1992 prelude with 1993 jdm h22a engine

The engine light is NOT on

the coolant had always been at level. i see no loss in coolant

The car has been sitting since February. Only started it once a week.

I let it get to operating temp today. once at operating temp, the white smoke was still coming out. along with black water.

I am going to do a compression test. If I do that, will it 100% determine if I have a bad head gasket?

The smoke coming out of the tail pipe smells burnt and when i changed the spark plugs, they were black.



thanks

 

Easy way to tell is to put a coolant funnel on the radiator and let it run, if you see a constant stream of bubbles at operating temp then you have a bad head gasket.

 

Thanks. I'll try that.

 

Only three colors will come out of the tail pipe. Black- fuel, Blue/purple-oil, White-coolant.

It may just be a small leak now, but i wouldnt doubt it gets worse the more you drive it.

 

so i started the car again today, and no white smoke on start up.

i didnt let it get to operating temp but that doesnt matter if a head gasket is blown.

i also put a funnel in the rad and brought the car up to 2500rpm a few times. no bubbles.

 

Sounds like condensation in the exhaust burning off. When you shut the car off at operating temp, when it cools down water condensates in the pipes. Then the next time you start it you experience that while it is burning off.

 

A compression test would clear up any doubts or guesses.

 

Yeah this is best case scenario. I work overnight and when I start her up around 5am to leave she puffs out some white smoke. If it's been sitting in a garage then disregard this, unless condensation manages to make its way inside

 

It's normal to have white smoke in cold weather but the smoke should dissipate with a couple feet..it shouldn't for 5 feet or more and not dissipate.

 

yea it will come out of the tailpipe for about 5 feet, then disappear. Its not thick white smoke either. Its like fog.

 

I drive an integra with h22a swap and during cold weathers my car will smoke out white fogs. After it warms up it'll go away. One other way to tell if the head gasket is bad if you leave the radiator cap open and start the car and see if it shoots up coolant. I've done this many times and it never fails.

 

it doesnt shoot up, but it will overflow and go all over the rad.

 

Just let it warm up if you don't want to do a compression test. It will be more obvious if it's still giving white smoke after the car is warmed up fully. There should be no white smoke at all at that time.

 

He pretty much told you a ghetto version of what I already suggested, the radiator will of course overflow without the cap, liquid expands and eventually evaporates into a gas when heated enough, that's why the overflow tank is there.