big time engine problem help me out

[blown89lxi]

i have been back and forth on this site with lots of help from you guys, and now something new popped up, giving me hope of driving my honda again. a little longer than a month ago i was backing up when all of sudden i heard a loud clicking from my engine, i drove for about 50ft then shut the car off. white smoke filled the street. i parked it then a had it towed a week later. when i got it off the flat bed i started it for the hell of it.IT RAN! but it smoked (white smoke). so i ran it for a minute then shut it off. now over a month later i started it up and drove it. i drove it for a few hundred yards. it smokes at idle, then under normal driving it does not smoke. but when it is floored it smokes big time. :wtf:
any help would be greatly appreciated. i am a poor college student with little or no money. help !

[shepherd79]

congratulations, you have blown head gasket. the coolant is getting into the motor. if i was you, i wouldn't drive like that. the coolant probably in your motor oil already.

[AZmike]

...or a cracked head. Hopefully it's just the head gasket though.

[blown89lxi]

i only drove it a few hundred feet to try and diagnose, and its been sitting there for a month, by now would the coolant have gotten to the oil in the oil pan, i checked the oil in the pan and it was normal oil. if that helps determine a cracked head or gasket, i dont know.

[3rd GEN]

yup.. sounds like a blown head gasket to me
that white smoke is your car burning off the coolant
if it was blue smoke, you would be burning oil

[blown89lxi]

hey guys im takin it to honda to get them to diagnose it for $40. have you guys had any problems with honda or any thoughts let me know.

[rocky2]

You want to try something that don't cost much? Bars leak. Just for the hell of it. Put some in radiator and let idle for a long time. Then after that see if it smokes when you nail it.

[Justin86]

Most likely a head gasket, how many miles are on the car?
Replacing the head gasket isn't as hard as it seems. You will save a lot on money doing it your self.

[blown89lxi]

245000miles and i am just gettin them to diagnose it . i want to make sure before i take the head off seeing as i will be doing it in the FSU parking lot. I will have to drive back here form jacksonville florida to fix it over the holiday break.

[blown89lxi]

i have a history with my old car of misdiagnosing and spending lots of time and hard work when it was something simple. so for 40 bucks its worth it to be sure

[blown89lxi]

has anyone used bars leak and which bars leak should i use? will this make it harder for me to replace my head gasket if it doesnt fix it? how long can this stuff hold up ? is that stuff a temporary fix or permanent?will i have to replace my head gasket in 10,000 miles anyways?i know thats alot of questions, please help me out.

[danronian]

Look at the color of your coolant, if it is super low and brown or black your head gasket is probably the culprit, that is unless you have never changed the coolant. Another sign of a blown head gasket is white under the oil cap which would be from condensation in the engine. Also try cranking or starting the car and see if there is any bubbles in the radiator, that is another sign of a blown head gasket. Good luck! If you check all of this stuff and none of it is what I said, get the diagnostic thing for $40, at least you'll know for sure.

[rocky2]

Bars leak is a temporay thing. But it sounds like it could help. Some GM cars require its use even after a head gasket change.
It could affect your heater core...less heat.. But its up to you if you want to use it. It won't make the head gasket harder to replace,it would seal a cracked head however. Its a form of gambling with mechanics of engines. Squezzing a little life more from engines.

[oldsub86]

I wouldn't put the leak stop stuff in it. The passages in the heater core and radiatior are small and you will gum them up and cause new problems.

[rocky2]

I got the stuff right now in a 1994 buick century 3.1 V-6. It lost all the coolent 1 day a while ago into the oil. The dipstick looked like a carmel milkshake. If I can get away from major engine work or at least postpone it I;m gonna do it,cuz I know headgasket seals...namely alimiunim/cast......its not a match.

You get a form of osmossis...dissimuler metals. They fuse together.


But change oil and filter.


And alot depends also if its a "BEATER" too.

I ride that I have alot of dough wraped in it I would do the gaskets

You make the call!

[blown89lxi]

you will never believe this shit

i called honda to get an appt for diagnosis they said they cant work on it but they also said it doesnt sound like a head gasket maybe condensation in the exhaust. they say to fill it with antifreze and drice it to see what it does. I fill it with the freeze and drive it, smokes at first like than i start driving and it smokes for liek the first 20 minutes then nothing. This was three days ago.
At the same time the truck i was borrowing broke on me. since i was running out of time and it wasnt my truck i payed to have it fixed, found an awesome shop, replaced the t belt on my truck for 200. so i had them diagnose the honda, they said the only prob is the idle surge and that is most likely a AIC and i can wait on that.
I think its great that my car fixed itself but what the hell was the smoke?
and thanks for all the help

[Vinny]

PM me the name of the shop, Tallahassee's only an hr or so from me. I may have to check that out

[Justin86]

weird???