Washed Z 2 weeks ago and immediately parked it. A week later, started it up and lots of knocking in engine area. Laots of white smoke coming from exhaust. Immediately shut it down. Several hours later, I started it up again and had engine noise and less white smoke, but I let it run a few minutes. After several minutes, the condensation was all over back bumper and exhaust this is not normal.

I am afraid to drive it to the dealer. Any thoughts?

 

Check your coolant. Is it overheating at all? What is happening is that the head gasket is allowing the coolant to seep into the cylinders and the thick white smoke you see is the coolant burning. The condensation is a side effect of this. DO NOT DRIVE the car anymore. You will wind up cracking the block if it gets to hot. You need to replace the head gasket and machine the head. If the dealer is close, top it off with coolant and get it there as quickly as possible.

 

What you say sounds reasonable, but would it be overheating on startup? I doen't seem like that wouldbe enough time to heat up.

 

Bad fuel injectors will also mimic burning coolant.

 

It depends on what you mean by "startup." How long?

If the problem started out as a thermostat that is stuck closed and not allowing the coolant to flow to the engine once it heats up, that would be the cause of the blown head gasket. It only take a minute or two to over heat when there is not coolant in the motor. How much coolant is left in the engine? Not much I'd imagine.

 

Coolant level is normal - right at the full level.

 

That's probably becasue it isn't even makingit into the engine. If I were to guess, I'd say your thermostat is bad. Remove your thermostat, and put it in boiling water for about 5 minhutes. YOu should see it open up. If not, that is the problem. Or better yet, the cause.

 

Last time I saw that on a car it was a blown head gasket.

 

let us know when you find out

 

It's just odd that it ran fine and then, after sitting, didn't.

 

mine does this . i don't remember last summer it was doign this. After i put test pipes, in teh winter, i see whitish smoke as well and get condensation on my rear bumper. It's also staining it. I wonder what it is. My coolant is normal..hope it's not a head gasket. But i see most other cars in winter having that same white smoke..but mine stains my bumper...which i think it's because of the test pipes.

 

Believe me, you would not be driving it if yours were doing this. The engine noise is not normal and the white smoke is not just normal condensation.

 

yeah, it mean, nothing at all is wrong with my engine or any area over there..so i see where you are coming from.

 

For sure it is a problem with the head gasket. It’s either a faulty head gasket (not likely the entire problem), or a warped head or its cover (probably) that the gasket is unable to provide a seal.

Anyway, you have coolant leaking into your engine. That's not good.

--Spike

 

Did you "wash" the engine bay?

 

I didn't wash the engine. ... just washed the exterior as normal.

 

Washing the engine bay won’t result in vapors coming from inside and out of the exhaust (white exhaust).

I do understand why you asked though.

--Spike

 

Had it towed to dealership the towing company was extremely careful when they loaded and unloaded.

Dealer called me just now and said that they heard nothing unusual upon startup and that they saw no smoke or excessive noise from engine. Suggested that I drive it for 1000 miles and then bring it back in.

I'm going to run over there and stand beside them as we start it up......

 

don't you hate it when that happens. car is jacked but as soon as the dealer starts it everything is normal.

good luck. it sure sounds like a head gasket.

 

"Cannot replicate problem" is their standard answer for everything when it's under warranty. Lol~ I never let those monkeys touch my car. Most of the time, they do more harm than good.