Pontiac Repair: 95 grand am se quad4/ 2.3, coolant level, head gasket


Question
QUESTION: i have a rough idle white smoke and gas coming from the tail pipe also the first three spark plugs are wet car i have changed all the spark plugs car turns off

ANSWER: Hi Addie:

well the rouigh idle is cause by an engine misfire. Now why is is misfireing? is it a spark issue, injector issue or worse a head gasket issue. I would check the coolant level and make sure it's full. if not pull out the dipstick and look at the oil if it's grey or milkey looking yoiu have a headgasket issue. If the engine has a spark issue the unburned gas can look like white smoke as well. that is where I would start looking.


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QUESTION: the oil is fine coolant level is fine i have checked these issues already the fluid is gas coming out of the tail pipe what would cause a spark issue. i took it for emissions the tech raved the engine and then said it smelled like corrosion

Answer
well you coil have a bad coil or a bad ignition module. the module controls both of the coils. you could also have fule injectors that are sticking open and the engine is basically flooding out on those cylinders that the plugs are wet. not likely but it is possable. My guess is more of and ignition "spark" problem. the coils do go bad on these engines also the cover the coils sit in go bad on ocassions and the coils cross fire inside the cover and not fire the plugs. one other possability is the boots that connect the coils to the plugs may have gone bad and the spark is arching against the engine instead of firing the plugs. That happens quite a bit on these engines also. good luck :}