head gaskets J30

[Eswift]

i think i might have at least one cracked one.

car has been smoking excessively, although I was originally unsure due to the humidity and foggyness and newly cold temperatures here in champaign.

I have always had trouble reading the coolant level on this car, the reservoir is way too opaque. anyway, i got out a flashlight and I couldnt see one drop of coolant anywhere in there.

I had topped it off in august.

I have no time to do any work on the car until christmas.

I dont have to drive the car at all, except to get to chicago for thanksgiving, and to drive to take my GRE's a few days before.

I am going to top it off with coolant tommorrow, see how much she takes, and see how fast it drops.

could it just have evaporated? I dont drive the car much...twice a week maybe.

car does not smoke instantly, but from 20 seconds after start until it shuts down.

dont know what the hell burnt coolant smells like, but the smoke smells like SOMETHING. actually pretty similar to my old Z31.

smoke does not smell like unburned coolant.

smoke is pure white, dissipates in atmosphere as fast as the white smoke a human creates upon exhale at 40 F and below.

I think the car is also running pretty rich due to the turbulant flow caused by my home-made K&N install...

Oh well it looks like this Xmas is going to be new transmission, timing belt, PCVs, diff, strut cart's, spark plugs, head gaskets???

at least the brakes I did are holding up.

damn FSAE car has been eating up all my automotive time.

comments, advice, experience, etc. welcome...

[IvoryJ30t]

mine does the same thing too. its like a white smoke that dissapates rapidly, but doesnt smell like coolant. [doesnt taste sweet]

i would say take the radiator cap off and run it up to temperature.

see if you can smell exhaust in the radiator.

[DAEDALUS]

Could be a coolant leak somewhere else. Like Ivory says, combusted coolant smells kind of sweet from the glycol. You could try looking at the plugs--the leaking cylinder(s) plugs would be real clean and shiny. Is there any sign of coolant in the oil or oil in the coolant? You could borrow a coolant system pressure tester and pump it up for a day or two, then look for puddles or coolant in the oil.

[Q45tech]

Guess my admonition to cheack all fluid levels weekly goes unheeded - only takes 3-5 minutes to check. oil, ATF, coolant, brake, tcs with a paper towel.

Never see many head gasket failures on Nissan 6 and 8 cylinders.

[Eswift]

no sign of cross-mixing of the oil or coolant, although I havent changed the oil very recently (1500 miles so far on this syn oil change...I guess I will drain it out just to see)