1990 Honda Accord White Exhaust

HONDA ACCORD
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CZY4HEELS
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I drive a 1990 Honda Accord and lately it has been giving me a problem. Currently it is about 20 degrees and there is snow on the ground where I live. When I turn my car on I have noticed a thick cloud of white exhaust come out of the muffler. It smells a little funny. After a minute or two it goes away and everything appears normal. What is this, and is there anything I can do to fix it?
Dec 1, 2006 at 9:05 AM
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BRUCE HUNT
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Well when you say it smells a little different, would you say that it smells a little like a sweet smell? The white smoke is extra moisture coming from the engine. How has the car been running? Have you noticed any loss of power, hestitation, any loss of coolant? Think about it and it is possible that you are seeing a head gasket fail.
Dec 1, 2006 at 11:26 AM
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CZY4HEELS
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The smell is a sweet smell and I am almost sure it is excess coolant. The car has been running great. There has been great power, no hesitations, and no extreme loss of coolant. Do you think it is a failing head gasket?
Dec 2, 2006 at 12:57 AM
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MATHIASO
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check your spark plugg ,if they are very clean.if there is lot of white smoke when you first start your car in the morning,and while doing coolant presure test,if no extern leak is detected,(if you find colant in the spark plugg holes or one of them while doing the test) and check your oil if it look melky.
then it may be a failing head gasket.
Dec 2, 2006 at 4:14 AM
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Suggested Repair

Check for a possible head gasket leak: inspect spark plugs for unusual cleanliness or coolant in the plug holes, perform a coolant pressure test looking for internal leaks, and check the oil for a milky appearance. Brief white vapor on a cold start can be normal moisture, but the sweet smell warrants these checks.

Conversation Summary

The owner of a 1990 Honda Accord reports thick white exhaust with a sweet smell on cold start in freezing weather that clears after a minute or two. The car runs well with no power loss, hesitation, or major coolant loss. Experts say the smoke may be moisture but the sweet smell can indicate coolant, and recommend checking spark plugs, coolant pressure, and oil for a failing head gasket.

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