Possible causes of overheating and white smoke coming out from under hood while car is in idle

1991 OLDSMOBILE CIERA
121,000 MILES
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ELLIE84
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I just bought a 91 ciera. I frove it about 50 miles home, and it was perfect. Then i stopped in a dive-thru and while I was sitting still, the thermometer kept heating up, and the longer we sat, the more it heated up, to the point of over heating. It made an odd noise before it got really ho, and then it started to smoke! once i started driving again, i cooled off. Does this sound like a head gasket issue?
Aug 30, 2011 at 9:00 PM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 110,240 POSTS
If it only overheats when sitting still, it sounds like the cooling fan isn't coming on. Since it cooled off when you started driving it again, check that first. Start the engine, let it sit and run. Keep an eye on the temp so you don't overheat it, but the cooling fans should come on before that happens. If they don't, that is the problem. Also, make sure the coolant is full.
Aug 30, 2011 at 9:09 PM
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