white smoke

[English Guy]

Hope one of you guys can help me out with a problems with my 89c4 l98.she fires up ok and dies 1-2 seconds after,sometimes pops/farts and sometimes throws a ton of white smoke out the back,:ughalso I can hear wierd sucking sound:confusedthis is driving me nuts and i hav'ent any hair left to pull out!:Wany advice would be gratefully recieved.

 

[boomdriver]

ouch!

This might hurt, so be seated....

White smoke is water vapor. Hopefully its the by-product of the catalytic converter, but in this case maybe not.
Those symptoms say water in the cylinders is keeping it from running. First thing to do is look at the dip stick and see if there is ANY milky foam or slime around the part that sits in the tube. Next, look in the radiator to see if its low. Look at the oil on the dipstick to see if it looks normal. Any water will make it milky. The sucking sound? A major vacume leak from a cracked head or intake?
Hope I'm wrong.

White smoke is water.
Black smoke is fuel.
Blue smoke is oil burning.

 

[tmkassin]

Maybe you have water in the gas tank. Has it been in storage? Possibly condensation.

 

[Craig -1965]

White Smoke

I also recommend a compression check of all cylinders, this may eleminate the possibilities of a head gasket problems.

 

[English Guy]

Thanks for the info Boomdriver,I checked the dipstick and radiator water level and everything normal.Really strange thing is, I checked my transmission fluid level last week and it was at max level but this morning I find its nearly empty.I can't figure it out as there is no leak from underneath the car.Could it be the transmission fluid is somehow getting into the engine?Any ideas on this?Thanks again,have a good one.

 

[English Guy]

Thanks for the advice Craig, this morning i'll be calling the AA (automobile association not the other one)to get a compression check and find out whats what.Have a good one.

 

[English Guy]

Tmkassin,thanks for the reply to my thread I did'nt think about water in the gas tank.Do you think this would cause the white smoke when the car runs for a couple of seconds before cutting out?hope you have a good day,cheers.

 

[gmjunkie]

Tmkassin,thanks for the reply to my thread I did'nt think about water in the gas tank.Do you think this would cause the white smoke when the car runs for a couple of seconds before cutting out?hope you have a good day,cheers.

If you had enough water in the fuel to make it steam,It wouldn't even Start!! Pull the plugs and you'll find the cylinder/s where the problem is without a compression test!!
You have a blown Head Gasket or a Cracked Head!

 

[English Guy]

Thanks for the advice junk i'm gonna check the plugs,hope it's just a gasket.btw love the crazy picture,have a good one.

 

[Txbobcat]

I am not familair with autos in c4rs but If it has a vacuum modulator which I doubt it can suck fluid thru the modulator into the engine which would appear as white smoke with an oil smell. If the white smoke smells sweet it is anti freeze. Hope this helps

 

[gmjunkie]

I am not familair with autos in c4rs but If it has a vacuum modulator which I doubt it can suck fluid thru the modulator into the engine which would appear as white smoke with an oil smell. If the white smoke smells sweet it is anti freeze. Hope this helps

I thought of that too,I looked it up in my Transmission Service Manual and it's not showing 89 had one!!

 

[English Guy]

Thanks for looking it up for me junk.

 

[English Guy]

Grateful for the info Txbobcat,thanks.

 

[T.M.808]

Reguarding the trans fluid level.Could the radiator have an internal leak letting the trans fluid mix with the water inside the radiator?