Engine Performance problem
1999 Oldsmobile Alero 4 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 110K miles
The problem started about 2 months ago. I was getting on the highway and as I accelerated, there was a huge plume of white smoke that smelled horribly coming from my tailpipe. When this happened, the car sputtered and acted like it was going to die. The smoke went away, the car accelerated again, and all was right with the world.
Today, I'm driving and I notice the car sputtering and look behind me to see a massive amount of white smoke...like so much so that I can't see the cars behind me. Smelled horrible again. It let up and then happened again, though not as bad. I really thought the car was going to die, so I pulled into a parking lot, let it set for about 10 minutes, and turned around to drive home (about a mile). It began doing the same things, though the smoke was a bit less. Before it happened, I did put 2 quarts of oil in. I didn't spill any, but according to my dipstick, it's slightly too full...barely above the full line (I really thought I was low since I've not had it changed in 3 months). When it happened the first time, I hadn't just put oil in.
Another "symptom" is that when I lift the hood, it smells. It's not an oily smell, it's more like an anti-freezy type smell. My coolant is where it should be and is the color it should be.
What is causing the smoke? Did I just put too much oil or am I looking at paying for a new head gasket?
1999 Oldsmobile Alero 4 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 110K miles
The problem started about 2 months ago. I was getting on the highway and as I accelerated, there was a huge plume of white smoke that smelled horribly coming from my tailpipe. When this happened, the car sputtered and acted like it was going to die. The smoke went away, the car accelerated again, and all was right with the world.
Today, I'm driving and I notice the car sputtering and look behind me to see a massive amount of white smoke...like so much so that I can't see the cars behind me. Smelled horrible again. It let up and then happened again, though not as bad. I really thought the car was going to die, so I pulled into a parking lot, let it set for about 10 minutes, and turned around to drive home (about a mile). It began doing the same things, though the smoke was a bit less. Before it happened, I did put 2 quarts of oil in. I didn't spill any, but according to my dipstick, it's slightly too full...barely above the full line (I really thought I was low since I've not had it changed in 3 months). When it happened the first time, I hadn't just put oil in.
Another "symptom" is that when I lift the hood, it smells. It's not an oily smell, it's more like an anti-freezy type smell. My coolant is where it should be and is the color it should be.
What is causing the smoke? Did I just put too much oil or am I looking at paying for a new head gasket?
Sep 20, 2010 at 6:35 PM