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SES light/White smoke

F

fudhimself

New member
I have a 1999 Grand Prix GT, recently i've been having the low coolant light come on and turn off after a few minutes of driving so I didn't think much about it, checked the coolant it was a little low so i filled it up. Now today i went to start it and the light is back on followed by the SES light. Also the car runs really rough and is now spewing white smoke from the exhaust/somewhat from the engine. I'm thinking it might be the LIM gasket or a head gasket but i'd like to know what you guys think.
 


I would agree with that diagnosis.........usually one of those two that you mentioned with those symptoms..........what is the code?
 
I'm not sure what code it is I have no reader. Also since i'm back at school in Milwaukee, do you think it would be driveable to my parents house in Madison? I could work on it there but i don't have a place to work on it here as i'm parked on the side of the road. It seems to just be burning coolant so I figured I could make it the 70-80 miles re-filling the coolant.
 
it depends how much coolant you are leaking, but if it is a head gasket leak, you can warp or crack the heads. Have you looked at your oil? Is it milky or over ful? or is it normal level and color? Does your temp gauge fluctuate at all once it is up to temp at all when driving along..........does it go up and then come back to normal? You can chance it, but it could be doing damage also...........fwiw
 
I checked the oil, its just fine, not milky or any water or anything in it. It doesn't seem to be burning off THAT much coolant, i would probably stop mid way and re-check/re-fill the coolant. I haven't drove it far enough recently for it to get warm enough but I do know a week ago it would fluctuate up more than normal then it would settle back down.

..I just went and checked it over again, drove it around for a few min and not much of the white smoke was coming out if any, also it wasn't very rough anymore... don't know what changed, I'm sure it might just be fluctuating.
 
well just be aware that part of the gasket gave away it sounds like, and a bigger part could give way at any time........I wouldnt put this off too long. If it stays the way it is now, it would probably be OK(no guarantees) to get it back to work on it. Good luck and hope it holds with no permanent damage.....I am assuming that your coolant looks normal as well?
 


Yeah that's why I would like to get it home to work on it ASAP, the coolant looked fine also so i'm hoping it holds all the way back. Thanks for the help!
 
funny thing... get it home, just started it to show my dad... what happens? SES light turns off, low coolant light turns off, no more smoke, no more rough engine... i don't get it. ha ha
 
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