White Smoke while running cool?

[jwanck11]

Our last trip of the season the engine ran great, but never got to temp. It was running around 135-140 and would not budge higher. The alarm would sound after awhile and I'd shut it off. I could immediately restart it and run for up to 5 mins before the alarm would sound again.

I opened the hatch and teh manifolds were not hot to the touch - they were warm, but I could leave my hand on them for several seconds.

Finally, we saw white smoke while idling. I hav a FAE so I suspect that there was a good deal more white smoke that was dissapating before the surface.

The boat never went into limp mode.

Any thoughts??

[IDBoating]

What alarm was sounding? Doesn't sound like it would be the temp alarm, since the boat's own readout was well below normal operating temps.

[Ewok]

I am not a mechanic but I would suspect a stuck open thermostat that did not allow the temp to build. Was there an odor with the smoke? Was it smoke or steam? Any chance of a water leak getting into the exhaust?

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Is it steam or smoke is the real question. If it is indeed smoke, it can only mean youre burning oil. Bad lifter guides, busted ring, lots of different internal engine issues can cause white SMOKE. Steam is a temp issue.

To tell the difference, the smoke will not dissipate as quickly in the air as steam, and it will have an oil smell to it, as opposed to an exhaust smell.

[jwanck11]

Thanks for the replies. I am not sure whether it was smoke or steam. I dont recall any smell so I am hopeful. Unfortunately the boat is getting winterized so I will have to see what happens in the spring.