Car blowing crazy smoke, and knoking sound

[GRider]

Ok, Heres what happend. I sold my 90 laser RS-T this afternoon. The car has been burning coolant for some time but we knew that it still ran and drove, a proper diagnosis and repair of that problem was going to be taken care of later.

The details next are from what the buyer told me over the phone, I wasn't there so I can't verify anything or cheek right now. I'm going to look tomorow and I'm just trying to get an idea.

He was driving along and all of a sudden the car starts billowing smoke out the back, then it stoped and started smoking lightly. He also noted the car was hesitating a bit.

Then tons of smoke started coming out form under the hood. He said it was oil smoke. He said there was so much that he could not tell exactly where it was coming form. It was coming form the front part of the engine however.

Then he reported a knocking sound, he said it was not like valve tap, much louder. I was thinking that something could of caused the plugs to foul up and cause the motor to misfire and shake itself and the motor mounts causing the knocking sound. but I wasn't there.

From there they proceded to tow it back. The left the car idling for the sake of the power steering and brakes while towing. Then the lights started to fade and it died and would not start again. So we figured the alternator failed causing the car to run on battery alone. The car was left and thats about all I know.

Does any have any idea what could be going on, detonation? Headgasket?

Thanks

 

[98spydert]

I'm guessing the turbo died if the smoke is coming from the front of the engine. It's hard to tell though. You'll obviously have to check the oil and coolant for mixes and what not. Let us know what you find when you check it out

 

[DSM2JDM219]

I was the purchaser of the car. we checked bothe the oil and the coolant, still neither looked compromised, the oil level was low, but saw no signs of any water mixture in it. The car near the end had very low oil pressure, byt eh time it stopped working ( which I think was the lack of power over anything else now that I think about it) The oil pressure gauge was only like 2 mm above the very bottom line, would that indecate a bad gasket? and I stopped the car at a Wendy's a short distance from where I purchased the vehicle ( probably about 15 or so miles, and noticed the smoke from the eigne bay and that strange knocking sound. I'm heard cars with knock before, and maybe this is the saem, but it didn't sound the same, I couldn't even explain this sound, but it deffinately is a rythmic knock. I was thinking maybe an assortment of things ( well, I wasn't thinking exactly, talking with a few of my friends we came up with a few idea's being similar to the original.) The gas may be compromised from sitting for so long, even though it was ran, for the most part, it sat not really moving,The spark plugs may be compromised by the bad gas causeing misfire or knock, and 1 or more of the gaskets ( maybe even around the turbo) may be compromised from sitting, and the pressure of driving it made it worse, causing it to burn oil, and thus the resulting oil pressure drop. Or the gasket was bad from sitting in the first place, cause honestly, I had another car do that ( it drove fine forever ago, then it at for a while, I ran it every so often, but didn't take it driving) then one day I tried and it was acting all wierd and just blowing out all kinds of smoke. I'm pretty sure it's a gasket, while it was driving, the turbo didn't seem to act up at all, I mean I didn't drive it hard enough to tell really, but it wasn't acting wierd or anything.

If anyone knows for a fact this seems like a gasket problem let me know, and I'll go buy a gasket set. I'm going to put alot of 93 octane fuel in there as soon as I can and replace the spark plugs and hope maybe that will get rid of the knocking sound, though I have a strange feeling it won't. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know personally. Thanks for any informtion given. Also, does anyone know what a gasket overhaul would cost? like a general ballpark figure would be good, tomorrow is sunday so I cant call around and get prices.

 

[Defiant]

Rod or balance shaft bearing spun. More likely balance shaft from the sound of it. Grenaded motor.

Sorry, best guess from reading about it.