Hello, my name is Stacey, and I desperately need help trying to diagnose what is going on with a used car I just bought that is giving me problems already. Last week after I bought a used 2001 Acura MDX I immediately drove it home, and I haven't driven it anywhere else since, because I started having issues with it the very next day. I don't really know the history behind it, and it didn't come with any service records either. It has 275,000 miles on it. I went against my better judgement and bought it anyway though, like a big dummy. I was just looking for a vehicle that I can use once or twice a week to run errands or go grocery shopping. I work from home and I take college classes online and I would only be driving it maybe twenty to thirty miles per week. So, when I bought it, at the time I wasn't really too concerned about the high miles (which I quickly discovered was a mistake). Acura makes pretty decent vehicles, but as with any car, buying a used one is always a gamble. Anyway, I'm sorry for the over-explaining (I'm female, so it comes with the territory, lol), so, the reason why I am reaching out to you for help is because I don't know squat about diagnosing or fixing a car, and this lovely used Acura is already giving me a lot of problems, unfortunately (such a shocker, I know, lol). I know how to maintain and take care of a (working) vehicle, and I take them to get regular oil changes and tune ups, etc. Other than that, I am lost, and YouTube can only get me so far with any DYI repair ideas or self-diagnosing suggestions; especially since I do not have the tools or the setup to really get into the "smallest engine compartment ever" anyway. Lol My biggest problem is that it has many leaks, and the engine starts smoking within twenty seconds of starting the car. All fluids have been checked and topped off, so I know it's not due to lack of oil, radiator fluid, transmission fluid, etc. Unfortunately, it seems as if all of them might be leaking, because I put a large piece of cardboard underneath the front end overnight and there were several little puddles and "oil" stains on it, less than 24 hours later. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I can't really afford to take this thing to a mechanic at the moment, so I'm looking for the cheapest route possible to get this vehicle in decent working order and on the road. Thank you so much for your time.
~Stacey
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Sunday, May 26th, 2019 AT 9:50 AM