Hi, I recently purchased a 1998 Camry with the v6 engine and one week after I bought it the car started to smoke a little when it was cold outside so I took it to our local private mechanic who runs Accurate Japanese Repair Inc.

After he took apart the engine he said that one valve wasn’t holding pressure so he replaced the head gasket and all the belts on the engine but when I picked up the car it was smoking much worse then before. Even on warm days it billows out clouds of white smoke.

The mechanic said that the engine is smoking either because the new gasket needs to set or because there is some carbon built up in the cylinders. He said to drive it for 200-300 miles to let the gasket set and the carbon burn off.

Is there a possibility that it just needs to be driven or has the mechanic done more harm then good?

I really appreciate your help since it is very embarrassing to go driving with clouds of white smoke billowing out the tailpipe even when idling at a light.

Thanks,
Jeremy

Did you buy it from this mechanic? Sorry, but a gasket does not 'settle'. He is putting one over on you. Depending upon specs, a head may need to be re-torqued after some time to get it to seal properly, but not with these symptoms. He has screwed up and does not want to deal with it. Smell the exhaust coming out the back and see if it smells sweet like coolant. If it does, then either he messed up the head gasket or did not torque the head down properly, or you have a cracked cylinder. Are you losing coolant? You sure it is white smoke and not blue smoke? Get a block test done somewhere else to see if you are getting exhaust gases in your coolant. That will confirm (ie proof) that you still have a head gasket problem and the mechanic has screwed things up. If the mech messed with the head, it should have been sent out for a valve job and resurfacing based on the diagnosis. You may also be wise to get a compression test done as well as a leak down test.

dave mc

Welcome to the AF!

In addition to what Dave said, a leaking valve cannot be fixed by replacing the head gasket.

Definitely sounds like a leaking head gasket. Bring it back until he does it right - and don't wait. That coolant is probably getting into your oil and may trash your engine.

The mechanic said that the engine is smoking either because the new gasket needs to set .....

"Set"? Bull feathers. No such thing. The job was either done right or it wasn't. Sounds like it wasn't.