I just had a new radiator installed because the old one w...


I just had a new radiator installed because the old one was leaking heavily. After I took it home, the exhaust is now emitting white smoke. I just wanted to get a second opinion. Mechanic's Assistant: How old are the hoses...

I just had a new radiator installed because the old one was leaking heavily. After I took it home, the exhaust is now emitting white smoke. I just wanted to get a second opinion. Mechanic's Assistant: How old are the hoses? And just to clarify, can you actually see the leak? I'm not sure how old the are. I can see a very slow leak under radiator. Mechanic's Assistant: What is the make/model/year of your car? 1987 Pontiac Sunbird Mechanic's Assistant: Are you fixing your Sunbird yourself? What have you tried so far? No I took it to a mechanic

Automotive Expert
Hello, my name is \*\*\*\*\* \*\*\*\*\* white smoke coming from your exhaust is coolant getting into your combustion chamber - that is caused by a blown head gasket or a crack in the head or the block - usually from being overheated - it may not have been doing it before, because with a blown radiator, the system can't build enough pressure, but now that is repaired, it can

Well before the radiator was put in, a new head gasket was put inBut I dont know if there was a crack in the block. Is that something easily noticeable when you change a head gasket?
Automotive Expert
The cylinder walls have to be magnafluxed with a dye to check for cracks - same with the head

Do you think using Dex Cool in this 1987 car was a bad thing
Automotive Expert
Dexcool is good - wouldn't have an affect on the cooling system - it is actually better than silicate coolant (old green coolant)

Oh ok - the reasin I ask is because it says on the bottle that Dex Cool is for model 1995 and newer.
Automotive Expert
Dexcool was factory after that, but it can be used as a replacement for older models

Ok thanks can I ask one more question? Do you think it could be that thr PCV valve is faulty?
Automotive Expert
No - it has to be getting coolant in the combustion chamber - the only other thing I have seen is if the intake gasket is blown between a coolant passage - but all of that should be newA pcv issue is usually blue smoke

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