1990 accord dx

I had this happen to me several years ago and thought it was so strange that surely, someone else can benefit from my learnings:

I started my DX up and a huge cloud of white smoke went out the tailpipe and smelled a bit like cat urine. I thought "oh geez, there goes the head gasket."

Nope.

It turned out to be a bad brake booster - the bladder had gone bad, releasing brake fluid up through the vacuum lines and into the intake. At the time, I had never heard of this being a possibility.

I replaced the booster and sure enough, that sucker was full of fluid and the problem was resolved.

I hope this helps someone trying to diagnose a similar issue!

 

Was the rod seal on the brake master cylinder gone as well? Brake fluid usually doesn't come in direct contact with the booster.

Did you find yourself having to fill the brake fluid reservoir before the smoke?

Ether way it's nice to know there is another cause of white smoke to look at.

 

I think it was - some sort of barrier between MC and booster went bad.

 

Yup...there is a seal on the master cylinder rod. They do wear out over time. Same with the clutch master cylinder seal. Only with the clutch seal you will usually find fluid on the carpet under the clutch pedal. With the brake master cylinder seal you will usually see fluid running down the bottom of the booster. In your case the seal between the master cylinder and the booster must have been tight.

At least you were able to get it fixed. Thanks for sharing with us!