2008 Kia Spectra engine knock and white smoke when trying to start

[George_San_Jose1]

@Brandon_Lee

$100 is what I paid for the car from my grandpa.

A salvage yard will probably pay you more than that for it on the spot, so unlikely you’ll be losing any cash on the purchase price, even in the worst case scenario. Checking for slipped timing belt seems worth a shot, and likely wouldn’t take a mechanic more than an hour or so, $100-$200 fee. Fixing the problems, whatever they turn out to be, will likely be more involved. But if you can get it back on the road and reliable even if you spend $1000 in repairs for a 2008 Kia, still a pretty good deal.