ttwna

I have had this car for only a week. Have driven approx. 30 miles the first thing I noticed is the car shakes at 45mph evens out at 50 but anything over 65mph is contiuous shaking. Then I noticed white smoke coming up towards the windshield on passangers side when I popped the hood it appeared to be coming from underneath the engine. I ahd only driven to the store so overheating seemed unlikely.
Well today I was gonna go pick up a friend so he could check out the car I made it about 10 miles on the freeeway when a clinking noise began everytime I accelerated shortly afterwards my speed reduced I had to floor it to get from 50mph to 55. Thats when I decieded I should get off the freeway well at the light off the exit ramp my car died. Luckily it started back up.
I turned around and went home taking the side streets. Now the shaking my car use to only do on the freeway is doing it when I slow down and then I am at a stop light.
I fear it may be a head gasket I only paid $500 for the car I am not gonna put more than that into it am I?

kbatku

sounds unpleasant.

how many miles? what engine? you might have just squandered $500 - but it could have been worse. Did you drive the car before you bought it?

Head gasket would show as oil in the water or water in the oil (more likely) with coolant loss and overheating. Run the car ( if it still runs) for a while, then take off the oil filler cap. If there is a milky brown goo on the cap, that's bad. Pull the dipstick. If the oil looks like a chocolate milkshake - bad too. Look in the coolant reservoir - oil or black stuff in there? Bad.

Using a lot of coolant? Bad. Overheating until the engine clanks and coughs, seizes up and dies in the middle of rush hour traffic - bad.

Good luck - need more info ( engine, miles etc...)

jwko

That sounds to me like a tire(s) is out of balance or possibly seperated.


Could be warped rotors. Could also be overheating front brakes due to a lack of rear brakes. The front's are having to do all the work.

Sounds like the engine was overheating.