Technical White smoke

[scottq2654]

Hello all i have had my stilo 3dr active sport since new (54 reg) and last week i had a problem starting it , when i finally got it going loads of white smoke came out and it was reving realy high but after 5 mins it was ok
I drove around for 15 mins and stoped at the shop ,when i came back to starting it ,it was fine.
Then the day after the same problem ,so i have taken it to the dealership and they are a useless and want me to pay for a new battery £120 (they said that they only have a 24mounth shelf life)
Anybody have any ideas of whats wrong with my car as fiat dont seem to know :bang:
Many thanks in advance

 

[ChrisMClark]

£120 for a flippin battery?! That sounds a bit steep.

What engine size etc?

 

[Deckchair5]

Difficult starting and white smoke sounds like head gasket. Especially if it runs reasonably well when eventually started and warmed up as the coolant in the cylinder then disperses. When the head cools and contracts the coolant seeps in again

Get a head gasket check done- they check for exhaust gases in the engine coolant. Not a 100% reliable in my books if it's just a small amount but a heck of a lot of exhaust gas elements in the coolant is more certain that the gasket barrier is no longer good.

 

[scottq2654]

£120 for a flippin battery?! That sounds a bit steep.

What engine size etc?

only 1.6 active sport , they said i needed a new one before they could find out what is wrong with it

 

[Deckchair5]

Must be something wrong with my original battery then, 5 years old and as strong as ever.

they said that they only have a 24mounth shelf life
Tell them it hasn't been on a shelf, it's been in a car being used, the best place for long battery life

If it holds its charge and turns the engine over strongly then i can't see why it would need changing.

Was it not holding charge? Were there dead or weak cells?
Does the garage have a battery charger?

Just as if no one could go on and find out what was wrong with the engine just because a battery was low. Dear me

 

[4RL]

have u had a look at the oil, make sure theres no water. But yeah, sounds like HG going.

 

[ChrisMClark]

Mine's the orginal on my '03, and it's still kickin' ass And it took a complete drain (not even enough to hold my radio memory or time and date) and it's still fine.

 

[scottq2654]

Hi cheers for all the ideas
Have just spoken to my fiat dealer and they think it could be the HG , they got some bloke from fiat to look at it and he has said its ok for the work to be done on warranty
But now word on the fantasy battery as yet :bang:

 

[Deckchair5]

Well that's cheating - they actually LOOKED at the car to diagnose a head gasket gone. We had to diagnose it without seeing it.
Oh wait a minute, we got it right didn't we

Wonder if we're right with the battery too. Ask if you can have the old one back to take with you if you're paying for a new one. It's yours

 

[dan-the-man]

thats the stupidest thing I've ever heard about the battery, my old one was 5 years old still fine, car left standing for 2 weeks, fine.

sounds like a garage I went to who said "tyres only last 10k miles, it's normal because of the power steering, happens on all cars"

 

[stilosporting]

or ask them just to charge the battery and you will contact them if it needs replacing at a later date. or even buy one yourelf. kirsty bought one for her car for £25! but the average i believe is around £60.

 

[scottq2654]

Well that's cheating - they actually LOOKED at the car to diagnose a head gasket gone. We had to diagnose it without seeing it.
Oh wait a minute, we got it right didn't we

Wonder if we're right with the battery too. Ask if you can have the old one back to take with you if you're paying for a new one. It's yours

You would think they would know what they were doing
But the hg going after only doing 27.000 miles that is poor
As for the battery ,im not paying for a new one if it needs changing i will do it

 

[Steely]

Any residue on the coolant in the header tank... signs of HGF cylinders pressurising the water jacket..... milky mayo type substance in oil or coolant...

AAHHHHH reminds me of my Rover/Mg... Still Miss it tho!!

 

[LoBsTeR]

A battery gradually looses acid over a period of time. You may not even notice a change in output in an old battery unless you are constantly stop starting at night in the rain. If you park your car on a slope, the low acid level will slop to one side and cause the majority of the zinc plates to be exposed. They basically discharge and ruin the battery.

I remember the days when you used to be able to top them up. I still recall biting off a finger nail after doing this. An unpleasent experience indeed. I use clippers now

 

[Deckchair5]

If you park your car on a slope, the low acid level will slop to one side and cause the majority of the zinc plates to be exposed.?
Blimey what kind of slopes do you live on? It would have to be Ben Nevis to alter the fluid level that much

 

[LoBsTeR]

You should see my brothers driveway

 

[willo1]

Rather Piston Rings Or Your Head Gasket Is On The Way Out

 

[Deckchair5]

Worn piston rings, as in older or worn engines, give blue smoke out the exhaust as oil gets past the pistons not water. The white "smoke" out the exhaust, often seen at engine start up, is evaporated water blown out the exhaust