Losing coolant, hissing, and rough idle!

**This Is Epic** · 06-03-2008 05:52 AM

So a few weeks ago my TB went bending 3 exhaust valves, got the valves replaced and all that a long with TB, WP, Thermostat, and the rear coolant flange. All new gaskets etc.

Ever since then when I first start the car I get white smoke out of the exhaust briefly and the car is LOUD there is even a little ticking sound coming from the engine a long with a loud hissing sound. As soon as the car warms up and the RPM's drop the hissing goes away but the ticking continues. Last night on the way home I got my Temperature light so I pop the hood and I was extremely low on coolant, so this morning I filled it back up with just distilled water, I haven't noticed a leak anywhere but I really don't want to drive the car 150 miles today to and from work and have it die on me like it did a few weeks ago.

**pinky** · 06-03-2008 09:15 AM

if you're talking about the first 1-2 minutes, the hiss/tick noise is probably the SAI pump. the idle is normal.

has the water level gone back down since you topped it off? it may have just been working the air out of the system (since you had the water pump/thermostat changed)

**Nebone** · 06-03-2008 09:21 AM

He did get it changed a few weeks ago. I changed my thermostat yesterday and all the air is out already so it can't be that.

"If the exhaust billows white smoke for a few seconds when first starting the engine after it has been sitting for a while, such as overnight, and then runs normally, it could mean that the rubber valve stem seals have perished." - Wiki Answers.

Looks like the valve job could have been performed incorrectly.

Also, the head was off and new headgasket could not be sealing and you are burning coolant. Bring the car back to the shop.

Hope this helps.

**creechsa4** · 06-03-2008 09:32 AM

yah bring the car back, i think the headgasket may have not been torqued correctly. you may warp the head in the worst case scenario if she overheats.

**pinky** · 06-03-2008 09:40 AM

yeah, well he kinda made it sound like that was the first time he checked the coolant level since then, which is why i asked if it went back down since it was refilled (yesterday or whatever)

truthfully it could be a bunch of things, but instead of picking one and saying that is what it probably is, i figured i would ask a few questions first...

**This Is Epic** · 06-03-2008 10:07 AM

SAI Pump? Sorry if my acronyms aren't up to date.

I did all the work to the car myself, except for the valve job. It's just strange because I've driven the car roughly 600 miles since it's been all put back together. Then just yesterday I notice these things. I noticed the ticking after driving to work though a few days back, it seems to come and go as I can hear it sometimes and others I cannot.

The head to my knowledge was torqued correctly, I even bought a new wrench just for the job.

**pinky** · 06-03-2008 12:33 PM

secondary air injection

it runs for about 1-2 minutes after cold-start.. when it is on the idle will be a little higher. when it cuts off, the idle drops to normal. it is an emissions component that warms up the catalyst