1986 mustang lx hatchback 2.3l non turbo ATF low on fluid / white smoke
I have a 198x mustang lx hatchback with the 2.3l 4 cylinder. The A/C system has been removed by a previous owner. I have noticed that every few days, my transmission fluid has been going down, and I have to top it off. I have white smoke coming from the tail pipe. I also noticed that my coolant starts to go low also. When the ventilation system is on heat, and I accelerate, I get some light white smoke through the vents also. I am thinking the vent smoke may be a pinhole leak in the heater core, but thought I would see wetness on the carpet which I don't. I don't have a vacuum diagram of the engine, and there are numerous hoses that are just capped off with screws and electrical tape. The car also pings under acceleration until your up to speed. I know this is a lot of questions, but Im unsure where to start looking. Any assistance would be appreciated.
The transmission fluid and the white smoke are two different things. The white smoke is most likely the head gasket. The transmission fluid is probably just leaking or getting sucked into the engine. Sad to say but it is time to consider putting the old girl out to pasture.
Take it to a shop where they rebuild engines and have them replace head gasket and hone the valves while the head is off. They can check for cracked block or cracked head also. As for vacuum diagram get a chilton manual or buy a diagram for your specific car online..
Vacuum diagram for 2.3L. It is for a 1983 though.
