White Smoke...

[M1Garandfan]

No it's not a new Pope. My wifes 89 Buick Regal blew a gasket and spewed coolant all over the engine compartment yesterday. Today after getting it warmed up white smoke was pouring from the heat shield over the exhaust, it smelles like burnt paper! Any Ideas?

[andy d]

if its external,(youll be lucky) and left over from the leak. it will just burn off. coolant spread by a fan goes every where. my 2 cents is to fix the leak, top off the coolant, and drive it a bit.

[M1Garandfan]

I got a good wiff of the white smoke, it doesn't smell like coolant. It smells more like burnning paper. While talking to the wife this morning it seems that the smoke appears after the car gets warm, smokes like crazy, then stops. Like I said it comes from the exhaust heat shield on the drivers side. The motor in this Buick is a V-6 set in there sidways, belt on the passenger side.

[gsmikie]

valve cover gasket ?????

[M1Garandfan]

What other symptoms would I notice with a valve cover gasket coming apart?

Today the wife took the car to church no problems?!?!

[gsmikie]

when you start it it will smoke then clear up after it is warm then every now and then you will get the burnt paper smell 1 drip every 10-15 min then when you stop it will drip 10-20drips so in the morn it will smoke and stink

[M1Garandfan]

By drip do you mean that the valve gasket is melting? What is the worst case scenario?

[gsmikie]

no by drip i mean oil leak onto the manifold

[AJ Johnson]

no, the gasket isn't melting, it has a leak in it that lets oil drip onto your exhaust from the heads. Worst case scenario... you use alot of oil, and in the mornings when you fire it up, your place looks like Kuwait when the wells were burning...

[gsmikie]

What is the worst case scenario?
that is a tv show...............

[AJ Johnson]

u following me mike? :D