steam" from the exhaust. As a simple test locate the coolant hoses going to the AOS and pinch them off so they are effectively closed, see if the problem repeats. It is no fun to replace the AOS as a DIY project but it sure beats the problem of a cracked cylinder head or blown head gasket.
Thank you for the info. I was not aware that you could have a cracked head and not have any intermixing.
I thought the these were the rules
Cracked in cylinder= intermixing
crack in cylinder head= intermixing
faulty oil cooler= intermixing
I will try to pinch the AOS coolant line, that is a great suggestion . I was not aware that you could have a cracked in the cylinder head and have no intermixing, that is mainly why I thought it was only a headgasket .
Hope it is the AOS. Next steps are to pull the plugs on Bank 2 - 4-6 and check for wetness or fouling, then compression check each cylinder (pull plugs on both sides to make it easier), do a bleed down compression check on each cylinder (does it hold pressure or bleed down), then boroscope each cylinder before pulling anything apart. Depending on your model year for cost of replacement/repair, you need to do as much as possible to locate the problem because either replacement/repair of the engine is $$$$$$.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
