Three times in the last two weeks I've been traveling down the freeway at about 65 and my Geo Metro has sputtered and a puff of white smoke has come out ( I presume ) the exhaust: I can see the "puff," which is fairly substantial, in my rear-view mirror. The car seems to run fine after this happens, but it is scary as you-know-what. Any suggestions as to what might be happening?
Thank you, people.
Did it start right after you got a tank of gas from a cheap gas station known for water contamination problems?
--scott
White smoke is normal on a cold engine when it's cold outside (say, below freezing) and goes away after the engine's warmed up.
Since it's not that cold, you may have a problem in the form of a blown head gasket, or worse, a cracked engine block. Keep an eye on the engine coolant bottle, does the level stay the same over a few days or is it getting lower? If you pull out the oil dipstick, you may see the coolant if it is in the oil (as it may be with a blown gasket).
pressure test of your cooling system. sounds like you are losing antifreeze. could be head gasket failure.
Oil leak dripping on the exhaust manifold or pipe.
I work at a Chevron and buy most of my gas there, but have bought at several different stations and still have the same problem.
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