986S White smoke from air intakes and coolant overflow

[Will986S]

Hi all, after a 30 mins drive, country lanes driving car reasonablly briskly but not thrashing or over-revving, got home and had stronger than usual hot engine smell, white smoke coming out of both air intakes and shortly after stopping about half a pint of coolant coming out under car. At all times engine temp gauge showing no more than 80 degrees, no warning lamps. Turned off and restarted, all normal, engine idelling fine, no smoke or further apparent boiling over. I have not taken back out. Any thoughts on likely cause? 2002 986S. 89K mls. Will.

[Pope]

Have you or anyone else checked the coolant level recently? The cap is very easy to cross-thread and it appears OK until up to temp whereupon it ejects coolant out of the bottle; the bottle has an overflow duct that leads under the engine cover - I would check the coolant level first and make sure the cap was on correctly / refit and recheck

[Will986S]

Thanks, I did check and only dropped a couple of inches below min. No obviously cross threading but did see fair amount of condensation on boot lid in sealed area above coolant/oil caps. Might explain why not showing as overheating and I guess white smoke was actually coolant evaporating off engine block?

[edc]

Confused by your use of the term air intake. Where are the ones you are thinking of located? When you say engine block it suggests the side vents with nearside the air filter intake and the offside vent for hot air from engine bay. If you are seeing lots of condensation in the rear boot then try a new cap with the 04 ending part number.

[Will986S]

Thanks for that I now know left vent is air intake and right is venting out - less ignorant than yesterday! The smoke unsurpirsing was comming out of the off-side (right). Given wetness around caps - will do as suggested. Thanks.

[supersport]

Might worth getting a new cap, don't they have some kind of valve in that can give up?

[RSoovy4]

New cap will likely fix it, otherwise cracked header tank.

[Will986S]

Not believing in co-incidences this is very shortly after having had a rear shunt - new bumper and exhaust system fitted a couple of weeks ago. I will check if cooling system damaged then...

[edc]

Will986S said:

Not believing in co-incidences this is very shortly after having had a rear shunt - new bumper and exhaust system fitted a couple of weeks ago. I will check if cooling system damaged then...

Possibly but unlikely as the radiators are at the front and most of the coolant piping is ahead of the engine.

[Rockster]

Will986S said:

Hi all, after a 30 mins drive, country lanes driving car reasonablly briskly but not thrashing or over-revving, got home and had stronger than usual hot engine smell, white smoke coming out of both air intakes and shortly after stopping about half a pint of coolant coming out under car. At all times engine temp gauge showing no more than 80 degrees, no warning lamps. Turned off and restarted, all normal, engine idelling fine, no smoke or further apparent boiling over. I have not taken back out. Any thoughts on likely cause? 2002 986S. 89K mls. Will.

That much coolant leaking the coolant tank has probably failed. Best get the car to a qualified shop for a real diagnosis.

[Will986S]

Thanks for all the useful views. I topped up with coolant and lost 2L on way to Porsche garage! Appears to be a water pump failure. Any views on OEM replacement versus Porche part? False economy to buy Hamburg or Pierburg pump?