1995 Aurora- PLEASE HELP!!

Hey there -
This is my 1st post & I hope that it makes sense.

I have a 1995 Olds Aurora with 122,000 miles on it. Within the last week to week and a half it has been acting wierd. When I start the engine- it sputters and the RPMs drop really low and then go back up and then down again. There is alot of white smoke that comes from the exhaust. I also detect a faint gasoline smell at different times. It doesnt appear to be leaking any fluid anywhere that I can see.

Also - When I go uphill, it seems to lose power and doesnt seem to get gasoline. I have also noticed recently that when I shift from Park or Drive to REVERSE it makes a VERY loud bang that shakes the car.

I am a single mom & dont have a ton of money to invest into this vehicle. I just paid to have the rack and pinion replaced about a month ago & that totally drained my bank account (it actually snapped while I was driving, downhill, in a blizzard!! :shakehead )

Any suggestions would be appreciated!!! Thank you for your help!!!

Momi1977

momi: the alot of white smoke suggests that you have a head gasket leaking coolant into the cylinders... regardless this and the other symptoms combined this car needs to see a very expensive mechanic

I would suggest getting a compression check done. Should be less then $150. This will tell you if you have any serious mechanical engine damage such as a head gasket leak or a blown cylinder.

Thank you for your ideas!!

They are on the way to pick it up now to run a diagnostic test on it. Would these problems show up on the computer check or would it be something they would have to rip apart the engine to find??

(Its hard to find a honest mechanic around here - so I try to be informed. Wish I would have found you guys (and gals) earlier!!!)

A compression test does not require tearing apart the motor. The 95's had fairly limited computer checks. You are probably throwing some codes which may or may not help you diagnose your problem.

momi1977,did u ever find out what the problem was?