Q: My car overheated and was giving off white smoke, what's wrong?
So i had taken my car into walmart to get the battery charged and i left the parking lot. Less than half a mile down the road, there was a small amount of white smoke coming out from under my hood. I pulled over and looked under, when i lifted up the hood and got closer it smelt burnt and slighty sweet. It looked as though a house leading from a tank that said 2200 SFI to the engine was leaking from both sides. I also saw some frayed wiring. I have a picture of it but I was wondering if you had any information that could be helpful. Also, my battery light didn't go off, is there a reason it wouldn't be charged? Thank you for your time.
My car has 178000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.
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Hello. The white smoke and overheating is usually a sign of a blown cylinder head gasket. When the car overheats for an extended period of time or is low on coolant (causing the temperature to rise), the severe heat can cause the cylinder head gasket to become compromised which causes oil to leak into the coolant and water to leak into the engine. When the water is burnt with the fuel this is what causes the white smoke. The hose leaking is the radiator hose leaking coolant, which is what caused the engine to overheat. This can often times lead to catastrophic engine damage. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your home to diagnose the smoke from your car and replace your radiator hose if necessary.
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