Re: Scared Shytless, I had one of those one spring after a particularly cold winter. But hey it was now spring, weather much warmer now, so lets get it on. Checked a few things, cranked it up and headed off for a run around the block. Did not get very far. On the secondary road near my house I noticed a HUGE, and I do mean HUGE, cloud of white smoke behind me when I accelerated. Is that my car? WTF??! let off the go-pedal, smoke gone. Stepped on it, and got enough smoke to kill all the mosquitoes within 200 yards. Limped back to the garage, and eventually found that my crankcase was full to the top with a mixture of oil and gasoline. Again: WTF??! So here it is, as best as I can say: My Gas tank (and maybe yours too) is fitted up with a one way expansion equalizing valve. lets air in as gas is consumed, and closes otherwise. So if you park your car in unheated garage for the winter AND (this is the important part) you have not very much gas in the tank, as the whole thing cools, to below freezing even, air goes in to that space above what gas you do have in there. Then the weather warms, the gas vapor and air try to expand, and can't escape, unless enough pressure builds to overcome the fuel pump and float valve, and then the float chamber overflows and pours gas down the throat and into, eventually, the crankcase. The crankcase needs a certain volume of gas/air in order to allow pressure fluctuations from combustion and oscillating mechanicals to be handled without high pressure build up. Fill the case to no air/vapor left, and the slightest pressure from moving parts or ring blow-by will force that gas/oil mixture past the rings and into the part where the fire lives. And I think we all know that it only takes a tiny bit of oil when burned to make a hell of a lot of smoke. And so that's what I had.
The fix: disconnect that one way valve and always store the car, unheated during winter, with a full tank. And check the level of fluid (only oil we hope,) in the crankcase with the dip stick provided for that purpose. Lesson learned.