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1988 Nissan Maxima SE 4D Sedan

1988 Nissan Maxima
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January 24, 2013, 8:41 am

Britton W
 

Question: white smoke from tail pipe

when i start my car white smoke cum out and i start to smell gas in my car what could be the problem


January 26, 2013, 9:06 pm

Ron W
Expert Mechanic

Sounds like you may have a head gasket or intake manifold gasket leak. Typically the heavy white smoke with a sweet smell indicates coolant in the combustion chamber.

Some white smoke on cold start up is normal from condensation in the exhaust, but if it last more than a minute or two or there is a lot of it, you should have the car checked.

I wouldn't recommend driving it in this condition as you could cause excessive engine or catalytic converter damage.


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