C36 Billowing smoke and water gushing noises in Vents. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Rocky · #1 11-14-2001, 11:44 PM

Something is majorly wrong with my C36. I walk out from PetSmart and turn the key..the car stutteres and the check engine light comes on.

I get home and I turn off the car, thinking it might be a lose fuel cap so I re-tightened it and started the car...runs fine and no light.

Couple hours later I decide to get dinner and hop in the car, turn the key and it won't turn over. It turns over maybe once and then it stops with all the warning lights dimly lit. I try a few more times and finally it starts. Great I thought. Wrong. I notice that theres a pile of white smoke coming from the exhuast. It smells kinda sweet and I'm almost 100% sure it's antifreeze. I'm like "crap..engine block is cracked". So I drive it to my local Benz dealership at 11:00pm to drop it off. Weird thing is that as I drive, the smoke dissappears and no more smoke.

I stop at the parking lot and turn off the car. Walk over to get an envelope. Decided to turn the car on and it starts on the first turn. And smoke comes billowing out of the exhaust again.

Also when i'm driving, I can hear water gurgling and gushing sounds coming from the heating vents. Never heard that before and I know it's part of the problem.

The thing is I don't know what 's the problem. Anyone have any vague ideas? I honestly hope it's not a cracked block and it's just a water pump or something.

jbaj007 · #2 11-15-2001, 12:51 AM

Rule out: blown head gasket.
Sounds like coolant is in the exhaust (white smoke=steam) and exhaust in the coolant (gurgling noise in heater recirculation).

Rocky · #3 11-15-2001, 10:38 AM

How can that happen?

Coolant in the exhaust and vice versa?

No leaks underneath the car and no oil in the coolant resevoir.

#4 11-15-2001, 10:44 AM

The gasket may not be completely destroyed. A leak between the combustion chamber and the water jacket would do what you describe. It does not have to be a leak to the oilways or the outside world.

Rocky · #5 11-15-2001, 11:18 AM

So what about the gurgling noises in the air vent? It only happens when I turn on the climate control.

I have never heard that gurgling sound in any car before.

loubapache · #6 11-15-2001, 11:29 AM

Not familiar with you car but could you check the coolant level in the expansion tank (if there is one)?

The gurgling sound could mean there is a leak in the heater core or related components. So when you turn on the climate control system, coolant fills the heater core therefore the sound.

#7 11-15-2001, 12:15 PM

A blown head gasket can indeed cause coolant in exhaust. The gurgling is probably due to low coolant level.

Best of luck,

Jim Anderson · #8 11-15-2001, 12:35 PM

Check your oil. I blew a head gasket once and the oil level was going UP

I was blowing coolant into the crank.

Rocky · #9 11-15-2001, 01:12 PM

Ok the there's a possible solution tot eh smoke..but will a failed head gasket cause the car not to turn over when starting it up?

#10 11-15-2001, 01:13 PM

The observed symptoms will be different from one head gasket failure to the next. The symptom you experience will depend upon which portion of the head gasket is leaking.

Not turning over can be caused by a blown headgasket by letting fluid into the cylinder. If this happens, running the engine can possibly bend a rod.

Good luck,

Rocky · #11 11-15-2001, 01:23 PM

Errrr......I ran the engine to drive it tot he dealership. While I was driving..the smoke was gone..no more smoke...not even at idle.

I just jope I don't need a new engine..I can live with replacing the head gasket althought it's much $$$ to fix.

280CEBoy · #12 11-15-2001, 01:36 PM

....if you let the car sit for a bit when it's hot, residual pressure will fill the cylinders causing some hydro-lock, then once it's started and the antifreeze is cooked off you reverse pressurise the coolant system with exhaust gasses.....bubbling and sloshing due to low coolant and exhaust gasses in the coolant....yes...blown head gasket...sorry...

Q · #13 11-15-2001, 01:42 PM

I don't think you could have asked for a more accurate diagnosis.

Rocky · #14 11-15-2001, 01:53 PM

Thanks guys

Looks like I need a new head gasket..even though I already had one changed under warranty couple years back.

My car is at the dealership right now and i just got off the phoen with them. They can;t look at the car til like monday cause they are so busy but a mech test drove the car and said it was misfiring. i dunno..surprisingly he said the car started this morning.

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