'98 Tercel and white smoke

[rowboat]

I bought a '98 Tercel in December with 98,000 km (around 60,000 mi.) It looked new inside and out. Over the next couple weeks I noticed that the paint job wasn't the one from the factory. When a mechanic opened up the door to replace the door handle he commented someone had been in there before. When I put a roof rack on I noticed that the steel above the window (2 door) hidden by a rubber seal was different from one side to the other. Then I saw some electrical tape around electrical wires on the engine, definately not the factory's work. Other things also have lead me to believe that the car was in an accident and fixed up and painted. I can live with being lied to by a salesman (big surprise) but the white smoke coming out from the tailpipe is not a good thing. Of course I didn't realize it was a problem in our winter (exhaust is always white up here from November thru April) but I noticed later that the car was smoking white a fair bit. I checked the antifreeze overflow and it is low, it wasn't lasts time I checked which was shortly after I bought the car. It doesn't smoke all the time, most of the time it's barely noticable. The fact that it definately has some antifreeze in the combustion chambers is making me nervous, I was hoping this car would last for many years. I think I felt some power loss on a long trip this past weekend. Should I get this car into a mechanic right away? What kind of repair should I expect? Is the car worth holding onto for a long time, or does this problem damage the engine and really shorten its lifespan? Any advice or experiences would be great!

[NickR]

It's possible that your head gasket is leaking. A worst case scenario is that the head itself is slightly warped and needs to be machined (less likely). Either problem is fixable, and is worth fixing. There is not neccessarily any further damage to the engine. A compression test (cheap compression testers cost about $30, and the test is an easy DIY job) could help you confirm if you have a head gasket leak.

[rowboat]

If I decided to not fix the white smoke/ antifreeze in the cylinder problem what problems could I run into because of the problem?

[Tercel GTS]

You need to decide which will be cheaper/more convenient for you. Testing and possibly having a problem repaired, or breaking down most likely at the worst possible moment, the tow bill, the new engine and labor for installing it. Then there's the other option of trading it in and passing the buck.

[NickR]

I don't know for sure, but my guess is that if you don't fix it, the problem will get worse. Leaks tend to get worse over time. Possibly the car won't be driveable in a few months. Plus, you run a greater risk of running low on coolant, and having serious damage due to overheating. Coolant in the oil can't be good for the motor either.