Pulled into a gas station after coming off of a freeway commute last week, got out of the car, and heard the upper rad hose 'explode', and dump any coolant I had in the car. Initially I thought I had a blown radiator, but it was the underside of the upper rad hose...Didn't drive the vehicle right after noticing it and left it there till a buddy could assist with it.

Next day I replace the upper and lower hoses and flush the radiator for the heck of it. After doing that, I drove about 1-2 miles and things seemed to be ok, no power loss, etc., though there is some new burning oil/smoke coming out near the top right area of the valve cover, which I think is next to the exhaust manifold (clearly not a mechanic here, so please bear with).

Looking closer, the stream of smoke is coming up from the area below the manifold (though it seems like it's coming from the bottom of the engine - can't tell though) I should note there has not been a 'traditional' oil leak since working on the vehicle, nor does it appear to be losing any coolant and the dipstick looks like plain old oil. I then replace the valve cover gasket and noticed some light- brown (but not 'white'), almost coffee-like sludge inside of it (I'll assume this is NOT a good thing).

Put it all back together, start it up, check fluids, idle sounds OK, and the "new" smoke burning off the engine is there, but not in large amounts, so I'm thinking maybe were ok here. I drive up the block doing about 25, hear a rattling from the back which sounds like a loose muffler, and now there is smoke BILLOWING from the tailpipe which is followed by sputtering and slight power loss.

I stop, get under the car notice the tailpipe appears to have been dislodged, or I suppose broken from the muffler so no seal there. I check the oil and it looks ok, no coolant leak, etc. Start it up again and the smoke is billowing, but only when accelerating and the majority of it is coming from where the manifold (?) connects to muffler, about at the halfway point of the vehicle. Now I know the muffler needs to be fixed or replaced, but where things are at now is, sounds fine when idling, minimal smoke, etc, but the minute you get in and drive, the back end is engulfed with smoke. Come to a stop and idle, not much smoke, but still there.

So - is this engine toast? Dumb question, but could the bad muffler be the root of the smoke here, or is it possible I damaged the engine when the rad hose went out on the freeway? Any ideas or advice would be appreciated!

 

Idk, but it sounds like a headgasket or cylhead problem. Have someone load/rev the engine and see if the white smoke has a sweet smell (this will indicate antifreeze). If you have acess to tools or a trusted shop , have them pressure test your cooling system, and check your cooking sys for the presence of combustion gasses. I think by the sounds of it you will be looking for a new cyl head.

 

thanks for the response, 2 quick questions here regarding the cyl head and/or head gasket:

1) is replacing a cylinder head a "major job" in terms of expense? I'll assume the engine has to be pulled for this?

2) could the head gasket stop-leak stuff I've seen talked about here work on my Jeep?

 

they cylinder head doesnt require pulling of the motor, just the exhaust manifold and valve cover , throttle body , stupid little stuff , cylinder heads are expensive, the cylinder head gasket set it 53 bucks from napa, im in the process of doing my head gasket, as far as the stop leak i would not recommend using anything people sell to stop leaks in the motor or drive trane they are temporary fixes that lead to bigger issues in the end

 

Yeah, I think I am having similar issues with my 2000 Sport. I'm by no means a mechanic and have never posted in forums before, so you may have to bear with me.

My main question is what parts may be causing the problems, and what steps will it take to fix? Also, any estimated cost that I should expect would help, as I have heard many differing opinions from headgaskets to waterpumps to radiators. It seems these answers are all related but I figure i should ask some people with similar problems before walking into a mechanic again.

Basically, the problem began with severe overheating. Developed into a white smoke emitting from the front of the radiator, if you are facing the grille of the vehicle. Then, that developed into a couple of times when, while idling or barely accelerating, the car would turn off completely and it would have difficulty restarting for a period... maybe 20 minutes (about 2 cigarettes worth, if that helps)

On the day that the smoke started billowing from the car, I'd been hearing a clicking sound at low, suburban town driving speeds. I was on my way to pick up my prescription, and once I had, I got back into the car and it wouldn't start. It took longer this time, maybe about 30 minutes, and i got the car to turn over again. On my way home at a stop light, there was a popping sound (from what I recall) and white smoke started billowing from the passenger's side of the engine bay nearest the grille (if you are looking out of the windshield... the same area).

Along this time, I didn't simply ignore the issues. I took it to a mechanic who told me that my headgasket was blown (right before he tried to buy my car from me, so I was skeptical). At the mechanics, they pressure tested and flushed the radiator (i think?), prior to which I had put stop leak. This relieved the problem for maybe about 3-4 months. I assume there was a hole somewhere, and that the flushing of the system forced the stopleak into the proper hole that was causing issues.

I again tried the stopleak in may when the car was overheating. I had a friend change my oil and take a look at the engine. He checked all fluis which looked and smelled and felt great to him, which he was surprised about. We took a test drive and this is when we were able to pinpoint that the leak was located in or around the bottom left of the radiator, while looking thru the grille.

I do know that my serpentine belt is/was loose, and all along, this caused a screeching sound, which was ameliorated with belt conditioner, sometimes. Toward the end, it worked less and less and I had to apply more frequently.

Another noteworthy point is that my check engine light had been on for an extended period of time. I'd brought it to my mechanic who used to give me great prices (he has since left the company) and he informed me that it was an exhaust issue, according to the computer. We checked hoses, and changed the gas cap, and he ruled that the only remaining issue could be the o2 sensors. This problem, I admit, was never fixed.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I apologize for the lengthy post, but assumed that more description is better than less.

Thank you.

 

rookiejeeplover, it is best to start your own post instead of piggybacking onto another. You'll get more accurate replies to your problem and it is common courtesy to the original poster.

The 00-01 has the "infamous" 0331 cylinder head. It has a casting defect between cylinders 3-4, which make it prone to cracking there.

Rather than reinvent the wheel and get into specifics, here is a link to a thread that is required reading for every 00-01 XJ owner.

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums...d.php?t=391831

 

I have a '08 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I noticed there's a white smoke coming from the hood on the Passenger side. I see it more when I do a Hard Brake or Brake often and there's a exhaust smell that comes through the vent when I have the Heat/AC on. I have no clue what it is. I changed the Valve Cover Gaskets, a New Catalyc Converter, did Tune Up, new belt and spark plugs, fluids are all good but can't seem to understand why this is happening. I WISH I CAN UPLOAD A VIDEO. Any clue???

 

Ic317--you should always post year/mileage also.

the coffee colored sludge is not a good sign, but not necessarily the end for the engine. It just depends on how long the motor has been run like that. You can send your oil out for analysis. That should give you some clue as to how to proceed.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

 

2008 and 103K miles
Thanks Mikesignal. I hope it's not the engine. I just spent quite a bit fixing all these things in it.