I have a 95 Nissan pick-up truck that is blowing white smoke from the tail pipe, sounds like a choo-choo train, and has visible liquid dripping from the same. What is the problem???
I would like to know what is going on.
There are a few possibilities, but the first one that you should investigate is the possibility of a breached head gasket. That could certainly explain the white smoke and the liquid dripping from the exhaust, and could possibly be the reason for the noise that you are hearing.
Have you checked the coolant level in the radiator?
If not, I suggest that you do so immediately–as long as the cooling system is cool to the touch.
If–as I suspect–you find that the coolant level is low, then you should refill it and should also check your oil dipstick to see if there is evidence of coolant in your motor oil. If the motor oil looks like a chocolate milkshake, that pretty well confirms my suspicions. However, a mechanic can do a compression test, a leak-down test, and can test for the presence of combustion gases in your coolant.
If the verdict is that the head gasket is indeed breached, then you should begin shopping for your next vehicle, as this one’s days are numbered and the repairs would cost much more than its book value.
Please post back and let us know what you and/or your mechanic found.
Ok great thank-you so much for responding so quickly to my ? I checked the coolant and it is full checked the oil and it is dark but not like “chocolate milkshake”. Does that mean a different problem?
If your coolant level has not dropped, and if the motor oil looks normal, those are good signs, but only the tests that I previously mentioned can determine for sure if you have a bad head gasket.
However, another thought just came to mind:
Are you seeing this white smoke and dripping fluid from the exhaust only for the first few minutes after starting the engine? If that is the case, then what you are seeing is…normal.
Is the smoke and dripping fluid a constant thing, or is it only right after starting the engine?