Thick White Steam in Overflow/Overheating Engine

[ccv707]

I own an '88 Corolla. I appear to be losing coolant in the radiator, and the overflow is steaming, in a milky white uh...well, steam. I can smell a faint sweet scent, which indicates antifreeze. When I looked at the engine when I first noticed it, I could hear a gurgling in the overflow tank and the steam was coming directly from it. It's causing my engine to overheat rather rapidly (by five-ten minutes of driving, the needle is up at the red). Does anyone know what could be causing this? I just filled the radiator a couple weeks ago, and just tonight it was below the line, so I think there might be some kind of leak, but I don't see a noticable drip. Any help would be appreciated.

[bonnie*]

As you figured out, there is internal leak of radiator coolant into engine compartment and mixes with engile oil which forms white foams, white smokes, steam and sweet smelling fumes of ethylene glycol.

Probable causes are...

1) Cracked Engine Head Gasket (Very Common)
2) Cracked Engine Cylinder (Very Rare Chances)

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR.

I do not know your mechanical skills.

You may inspect and replace HEAD GASKET by yourself with proper knowledge or find out nearest pro-mechanic (not a street corner) who can carry out job professionally. Negotiate & then tow the car to them.

Hopefully replacing engine head gasket will solve your problem. Once your engine gasket is repaced, change the oils 2 to 3 times using engine flushing agent.

[diver9000]

Head gasket most likely. Small chance cracked radiator.

[Dragonmaster]

head gasket, as mentioned do not drive it.

[toyomoho]

You can pickup a low cost tester to check for exhaust gases in the coolant. And have coolant system pressure tested, a simple job. Both will tell you if the the engine has a leaking head, etc.

[wheredoesthisgo]

If the car is a beater, I used head sealer in a can (you have to follow the directions explicitly) and got another 25000 miles.