I was running around medford this evening and my car started billowing white smoke. It still runs ok and I even got home to ashland, It didnt get hot until I got off the freeway and dropped my friend off.

 

IM thinking i can fix it this weekend, but, I have no ride till then, which sucks.

 

I think i blew a headgasket, but Im hoping its somethign easier. and of course I dont know which one.

 

 

Alex

Did you check the oil? If it's milky white, it's most likely means the gasket is gone. The radiator fluid might have oil in it? Or if you have access to a compression tester, you could test it.

if neither the oil or the antifreeze has the other in it, yo might have a cracked head which means you can drive around for awhile like that:D I did it in an 86 turbosedan and it lasted a few months before the head cracked wide open and like a river, flooded into the exhaust:-\

check the heater hoses mine did the same thing i had a bad heater core and hose , just something easy to check

This came out of the exaust. I think its a head gasket. I havent checked the oil yet or the water (this evening when I get home via bus).

 

What head gaskets should I order?

My 89 Turbo wagon was doing that. We thought blown head gasket as well. It turned out to be a broken water tube in the turbo unit.

i would use napa complete set around 200 bucks ,it comes with alot of gaskets all possible needed and then some

Intake manifold gaskets will blow lots of perdy white smoke too. Check those b efore you start pulling heads

coughcompressioncheckcough

well some moron didnt put the radiator cap back on after filling the water up after noticing the smoke last night in medford. So no wonder it got really hot (about 2mm below the pull over or die line).

 

I filled the water up today after work (PS, the bus sucks), Checked the oil. No water in the oil, and no oil in the water. I got in and it started right up, no weird idle or any other signs of a massive failure. Also, it isnt blowing any more smoke( steam?).

IM going to take it to work with me tomorrow and see what happens.

 

 

Alex

Just a thought, but isn't your rig an automatic?? If the diaphram broke and it's now sucking huge amounts of ATF into the intake, it will blow billowing white smoke.

So I guess the question is, do you have a bit of steam coming out the rear, or are you pumping out clouds?

yesterday, there were clouds after hitting the gas, but then it was just wisps while driving steady, today nothing.