overheating/white smoke
Discussion
Advice wanted-
I WAS TAKING MY 99 GRIFF OUT AT THE WEEKEND AND THOUGHT I'D CHECK THE WATER LEVEL, THIS NORMALLY BEING HALF WAY UP THE POT.
THE WATER LEVEL HAD RISEN TO THE TOP OF THE POT, THOUGHT ODD AS U NORMALLY LOOSE WATER NOT GAIN IT.
STARTED THE CAR UP AND WHITE SMOKE WAS COMMING FROM THE EXHAUST, AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS IT GOT BETTER, IT WAS WATER(CONDENSATION) COMMING OUT, IT DISAPEERED WHEN DRIVING BUT IF THE CAR STOPPED FOR TO LONG, ON START UP IT PRODUCED WHITE SMOKE AGAIN.
GOT HOME AFTER A BLAT, JUST AS I DID THE WATER/CONDENSATION STARTED COMMING FROM THE WATER FILL POT.
THE CAR HAD NOT GONE ABOVE 90DEGREES.
any ideas
I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A STUCK THERMOSTAT NOT LETTING WATER THROUGH, THEREFOR SHOWING MORE WATER IN THE POT BUT I HAV'NT TRIED ANYTHING AS OF YET.
I WAS TAKING MY 99 GRIFF OUT AT THE WEEKEND AND THOUGHT I'D CHECK THE WATER LEVEL, THIS NORMALLY BEING HALF WAY UP THE POT.
THE WATER LEVEL HAD RISEN TO THE TOP OF THE POT, THOUGHT ODD AS U NORMALLY LOOSE WATER NOT GAIN IT.
STARTED THE CAR UP AND WHITE SMOKE WAS COMMING FROM THE EXHAUST, AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS IT GOT BETTER, IT WAS WATER(CONDENSATION) COMMING OUT, IT DISAPEERED WHEN DRIVING BUT IF THE CAR STOPPED FOR TO LONG, ON START UP IT PRODUCED WHITE SMOKE AGAIN.
GOT HOME AFTER A BLAT, JUST AS I DID THE WATER/CONDENSATION STARTED COMMING FROM THE WATER FILL POT.
THE CAR HAD NOT GONE ABOVE 90DEGREES.
any ideas
I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A STUCK THERMOSTAT NOT LETTING WATER THROUGH, THEREFOR SHOWING MORE WATER IN THE POT BUT I HAV'NT TRIED ANYTHING AS OF YET.
Firstly - ow, my eyes! STOP SHOUTING! 
I have had this on my Chimaera. From my experiences (gained from first-hand experience, the collected wisdom of PistonHeads and also from the mechanic who fixed my car) is that it could be (in ascending order of severity and expense)
1. Just condensation sitting in the exhaust system. Particularly occurs on cars kept outside and not driven often.
2. Inlet manifold gasket. If this fails it can form a path for coolant to travel from the cooling system into the intake and thus into the engine. Fairly easy and cheap to fix.
3. Cracked inlet manfold. Won't break the bank, but non-trivial money (say £500?)
4. Failed cylinder head gasket. Requires the head off. Expensive on labour if nothing else.
5. Cracked head (see below).
Unfortunately, in my case it was option 5 and I had it weld-repaired by TVR Power. The total cost was around £1,500 (see here for a more complete description).
Hopefully in your car it is one of the cheaper options.
>> Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 16th November 10:00
I have had this on my Chimaera. From my experiences (gained from first-hand experience, the collected wisdom of PistonHeads and also from the mechanic who fixed my car) is that it could be (in ascending order of severity and expense)
1. Just condensation sitting in the exhaust system. Particularly occurs on cars kept outside and not driven often.
2. Inlet manifold gasket. If this fails it can form a path for coolant to travel from the cooling system into the intake and thus into the engine. Fairly easy and cheap to fix.
3. Cracked inlet manfold. Won't break the bank, but non-trivial money (say £500?)
4. Failed cylinder head gasket. Requires the head off. Expensive on labour if nothing else.
5. Cracked head (see below).
Unfortunately, in my case it was option 5 and I had it weld-repaired by TVR Power. The total cost was around £1,500 (see here for a more complete description).
Hopefully in your car it is one of the cheaper options.
>> Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 16th November 10:00
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