:W
Good to hear from you Michael! We have several techs on this site; give them a few days to respond.
Here's a quick lesson on tailpipe smoke signals.
1) Startup on a cold, damp day there is going to be a lot of condensation (steam) with dripping that is dark from the carbon residue in the pipe. It might smell a little like a rich mixture exhaust because of the cold engine. This kind of "smoke" is easily dismissed.
2) Dark or black smoke is usually from a rich condition. On a carbureted vehicle it usually is a stuck choke, on an injected vehicle it is usually a bad ECM.
3) White or bluish smoke is oil or coolant. You can normally smell the difference. Coolant will be a nauseating sweet smell, oil will smell like...well...burning oil, for lack of a better description.
If you have a leaking head gasket, the tell-tell signs are one or more of the following:
1) Hydro lock during first morning cranking, on the first turn of the key. Once the starter pushes the coolant out of the cylinder it spins over fine.
2) Milkshake oil. The oil on the dipstick will look like you dipped it in a weak chocolate milkshake from the coolant in the oil. The 710 cap will sometimes have it on the inside of it too, but normal condensation will sometimes give it that look.
3) One or two spark plugs are clean from being 'washed' by the coolant and the rest are normal (carboned). A warped or cracked head will sometimes grip a single spark plug to the point that you can't get it out without some serious work. What gets your attention is that the rest of the plugs come out normally.
4) Gain oil level due to coolant at bottom of pan.
5) Unexplained loss of coolant. You have to keep adding coolant, but you can't find a leak.
6) Coolant boils out because cylinder pressure is pushing into cooling system.
7) Loss of power and runs rough, one or two dead or weak cylinders.
8) Runs hot!
There's probably more, but that's all I can think of at the moment.
A competent auto tech should be able to diagnose a leaking head gasket with the use of a cooling system pressure gauge and/or a CO2 detector.
On an '91 engine and your brief description I would say it is condensation with some oil burning from blow by (rings) and valve stems or their seals. Leaking valve stems and seals will tell on themselves when you stop for a light and then accelerate when it turns green. You'll see a puff of bluish white smoke from the tailpipe. Rings, you'll have the smoke all the time.
Bottom line without further info; I'd say your ride is normal for it's age and you don't have anything to worry about right now, just enjoy the ride
