Car problems, I need advice from people who know about cars?

Question

OK, BEFORE SOMEBODY TELLS ME TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC, I AM VERY BROKE I CAN'T DO THAT RIGHT NOW, SO IF THAT IS ALL YOU ARE GOING TO SAY ON YOUR ANSWER, IT'S NOT HELPFUL. OK, FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW A LITTLE BIT OF WHITE SMOKE HAS BEEN COMING OUT OF MY HOOD LIKE FROM UNDER THE ENGINE OR SOMETHING. I DROVE IT TODAY AND TURNED IT OFF. I TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT STARTED KINDA TREMBLING AND SHAKING AND DRIVING ROUGH AND LOST A LOT OF POWER AND THE WHITE SMOKE STARTED INCREASING, I COULDN'T HARDLY MAKE IT UP A HILL. I STOPPED BY A SHOP TO SEE IF THEY COULD JUST LOOK AT IT AND HE SAID IT NEEDED A TUNE UP, I JUST CHANGED THE FUEL FILTER BUT NOT THE SPARK PLUGS, COULD THAT BE CAUSING IT?

Answer 1

What model car is it? How many miles do you have on it? When the check engine light comes on it is usually emissions related,that is not a big problem. If the light starts flashing then you have serious problems. The white smoke is the rad. it is probably overheating, or you have a leak. Does the heater work? Check your coolant level. It may be the thermostat as well. It's easy to say you need a tune up which you might but you also need to make sure your fluids are replaced every so often. Coolant should be changed every 2-3 years. If you are very broke I would suggest a different mode of transportation for your safety. You shouldn't be driving a car with a smoking engine and a check engine light that is flashing. Good Luck, but your really need to take it a mechanic or someone you know who can help you.

Answer 2

You are asking everybody to pull a rabbit out of the hat. There is no way to tell what is going on here without looking at the vehicle. Changing the fuel filter is not a tune-up, nor is changing the spark plugs. A lot goes into a tune-up, including car knowlege, and that is why tune-ups cost so much. Find a friend or neighbor that will lend a helping hand to get your ride at least in running order till you can afford a proper fix. I am right there with you in the "no money in the pocket" catagory and I empathize with you. White smoke is a bad sign, and diagnosing what is causing it is difficult, but it is not the spark plugs.

Answer 3

ok. if the car is kind of cutting off and on , off and on, then it's the spark plugs. i'm not very sure about the white smoke... i don't think the spark plugs cause that..... the smoke could be either the engine itself or most likely the radiator. check that the radiator pipes are ok and that the radiator itself is not cracked or broken. Good luck.

Answer 4

White smoke out the exhaust is oil. White fluffy coming from under the hood is generally water vapor from being too hot. Dark smoke out the exhaust is unburned fuel. Generally smoke does not come from under the hood, only steam or water. Spark plugs would not cause white smoke to come from under the hood. Is your temperature guage or light coming on ?

Answer 5

Spark plugs wouldn't hurt your car, but not knowing what kind of car you are driving makes it difficult to give you abetter diagnosis. There are some auto parts stores that will do a prelimenary check with an engine diagnosis meter. These diagnosis checks usually are free and are usually able to diagnose the proble. In Texas, Auto Zone will do this, as will O'reilly's.

Answer 6

Check out the radiator. That might be causing the smoke. Have one of your guy friends come over and check it out(Or if you know a girl too). Get a scanner(or you can go to your local automotive shop) they'll probably charge you around $50 bucks and yeah I know you're broke but it's better than going around your car fixing insignificant things that don't need to be fixed.

Answer 7

Could be spark plugs, could be timing ( rotor ) depending on the age. but its one or thee other.

I AM

Answer 8

Blown head gasket.$$$