Questions and Answers
Isuzu Head Gasket??
Q. Vincent, My name is Jeff and I think I "broke" my fiance's SUV (1992 Isuzu Rodeo 6 cylinder 2wd A/T). Today while driving I found myself having to slow down rather quickly (quick enough to send my drink to the floor, but not quick enough to lock the brakes up).
Immediately afterwards, when I accelerated, the whole thing started to vibrate. It would stop vibrating when I took my foot off the gas. As I continued, the car hesitated a lot, not really responding to my attempt to accelerate. At the next stop light the engine idled sporadically and then died. I was easily able to get it started again and made it home (thankfully).
But, as I headed home I noticed in the rear view mirror a small cloud of white/gray/blue? Smoke every time I accelerated after slowing down (mostly around turns). When I made it to the driveway I allowed to engine to idle for a minute but it soon, again, died. At that time I could definitely smell quite a bit of fuel. I checked the exhaust again and noticed a clear fluid seeping from the tailpipe (the temp today was 80 degrees) and the smoke appeared to be lighter in color, but moderately thick I re-started to engine, and again it idled rough and eventually died again.
The second time I started it, I had the hood popped and could see the engine shake a lot more than usual when idling. I don't want to get taken at the repair shop on monday morning and came across some basic trouble shooting web pages. They discussed hesitation, stalling when warm and different color smoke. Unfortunately, none of them covered a combination of the three.
Does it sound as bad as a head gasket or as simple as the vacuum pressure? Any information would be greatly appreciated because my fiance returns monday night. Therefore, I have to have this thing to the shop first thing on monday morning. I just don't want to walk in and pay for head gaskets and rings when the vacuum just needed some attention.
Thank you,
JeffA. Somehow I can't imagine that stepping on the brakes fairly hard blew the head gasket. I mean, it just doesn't make sense. I think it's more likey that something somewhere popped off or shifted.
There are a number of things that could cause these same symptoms and a blown head gasket is only one of them. You said your drink spilled. It is possible that when it spilled, it splashed on the ECM connector? I would check it out first. It is on the left side near the kick panel.
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