Just overfilled coolant or blown head gasket?

[Crazy Canuk]

Hi

I have been having some problems with my engine smoking after a long trip on the highway recently. I first noticed it after I had the low coolant sensor replaced and I drove for about 3hrs on the highway. At the end of the trip my engine had some light smoke which smelled semi sweet (coolant) and the check engine light went on. I took it to the mechanic the next day and it threw a EGR Valve code and he said the smoke was some coolant nothing to be worried about.

The EGR valve was replaced this past weekend and while it was broken my car would get 15-20C hotter on the gage then normal while driving, since it's been fixed the temp has returned back to where it is normaly (around 87.5C)

Also I had the trany mount go on me which I also replaced yesterday. Now last night was when I got my car back all fixed and I took it on a drive for a hour or so away on the highway, walked around with my girlfriend maybe another hour or so then drove back on a faster highway maybe 30mins. When I exited the highway I noticed some smoke but not much all gages were normal but when I went home and shut off my car I noticed alot of smoke (light in colour and semi sweet smelling). It was dark but when I opened up the hood I noticed that the smoke was comming from somewhere on my engine block? This mornning I checked all my fluid levels and noticed that my coolant is overfilled (well above the hot lettering on the dip stick) and my engine was cold.

a guy at work said he thinks it could be a blown head gasket but my car only has 120k kilometers on it (under 75k miles)? What do you guys think, it may be just the engine trying to burn off the excess coolant I don't know. The car did run realy nice last night though and we arnt talking about alot of smoke it looks more like steam.

[SteveH95Formula]

Any time you see a lot of white smoke comming out of your exhaust sounds like a head gasket. Check the oil good. If too much coolant is getting in the oil your motor is ruined and will need to be rebuilt.

[Crazy Canuk]

The smoke isn't comming out of the exhaust its on the engine block it vents thru the hood and font window when it happens. I just checked now and after my car has been sitting for 4 hours the coolant level is 10 indicator bars above the hot lettering on the coolant level indicator.

IIIIICold->IIIIIIII<-HotIIIIIIIIII(where coolant ends)IIII(Top Cap)

I found some pizza crust beside the EGR valve under some wires on my engine too so I don't have too much faith in the mechanics work atm either.

[LS1 TA]

Maybe a hose clamp somewhere has come loose.

[Crazy Canuk]

I think I will drive my car untill I see it happen again and realy try to take a look at it in the daylight, last night it was dark and other then smoke comming from the back passanger side of the engine block I have no idea where exactly it was from.

One easy thing that I noticed was the coolant level being so high, but who knows if that causes anything harmful with the car. So far it only happened only when the car gets hot running on the highway. I will update when I get more info.

Thanks for the help, I can't believe 3 weeks of car problems

[fastTa]

The best thing for you to do is to perform a cooling system pressure leakdown test. If you have a blown head gasket allowing coolant into the combustion chamber or leaking anywhere else, the leakdown test will show it.

Wouldn't hurt to pressure test your radiator cap as well.

[97LT1Z28]

I agree. But don't drive it around like that - get the tests done to see what's wrong and get it fixed pronto!

I had a head gasket leak that played "hide and go seek" with me for a while and I kept driving it - that cost me an engine!

Now, I'm gonna be on my toes - like a midget at a urinal!

[Crazy Canuk]

Now, I'm gonna be on my toes - like a midget at a urinal!

Laugh, I have been driving it to work and back each day but nothing much more...

I set up a coolant pressure test for Saterday at the mechanics, I know it's bad when I call my mechanic and he knows me right off by my voice

The problem hasn't happened again and only happens when I drive on the highway for times over a hour it seems. If the readings are inconclusive with the test I will get my oil changed and have them check for coolant. I would rather get a extra oil change just for peice of mind.

My coolant level seems to be constant now but I noticed my oil level reducing quicker between oil changes, it could be because it's the summer and now I am always checking it.

I am realy praying that it isn't a head gasket, I am trying to pay off my rims and tires and save for a new stereo.

Thanks again for the info.

[Crazy Canuk]

Well I did the coolant system leak test and nothing came of it, I took my car out on the highway for 2 hours also and got it hot but the problem didn't show its face again.

The only thing I saw that was much different was the temp of my engine, when the smoke issue happened the engine temp was moving back and forth more (15C change but a constant change back and forth) so that may had something to do with it.

Maybe my computer was learning itself again after chaning out the EGR valve I will keep my eyes open but I hate it when I can't find the cause of a problem that I knew was there. Price of the test and time for the mechanic to look it over $0, it's nice to have a fair mechanic.