Antifreeze in Oil

[The Stone'er]

I changed the oil in my 1990 Protege and it came out like water. There is no question there is a leak somewhere and when the car is running there is white smoke coming out the back. It is driveable, does not over heat and the smoke is not that bad.

Is it a head gasket or is it a cracked head or block. How would I know.

How hard is it to take off the head? It is the 1.8 single cam engine.

Also, if I throw in some stop leak does that buy me anything. I paid $60 for the car last year and just put $300 in it.

Thanks!!!

 

[macklum]

Try the leak stop first , It may work , as for where the leak is ,thats anyones guess , You are going to have to tear down the engine to find it . I would hazard a guess that the leak is between #2 and #3 cylinder . You maybe better off getting a used engine and just replace the whole unit . . If the car itself is still in good shape then dropping another engine makes sense . You only have 360 into the car ,you should be able to find an egine for 500 bucks . Install it yourself and you still will have cheap transportation

 

[Revs]

I changed the oil in my 1990 Protege and it came out like water. There is no question there is a leak somewhere and when the car is running there is white smoke coming out the back. It is driveable, does not over heat and the smoke is not that bad.

Is it a head gasket or is it a cracked head or block. How would I know.

How hard is it to take off the head? It is the 1.8 single cam engine.

Also, if I throw in some stop leak does that buy me anything. I paid $60 for the car last year and just put $300 in it.

Thanks!!!

Head gasket is the culprit 95% sure. There is a slight chance of a cracked head or warped head, but that only usually happens if you overheat the engine (warp) or tighten the head bolts way too tight (crack). Either way there is no way a stop leak additive is going to stop a leak like that.

 

[Hughes412]

I have to say that I would never ever put stop leak in my car. Your motor is made with hundreds of little holes and you will be putting sumthing that cloggs these holes. Don't do it. I can't tell you how many motors were replaced instead of rebuilt becuase of this.

Do the head gasket first.

 

[Nomad]

The smoke you see "is that bad". The car "is not" driveable.
You may think it is minor but you are wrong. Stop leak should get you to the mechanic only.

You need to get it fixed now, sorry.

You'll probably change a headgasket for $$. If you wait, you'll change and engine for $$$$.