white smoke out tailpipe
 

simple question: can something trigger it other than coolant? (in large volume)

water/coolant is the only internal engine fluid that I've ever seen produce white smoke....

- Justin

steam in coolant smoke can be atf

i'm starting to think something is really off with my car. i knew my car was running dangerously lean, i had it on the dyno at dynoday and my AF was around 14:1 at the topend and much worse down low. i was cruising down the highway at 60 in 6th gear and i heard a popping noise and the motor revved up past 4k so i put it in neutral and shut it down. the police asked me to move it adn thinking it was just a hose getting loose and springing a vacuum leak i turned it on again but this time accompanied by more white smoke than i've ever seen come out the back of a car. i had it towed from there and just assumed i melted a piston or something. i never blew a motor i just figured i was risking a blown motor because i was lean. i didn't have time to get it retuned because i had my LSAT yesterday. the car broke on Sunday. still sound like a blown motor? maybe a hole in the block?

Hole in the block would equal lots of fluid on the street where you were stopped....

- Justin

yep sounds like a head gasket went. when you shut it down more water pressure leaked into you cylinders. thats why when you started it back up it was worse. time for some new gaskets.

would that explain the vacuum leak? temp was normal too