Smoke coming from engine

[Bobross1]

I was working or side and figured I would sea foam the xterra just for fun. As I was doing it through the vacuum line, white smoke immediately came out of from the passenger side where a sensor on the header it seems like. Curious to what could be wrong?

 

[P&P]

your exhaust manifold is cracked. Very common on 1st gens.

 

[Prime]

your exhaust manifold is cracked. Very common on 1st gens.

Nailed it. It happens to pretty much every 1st gen out there. You can either replace them or swap for actual headers.

 

[Bobross1]

Thanks for the quick response guys! Guess I'll be looking into one of those. Which do you suggest?

 

[Intender]

Depends on where you live and what year model you have. I know the 2000 models and maybe some 2001 models only have 1 catalytic converter per side, where the 2002-2004 models have 2 per side. On the early models you will completely lose your cats if you go with headers and may not pass inpection of they do any kind of tail pipe testing or visual inspection where you live. On the later models you will keep your secondary cats and can usually get away with headers most places.

As for factory replacements that will also depend on what your stock ones look like. Some models had exhaust manifolds and primary cats that were all one piece where others had ones where the primary cats were bolted to the exhaust manifolds. Just need to make sure you get the right ones.

 

[Bobross1]

Depends on where you live and what year model you have. I know the 2000 models and maybe some 2001 models only have 1 catalytic converter per side, where the 2002-2004 models have 2 per side. On the early models you will completely lose your cats if you go with headers and may not pass inpection of they do any kind of tail pipe testing or visual inspection where you live. On the later models you will keep your secondary cats and can usually get away with headers most places.

As for factory replacements that will also depend on what your stock ones look like. Some models had exhaust manifolds and primary cats that were all one piece where others had ones where the primary cats were bolted to the exhaust manifolds. Just need to make sure you get the right ones.

I have a 2001 xterra. And I know for inspection here in Washington they have the tail pipe check and they plug into the computer. I Don't think inspection should be to big of a deal here really. Would new headers boot up to the existing exhaust or should I invest in new exhaust as well?

 

[granitex]

The headers will bolt up, but you will not get the performance gain that you would without the new exhaust. you will also want to pick up a pair of CEL eliminators.