Could a bad radiator cause these problems?

[mattbruns15]

I have a 2001 Camry that has oil in the coolant, it has a burning coolant type smell, it's misfiring and white smoke is coming from the tail pipe. The test for a blown head gasket is negative. What else could cause all of this. My next suspect is a radiator leak.

[Stealthee]

Misfire has nothing to do with a leaking radiator. The white smoke needs clarification. I'm betting it is just condensation and the misfire is a different issue.

[Brian R.]

Do a cylinder leak-down test. Mixing oil and coolant is always a serious condition, not a leaking radiator. A leaking radiator may have caused overheating and damaged the block or head. White smoke is probably burning coolant. The misfire is probably from plug fouling.

[Mike Gerber]

Just a hunch here. If you are only seeing oil in the coolant and not coolant in the oil, you could have a radiator that has broken down internally. First check the oil itself to see if it looks murkey, a sign of coolant in the oil. If no sign of coolant in the oil, the radiator could have broken down internally, and you have an automatic transmission, you could be seeing transmission fluid in the coolant. Check the transmission fluid to see if that looks murkey and is possibly overfilled. That can be a sign of coolant in the transmission fluid. Hope for this because it is the less costly thing that you could be dealing with. A new radiator and coolant and a couple of transmission fluid flushes and you should be good as far as major engine problems. The misfire could be a separate issue.

Mike