White smoke

Head gasket, replaced or not, the car should not be smoking. Either he didn't do it or he didn't do it right. And if the gasket was actually replaced and it still smokes, that would be a cracked head...not just the gasket. It's time to get rid of the mechanic AND the car.

Would he have known it was a cracked head when he replaced the gasket? I will never use that mechanic again and I am trying to find a way to recover my money from that shop.

You're in the worst possible situation, you have a repair that is impossible to confirm without tearing down the motor, from a questionable shop that didn't give you any sort of warranty on the repair... and after keeping the car for three months they gave it back to you still needing repairs... I think you need to consult a consumer affairs attorney. Maybe then this shop will put some effort into making this right.

Hi Ken, Thank you so much for that info. I am going to look for an attorney today. Also, Hornet Thank you !!

Most cracks can not be detected by looking at them. A real engine mechanic would have sent the head to a machine shop to check for warping, milled it flat again, and examined for a crack with a magnetic crack detection process called Magnaflux. To confirm the head was even off to replace the gasket, an independent mechanic can show you where the head meets the block, and look for cleanliness that happens only on disassembly. Also improper torqueing of the head bolts can crack the head now or later when it heats up. I think this head and block are both cast iron so it is less likely to happen but it can. There are many things that can be done wrong. I'm surprised he didn't screw up the valve timing if he had the head off. Not a job for a shade tree mechanic. Don't pay him or stop payment. Tell him to keep the car.

Hi Hornet, That is a lot of Information which helps me to understand this repair much more. I just spoke to a mechanic that only works on foreign vehicles and he told me the same thing about sending the head to have it checked for warping, etc. As far as payment, I already paid the mechanic in full over $1,400 for the gasket repair.

I hope that's not too much information. Makes me mad when decent people gladly pay their bills and not get treated fairly. Having paid that much you should stay the course until things are right. One additional thought about the white smoke. If it smells like antifreeze, you are on the right track. But the engine having a turbo, sometimes the oil seal at the turbo will leak engine oil into the intake and be burned like fuel. Then the white smoke will smell like burnt motor that is fed to the turbo bearing. When this is all done, have your engine oil changed because antifreeze in engine oil can ruin the bearings.

Oops, meant to say: "Then the white exhaust smoke will smell like burnt motor OIL that is fed to the turbo bearing".