# Car smokes white, smells burnt, misfires on cold start **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** hyundai, tucson\ **Created:** [December 26, 2021, 1:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463 "2021-12-26T13:28:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unverbaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Unverbaut](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Unverbaut)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 1:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/1 "2021-12-26T13:28:27Z")
Hi, thank you for your time. Yesterday I started my car (2006 Hyundai Tucson, engine code: G4GC) and it cranked over just fine. But after one second it started smoking white, knocking pretty bad and smelled burnt. Unsure of the situation, I shut it of. I put some buckets of hot water under the oil pan, and let it sit. The outside temperature was -7 degrees Celsius/ 19 degrees Fahrenheit. When I restarted the car, it cranked over for about half a minute and then started. It only ran on three cylinders and was smoking white. I then went on a drive to get the temp up and it then ran just fine, even if a little low on RPMs. I heard that it could be various problems, but have now clue really. It had european mid grade fuel in it, we usually do 9.000 mile oil changes and are now about 8.500 in. The car has 117.256 miles on it. What could my issue be? I would be very thankful for an answer. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 1:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/2 "2021-12-26T13:33:37Z")
> [@Unverbaut](#): > > What could my issue be? > [@Unverbaut](#): > > I heard that it could be various problems With out any of us seeing the car, that’s going to be the best answer ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/3 "2021-12-26T14:22:59Z")
Ok, not particularly cold, smoked white. Sounds like maybe a fuel injector stuck open… but that is a wild guess. Is the check engine light on? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/4 "2021-12-26T14:24:21Z")
If it was running on only 3 cylinders, surely the Check Engine Light must have lit up. Until you get the _Diagnostic Trouble Codes_ read, nobody here could know where to start with a diagnosis. ---
**Author:** ![Unverbaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Unverbaut](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Unverbaut)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/5 "2021-12-26T14:24:44Z")
There is no check engine light ---
**Author:** ![Unverbaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Unverbaut](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Unverbaut)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/6 "2021-12-26T14:26:11Z")
Thank you all, I will try to get the code scannned, allthough I do not currently have access to a scanner. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/7 "2021-12-26T14:41:48Z")
> [@Unverbaut](#): > > I will try to get the code scannned, allthough I do not currently have access to a scanner. Things may well be different in Europe, but in The US many auto parts stores will perform that service for you w/o charge. Phone some parts stores, and ask if they do that. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/8 "2021-12-26T19:33:06Z")
I believe this engine uses a timing belt. Was it ever changed? Gates says it should be changed every 60,000 miles. ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 8:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/9 "2021-12-26T20:03:33Z")
I’m going to guess someone used water instead of coolant, or not the correct ratio of water to coolant. Temp got down below freezing, water froze in the engine, head gasket was ruined or head was cracked at water jacket. Hopefully that isn’t the case. Does it overheat at all if you keep driving it? ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 8:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/10 "2021-12-26T20:08:55Z")
The head gasket is leaking allowing coolant into the cylinder after shut-off. After the engine cools, remove the spark plugs and look into the cylinders with a borescope for coolant. ---
**Author:** ![Unverbaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Unverbaut](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Unverbaut)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/11 "2021-12-26T21:27:35Z")
Indeed it uses a timing belt, but it has been changed recently. ---
**Author:** ![Unverbaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Unverbaut](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Unverbaut)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-smokes-white-smells-burnt-misfires-on-cold-start/181463/13 "2021-12-26T21:34:45Z")
The car had a craked radiator hose and apparently too much water is in the system. But it ran at the normal temp and wasn‘t overheating