Hi Ross,
As a rule:
- Black Smoke = Unburnt Fuel, incomplete combustion, bad mix
- Blue Smoke = Burning Oil
- White Smoke = Water Vapor, Water getting where it shouldn't be.
White
smoke is common in cold weather when you first start your vehicle. It's
from condensation. But it should stop as the engine warms up. If it
doesn't, the moisture is from another source.
Questions:
- Are the smoke episodes accompanied by a loss of power?
- Was your coolant level low before you changed the coolant?
- Did it overheat? Badly?
I'm leaning toward a partial failure of the head gasket. Here is some info, things to look for and tests to confirm.
Symptoms:
- Uncontained compression in one or more cylinders = lack of power
- Coolant seeping into cylinders through the gasket breach creates white smoke
- Oil seeping into cylinders creates blue smoke
Things to look for:
- Coolant levels low. As the coolant is burned off, you'll notice the levels are lower
- Oil in the coolant. If oil is present in the radiator,
it's coming from the engine. Another indicator of a failed head gasket.
Only a confirmation though, lack of oil does not rule out the
possibility.
- Water in the oil. Pull the oil dipstick. Is it milky and frothy, like it's been whipped? If so coolant is getting
into the oil. Again, an indicator, not a confirmation of a blown head
gasket.
- Is the oil level dropping?
The
quickest, easiest and (most importantly) cheapest confirmation of this
is to run a compression test on each cylinder. I'm surprised your
mechanic didn't suggest it.
The test should show high and
fairly close compression (100psi or more) on all cylinders. If any of
them are significantly lower, something is allowing the gasses to
escape. Since piston ring failures would produce blue smoke, not white, that leaves
the head gasket.
If you feel comfortable doing it yourself,
testers are available at any auto parts store for under $30.00. If you
don't, any shop can do it in under half an hour.
All this is to pin point the problem. Then you know what you are dealing with.
Comment me back with your findings.
Mike
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