1992 Dodge Daytona Possable exhaust leak with white steam f

Tiny
CF0MEGA
  • MEMBER
  • 1992 DODGE DAYTONA
Smells problem
1992 Dodge Daytona 4 cyl Manual 160000 miles

Had this car for 2 weeks now and hope you guys can help! I know that the Steam is normal when you first start the engine but I noticed that it was coming from under the hood the other day on my way home from work, when I got home I let the engine cool and started it back up and got my roommate to rev the engine, the steam looks like it is coming from in-between the engine and the air filter towards the cab of the car, I was smelling the sweet smell of antifreeze through the vents mixed with exhaust for the first few days I had the car after a coolant flush and refill the antifreeze smell dissipated mostly but exhaust smell stayed, took it in and had a pipe replaced from the manifold, but smell still comes back when I sit in traffic, checked for antifreeze smell or leak on passenger side from the heater core but didn’t find anything, heat works but "pulses" or "putts" like the engine, the steam clears when the car heats up and the antifreeze smell goes away but the exhaust smell seems worse when the car stops and the heat is on(non existent when the car is in motion over 20 mph), should I be worried about antifreeze leaking into the system and where could it be going or coming from if I can’t find any pools. Check the coolant level daily and it stays full (can see it when I take the radiator cap off) should I be worried about the steam from the engine or is it just an exhaust leak that the mechanic missed?
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 AT 5:32 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,747 POSTS
It doesn't sound like an exhaust leak. Have you checked the head closely to make sure there is nothing slightly leaking between the head and block or intake? Keep in mind, when the engine is hot and you shut it, that is when the most pressure will build up in the cooling system because the coolant is no longer circulating. As a result, it sits in a hot engine block. That could be when you are most likely to see a leak, within the first 5 minutes of shuting the engine off.

The steam clearing and the smell going away makes me think you have a bad head gasket. Check the engine oil to make sure there is no coolant mixing with it.

Let me know what you find, and thanks for using 2carpros. Com.

Joe
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Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 AT 10:16 PM
Tiny
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Checked the oil and there's no coolant present and vice versa, was running behind for work this morning so started and ran the car cold, have an hr drive to work and white smoke came from the hood every time I had to stop for traffic on the highway even after the engine heated up for about 30 to 45 min, white smoke was gone by the time I got to work but the smell remains, steam is not billowing out of the tailpipe ether after the car reaches normal operating temp, discovered a small oil leak yesterday but I thought if that was burning off it would be a darker smoke, not using the heat because I'm afraid of the extended exposure to the fumes and its cold here but it's my only way to get to work please help, will upload pictured of the problem areas and try and re create the smoke ether at work or when I get home and the engine cools and upload them here
Thank you
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Thursday, December 17th, 2009 AT 9:27 AM
Tiny
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https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/449849_Smoke_loc1_1.jpg



couldnt recreate the smoke at work and was dark when i got home will try tomorrow morning if you need to see what it looks like
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Thursday, December 17th, 2009 AT 7:13 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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Thanks for the picture. It helps. What I see is the airfilter housing and a valve cover. If I had to guess, I would say you have either a leaking valve cover, a leaking head gasket, freeze plug leaking, or even a loose throttle body. Check those things. Remove the air filter housing so you can gain better access.

Here is an afterthought. If I remember correctly, there is steel tubing that runs behind the engine for the heater core, or the heater hose itself. Check for that. That would create white smoke if it's leaking.

Let me know what you find.

Joe
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Sunday, December 20th, 2009 AT 11:42 PM

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