Q: Car smoking and misfiring

asked by on February 11, 2016

I have misfiring in one cylinder and white smoke from the exhaust. The engine also cuts off while I am driving.I know it needs a fuel filter, but it might also have a cracked head gasket.

The misfire alone is not enough to deem a blown head gasket. The fact that you have the white smoke present along with the misfire is sound evidence that this is the case. The white smoke means you are burning engine coolant inside the engine. The vehicle is likely cutting off due to high engine temperatures. You will need a qualified technician, like one from YourMechanic, to run a hydrocarbon test on the engine. This will detect whether or not you have a blown head gasket and help determine the cause of your engine’s smoking problem and misfiring issue.

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