1990 Volvo 240?Cracked block?Blown head

ARCLEVELAND

MEMBER
1990 VOLVO 240
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
167,000 MILES

I have a 1990 240DL sedan. I bought it in Florida and drove it to Missouri; averaging 75 mph without problem. Purchased for daughter (new driver). She called one night and said car overheating. Stated she put antifreeze in and everything OK. Called next day and said it was running very rough. Went to check car fluid level OK. When she started it, white smoke and ANTIFREEZE came out of tailpipe. Had her park it at house (block away). It's sitting in a warehouse now. It's a beautiful car and I don't want to just junk it. After sitting for over a year, I put a new battery in and it turned over instantly but antifreeze still shot out the tailpipe....turned it off immediately. No one seems to be able to give me an answer to its "malady". Hope you can enlighten me. Thanks

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,873 POSTS

Cracked cylinder head, or more commonly, a corroded head gasket. Coolant gets sucked into a cylinder as it tries to draw in fresh air. The piston pushes the air, fuel, and coolant out through the exhaust valve through the exhaust system, to the tail pipe.

A cylinder leak test can be used to identify which cylinder has the leak. Compressed air is forced into the spark plug hole while that piston is at top dead center. The air will be observed leaking out in one of four places:

1. Tail pipe - exhaust valve
2. Air intake - intake valve
3. Oil fill cap - piston rings
4. Bubbles in radiator - head gasket / cracked head

caradiodoc