Spent the better part of today troubleshooting a rough idle/car not wanting to start this happened about 3 days ago when it was a cold morning. I ordered a new CLT sensor because mine looked corroded. I also started replacing obvious cracked hoses with the hoses I had laying around because after fixing my major vacuum leak there was still hissing. When I was done with the hoses I started the car (had a really rough start) and white smoke was coming up from the alternator area but the car stalled itself before I could really locate the smoke. I let her cool down for 15 min and jacked it up. After jacking up the car it looked like I had a major oil leak, which turned out to be melted rubber from the lower radiator hose which had a nice hole in it. I pulled the spark plug wires and in cylinder 1 there was oil on the wire tip. Other thing about the car is I've never over heated so I'm not sure if I should worry about the HG blowing out or not. I've searched the wiki for most of what I could find but a couple things I got a little confused with.

Question 1) while doing the lower hose, and CLT, should I just order the valve cover kit and do that too? (I've read the wiki about 15 times tonight to get it right in one try http://2gnt.com/index.php?d=Replacing_valve_cover_and_spark_plug_gaskets)

Question 2) I've read white smoke is usually the color of coolant boiling, but would coolant have a distinct smell of burning or could that be the alternator (or starter for that matter)?

Question 3) Whats the best way to inspect the Head gasket as I've never had an issue with one?

2007 - Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 - stock work SUV
1995 Talon TSi - Sold
1996 Base 2.5" Exhaust headers back, CAI, searching for long block to build and drop in.- Sold
1996 RS Daily Driver - Blown motor
1997 RS NA Built motor - Sold

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2012 2500HD LML

Suspecting the alternator or starter due to the starting issues. There was not a lot of smoke because the engine bogged down within 45 seconds. The one time I think I may have had headgasket issues the block was already cracked so there was a massive amount of steam coming out (it was an old 4.0l V6 ford explorer.)

Now that I read over my post I think I answered my own questions. Thank god tax refund is on its way. I will be placing a parts dinosaur order next week

2007 - Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 - stock work SUV
1995 Talon TSi - Sold
1996 Base 2.5" Exhaust headers back, CAI, searching for long block to build and drop in.- Sold
1996 RS Daily Driver - Blown motor
1997 RS NA Built motor - Sold

FWIW, any time you have a coolant leak that creates ANY amount of steam your going to smell it clear as day. I have no idea why Dave makes the comment he is making, Anti-freeze is very distinct and it only takes 1oz spilled on hot manifold to smell it.




here is the part that doesnt make sense.....you said steam came from the Alternator........lower radiator hose is no where near the alternator. Your not talkign about the A/C compressor are you? If you spilled coolant filling it up or replacing the coolant sensor....that could steam a little.

White steam with NO smell would indicate regular water.....could it be rain water? Did you clean the motor and its left over water? If you hosed the engine down to clean it then you might have gotten water in the spark plug wells and that will give you a poor idle.

Compression and leakdown are a good start. But I would do more testing before you start replacing things. The 420A is not nearly as prone to Heasd Gasket failures like the ford your comparing it to. Dont lead yourself down a wrong path.

Good luck

I;ve actually let her sit since my last post as I realized the rain/snow puddles i was parked in was not going to help.

I have narrowed it down to white smoke was probably rain water on the exhaust, and my radiator hose is melted (Time for heat wrapping things), I was wondering how often the heater hoses fail also?


EDIT: One more question, all it would take is a micro hole in the Radiator Hose for Air to displace the coolant and push it into the overflow tank?

EDIT 2: If the ECT is shot, reading implied it will be difficult to start on a cold morning/run kinda rough, but would it also take a long time to warm up by long time I mean 15-20 min when its 55 degrees ambient temp?

2007 - Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 - stock work SUV
1995 Talon TSi - Sold
1996 Base 2.5" Exhaust headers back, CAI, searching for long block to build and drop in.- Sold
1996 RS Daily Driver - Blown motor
1997 RS NA Built motor - Sold