I have a 91 Nissan Alitma and I was driving home and i first noticed that there was thick white smoke coming from the tailpipe so i pulled over and checked it and it smelled like clooent but i drove the rest of the was home. then i checked my water level and it was totally empty so i added about 8 gallons of water and it was full until i tryed starting it again then the car seized and i had my brother try and start it and it broke loose and just cranked but when i when to the back of the car there was water/collent pouring out of the tailpipe. after that i thought how could it be coming out of the tailpipe so i checked the oil and it was really light and milkie colored and i know there is water in the oil but can anyone tell me how it got there i think it has a cracked head.
More likely you have blown a head gasket, but the head could be cracked. Either one means some serious money. It could be time to get another car. The cost of this repair is going to be more than the book value of the car.
Is this post legit? Sounds a bit contrived to me. OP? Rocketman
If this is legit it’s time for a new car. Or at least a new engine.
8 gallons?
Those are my thoughts exactly.
8 gallons? Ummmm…NO
As was said, IF this is a legitimate post, the repairs that would be necessary would far exceed the book value of the car.
It sounds like someone is just playing a scenario out for us . . . first thick white smoke . . . then a smell of coolant but drive it home anyway . . . the empty coolant requiring a full measure (overmeasure, actually) to top it off . . . then an engine seizure, followed by a tiny hope of saving it . . . and finally the milky white oil. Hmmmmm . . . all too perfect for me. COntrived. You out there OP? Please post back with more details if you need help. Rocketman
8 GALLONS?? HOW?? Please explain!!! This car only holds 2 gallons.
ok yes this is real i drove the car home because i was only a block away so there was no use to tow it home and i over exaggerated it wasnt 8 but it was way over 2 gallons but it kept disappearing. and im crushing the car and getting a new one
Please be sure to send us a photo of the car after it is crushed.
Two gallons is 8 quarts, and most cooling systems hold about 12-13 quarts. So you lost half your coolant.
Yes, you are right to get the 2 cents a pound that it is worth.
but no the car was totally dry
A car is NEVER totally dry. Water remains inside the engine block cooling passages and the heater system. The “dry” part is the radiator and the overflow tank.
here is the video of the white smoke coming out of the tailpipe and the engine
in the video the smoke isnt as thick as it was when i was driving it. it was so thick i barly could see behind me
Personally, I suspect the confusion here is coming from not only a lack of automotive knowledge from the OP but also difficulty with the English language. I see no reason to suspect that the post is not a legitimate cry for help. Assumptions to the contrary may be an injustice here.
To answer the original question, it sounds like coolant has gotten into the oil and is getting into the combustion chamber(s) in large amounts. The most common cause for this is a blown head gasket. That seperates the water jacket and the oil channels from one another and from the combustion chambers, and a breech in that can force coolant and oil to intermix and can allow coolant to be drawn into the ombustion chambers and blown out the exhaust as large amounts of water vapor.
Damage has been done to the engine. How much is impossible to tell from here. The first step is to confirm that it is indeed a headgasket breech. Use a pressure leakdon test to confirm and to identify the leaking cylinder. If the head is not warped, the headgasket is properly changed, and the oil and coolant systems flushed, the ol’ Altima may have some life left yet.
There’s an old axiom: keep a new car running perfectly, but just keep an old beater running. I think this case fits the axiom perfectly.
Thanks. i pulled the spark plugs and they were very wet and it wasnt gas could that also be cause by a blown head gasket?
A 91 Altima does not exist. Stanza perhaps?
sorry 93 altima i have a 91 ford escort
is there a way to tell if it is a cracked head rather then a blown head gasket with out taking it apart and if just the head gasket is blown does that mean my vaules shot too. ive seen water in the oil with a cracked head but ive never seen water flowing out of the tailpipe does that mean my vaulves are shot too and yes i dont know all that much about cars im only 15 but im learning
i also checked the blue book value and its only worth 600