White Smoke

[weedhoppin74]

Hello All,

I have a question I have been searching and searching on here for an answer but have not found anything. I replaced the head in my 944 na back in 'o6 replaced all the gaskets and seals, replaced all coolant lines expansion tank and a few other items. After it was all done and put back together I started the car no problems unitl the expansion tank blew hench the replacement of lines and tank. I took the car out drove like a champ. Then I had to drive an 8 hour trip with it. No problems what so ever. Then I had to drive 1700 miles still no problems, until I reached my destination where there was freezing rain. Woke up in the morning and there was coolant everywhere. Thought oh no! Filled her back up and drove her 10 miles to park her for six months. After that no coolant or anthing leaking. Guess just way to hot of an engine and freeezing rain. After the car sat for six months had a starting prob normal car sat then drove it 200 miles which of course was a snow storm and after I shut the car off coolant poured out once again. Parked the car and she sat for another 6 months. finally after charging the battery got her running, got a little bit of smoke figured from sitting ran good. Then 7 months later the car was moved 2 miles to a storage unit ran fine. Then sat for about 4 months till I went to pick her up for the long drive back to tx. Had to replace the battery and found the coolant problemthe plug backed out. On the trip to TX she ran fine until I got to OK when I stoped and let her sit for about and hour to rest. She leaked some coolant and didn't want to start. Got her started and drove off with a fresh tank of gas then the car was chugging along until I got her to 60mpr. Anything less she chugged figured bad gas. Next stop 6 hours later fresh gas ran great. But would drain coolant from the overflow after the car was shut off. Got 200 miles from home hit a off the wall gas station and she started chuggin again and had a hard time starting low voltage. Thinking voltage regulator. After I got her home she ran like carp did a few minor tweeks with teh mass airflow and smoothed her out. Ran excellant after that. But the next day low voltage and had to add collant keeps coming out of overflow. Then there was white smoke AHH now what! I have read and read forum after forum on white smoke. Keeps getting a little worse. Losing coolant.. No oil in coolant and no coolant in oil what is going on? I drove her today after she sat for about a week blew a little smoke drove 5 miles let her sit for about 5 hours started her up and cloud of white smoke for about a mile? Smells like coolant. Is this a blown head gasket or another problem. I have checked the plugs for residue all are clean tried everything with nothing showing...Please any help will be greatly appriciated...

[John_AZ]

OK,
Head gasket 2006
--expansion tank blows
Drive 1700 miles freezing rain
--coolant everywhere
Park 6 months
--start problem
Drive 200 miles snow storm
--coolant out
Park 6 months
--starts with little smoke
Park 7 months
--runs OK
Park 4 months
--dead battery BUT found coolant plug loose
Drove to Oklahoma
--leaked coolant, hard start
--6 hours later new gas ran OK
--coolant out of overflow
Needs new volt reg and coolant
Now smoke, continued loosing coolant, no oil in coolant
Sat week
--cloud of whit smoke
--smell of coolant

Hello,
A 2004 member,
Well, my guess is that the car is overheating and someone did a hasty job on the head/gasket. Were all the hoses replaced? The new regulator should help the starting problem. Check all the grounds and batt cables for corrosion. The running crappy is probably a result of a vacumme leak by the ICV or other small hoses. The white smoke could be burn off from the exhaust.

You need to do a leak-down test to see what is wrong inside. What are the compression #s?

Good luck.

John_AZ
1988 924S + 1987 924S

[weedhoppin74]

Ok, I will have a compression check done on her in the next few day. I started her up this morning, took a few times to get her started low voltage still thinking regulator, waiting for my part to come in. The battery is brand new and checked connection to battery all clean. All the coolant hoses were replaced along with the plug and the upper radiator plug that connects the small hose to the expansion tank. Coolant was low again, upper radiator hose was firm, I squeezed it a few times and it pulled the rest of the coolant in somewhere. Not sure where. Think the block cause it came back up through the little outlet in the top of the expansion tank. Car doesn't over heat. After I let her sit and run for about 30 minutes the fan kicks on and then off. Could my thermostat be stuck? Replaced that a few years ago. She idles a little rough on the start up with the white smoke. But smooths right out. She does a high pitch sound like noise when first started like water was on the belts but when I check her levels I also check the belts and the are dry. Maybe leaking on the inside of engine on the timing belts? Guess I should take the timing cover off and see. After the smoke goes away and you start driving her another cloud of white smoke appears for a few miles with a sweet smell. Maybe leaking head gasket that needs to be redone? Thanks all.

[Arizona_928]

it could be the head gasket. white smoke when cold then non when warmed. would be that the CAT would be cold and letting the smoke through. until warm when the CAT gets to be at 300-400 degrees. and it evap's the smoke.. do the compression and leak down..

[944Spec_bound]

I don't think your going to have a "Eureka!" moment to solve all the problems. Sounds like more than one thing going on, to me.

- electrical gremlins
Are you sure your gauges are getting correct info, bad grounds and connections are common...
I say this because...

- 30 min for fans to kick on?
You might have a bad thermostat or thermofan switch. Mine cycle every several minutes even in cold weather, so you might have overheated but don't know it.
Causing....

- Sweet smelling exhaust
- Periodic white smoke
- Poor performance

I'd bet you've got coolant in your combustion chambers somehow, likely blew the head gasket. Or maybe the head was warped but never corrected on the last HG job.
3rd vote for a compression check, cold and warm.
Good luck.

[weedhoppin74]

Thanks all for the info and help, going to take her in and have her checked out. I don't have time these days to mess with her. Found a great German import place here that has done wonders on my BMW 325i. let you guys know the outcome. Thanks for all the help!