Coolant leak and rotten egg smell and white smoke

RICKY CLARK

MEMBER
2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU
2.4L
4 CYL
AUTOMATIC
104,000 MILES

Please Help. I recently saw coolant leaking under the front passenger side of the car. I've been adding coolant for three days now as it gets low. Today I've notice a rotten egg smell coming from the driver side exhaust. After driving for abut thirty minutes, I shut off and seen white smoke coming from the trunk and tail lights on the drivers side and not the exhaust.

2 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
42,924 POSTS

Bummer, it sounds like you have a blown head gasket. but to be sure here is a guide to help confirm the issue:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

If positive here are instruction and guides on how to replace the head gasket. Start by disconnecting the battery and draining the coolant. Also, you will need to have the heads resurfaced below you put it back together.

Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see what it is.

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Wednesday, January 16th, 2019 AT 4:49 PM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

Good evening,

The rotten egg smell is coming from the engine running rich or a cylinder not firing allowing too much fuel into the catalytic converter and it is overheating as a result.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-misfires-or-runs-rough

Is the check engine light on?

You need to pressure test the system to find the leak.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/radiator-pressure-test

Also, white smoke is an indication of burning coolant from a possible bad head gasket.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/white-smoke-or-steam-coming-from-the-exhaust-pipe

Roy

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Wednesday, January 16th, 2019 AT 4:52 PM