if white smoke comes out my exaust

[SPYDERGST97]

i have a question,i heard that white smoke could be a bad head gasket now if that is the fact would my check engine light come on or not.Also how much would it cost to replace.thanks apreciate all help.Another thing if im runnig stock boost and i put a down pipe will i loose back pressure..now im running a k&n filter charger and a apexi catback exaust and i also hacked my dump tube..

[gthompson97]

white smoke is most likely a head gasket which is not an easy job. a dealership would probably cost you upwards of $2000 and a local mechanic, somehwere around $800 depending on the rates/reputation/etc. if you're going to do it yourself i'd suggest getting a chilton manual and know what you are doing before you start.

you will not lose any "backpressure" with a downpipe.

[dsmodder]

are you 100% sure its white? also is it smoking all the time or just when you are at WOT etc?

[ted_ex]

White smoke isn't always a headgasket although it is most often associated with coolant burning. I would check for oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil, or if you are losing a lot of coolant this might tell you if your gasket is leaking. Doing a headgasket is a pretty complex procedure. If you do it, I would try and enlist the help of someone who has a fairly good idea of what they are doing. Chiltons manuals are a good reference, but they don't give detailed information on the process a lot of times. Also timing belts can be tricky on 4g63 engines. It will take an inexperienced person several days to complete the project, especially if you don't have a lot of general car experience.

[ted_ex]

Also, your question about the downpipe. Turbo cars don't need any specific back pressure from the exhaust pipe diameter so it's not really important to keep back pressure by keeping pipe size down. What you have to worry about though is boost creep. When the exhaust flows easier past the turbine then it does through the wastegate, your boost will climb well past the stock limit. You can help with this problem by porting the wastegate side of your o2 housing. check vfaq for a good write up on how to do this.

tedX

[Gsx_hooptie]

White smoke doesn't mean much in itself. It's normal to start your car and have white smoke. Other than that, you could be burning coolant. Which means you could need a head gasket. Or maybe a bunch of other shit. Coolant could be seeping from a line and burning on the engine, not in it. Give us more symptoms. Not a good idea to say "I see white smoke" and come to the hg conclusion immediately. Check your fluids. If it is your headgasket, you might see cloudy looking coolant or nappy looking oil (mine was brownish and gooey when my hg went, yum). What other symptoms does the car have? Is it feeling a little sluggish?

If the downpipe you're putting on is bigger than the one you have on now, backpressure should go down. This is a good thing.

[dsmodder]

white smoke when you start your car is simply condensation within the the exhaust pipes. its not even smoke.

[Gsx_hooptie]

Originally Posted by dsmodder

white smoke when you start your car is simply condensation within the the exhaust pipes. its not even smoke.

That's my point