Chrysler Repair: Whole mess of problems w/ Dodge, head gasket leak, dodge dynasty

Question
I have a dodge dynasty 1988 and 2 months after I purchased it there has been a whole mess of problems. 1) brakes- got those fixed
2)failed emissions- still working on that, they say it's CO2 and HC? no clue on what those are.
3)Smoke- My car smokes like a chimney whenever i'm sitting idle for a long time like at a drive thru or a stop light? why is that?
4) start up- is rough, it takes so long for it to start and then I hear the ticking, I'm not sure if it needs an oil change or what. It's been doing that since this pass winter
Also based on what others have told me how would I know if I need to get a new head gasket?

Answer
Hi Tammie,
You could have a failed head gasket if you are having to add coolant to the resevoir/radiator or if the smoke that you mention at idle is white (steam) in color. Also the engine may tend to show hot on the temp gauge. If the smoke is blue or black (oil or fuel) then you don't have a head gasket issue, probably.
The rough starting could have to do with a head gasket leak or just a fuel system problem related to you failure to pass smog. Once you straighten out the smog problems the starting maybe solved.
To help you with the smog problem you should see whether the engine computer has detected any problems and assigned a fault code number to identify what it is. The most useful thing to do would be to try to get the fault codes that may stored in the engine controller memory to readout. Try using the ignition key: turn it "on-off-on-off-on" and leave it "on" (doing this quickly, no longer than 5 seconds). By "on" I mean just the normal position when the engine is running, not the cranking position. The 'check engine'light will remain on when you leave the key in the "on" position with the engine still not running. But then watch the 'check engine' light to begin flashing, then pause, flashing, pause, etc. Count the number of flashes before each pause and keep track of the numbers. Repeat the readout and verify the counts are correct. Then group them in pairs in the order that they came out, thus forming two digit numbers. You may notice that the pause is shorter between the digits of a given number, and longer between the numbers themselves. Then send me a 'follow-up' question telling me the results of your readout. By the way, 55 will be the last number (two groups of 5 flashes each) and that is the code for "end of readout".
I have the troubleshooting manual for several engines and we can look up the possibilities of what is wrong based upon what fault codes you show. When you write back tell me what engine is in the car you are driving. Look at the sticker on the underside of the hood to identify the engine displacement.  
There is also an essay on fault codes at the site:
http://www.allpar.com/fix/codes.html
which gives the meaning of the code numbers. But then you need to get specific info for what exactly might be the diagnostic tests or parts to replace to complete the repair.
So those are some ideas.
Roland
P.S. Also take a look at the oil on the dipstick to see if it looks cloudy or foamy which would be a sign of a head gasket leak. The ticking may be due to coolant in the oil, or it may just need to be changed.