Carina E 1.8 Problem

May 30, 2005

Hi. I'm a new memeber on here and have a problem with my carina I hoped someone might be able to help with.

I have a 97 1.8 GS Carina E. I have noticed since i got it (had it 6 months) that there is a distinct smell of petrol outside the car when it is started up from cold. It revs to about 1500 rpm on start up and does not drop back for around 3-4 minutes. I have noticed that the car seems to be very smokey, it produces white smoke which isn't noticeable until the engine is revved / put under load. The problem seems to clear up a lot once the engine is warmed up.

It does about 370 miles to a tank of fuel which is 90% motorway driving.

I don't know if this is relevant, but the previous owner told me that he had the o2 sensor replaced for the last mot as it failed the emissions test. Although I do not know if he put the right one in. The car has 79000 on it and has been rigourously serviced.

Can anyone shed any light on what the problem might be? :help:

June 2, 2005

White smoke may be a good sign in the Vatican but isn't from your exhaust!

Check under the oil filler cap - is there any white deposit that looks like Mayonnaise? If there is this is a sign of a leaking head gasket. the white smoke is caused by water getting into the combustion chambers where it is expelled through the exhuast as steam.

Petrol smells are always a worry - check for leaks and drips in the fuel system.