Hey everyone I'm new to cadillac & to the cadillac forum. I bought a 2002 Cadillac Deville about a year ago. Truly amazing car! It now has 111k miles on it. I put a new transmission in it and a new radiator as well. About a week ago, I had a mechanic check the car since it was leaking coolant. He said it was the hose so he changed it, it had a tear in it, but now it seems like it is leaking more. Also I noticed that there is this semi thick white smoke coming out from the tailpipes. It smells fruity, burnt, & it has a maple smell to it too. Anyone know what it might be or any recommendations? Thank you in advance.

 

Blown head gasket. Have your mechanic perform a CO test on cooling system to be sure.

 

ok will do. Ima take it tomorrow morning. As far as driving it around, can I or is it not recommended?

 

not really advised, but check coolant before driving. and watch engine temp on DIC while driving stop if it hit 240 and let it cool.

 

mechanic said he was going to do a block test on it. Is that better than the CO test? He said he'll let me know what he finds out.

 

A block test and a CO test are the same. The test determines the presence of exhaust gasses in the coolant.

 

so the mechanic said it failed the block test. Seems like he didn't want to the job since it's a "very big job." Told me I have 3 options: get new engine, get a used engine, or fix that one. Car does not overheat but does lose coolant. I check it every time I drive. Been seeing that used/reconstructed engines range from 700-1200 while a new ones range from 1500 and up. Any recommendations? Quick alternatives to help eliminate the smoke?

 

head gaskets are a big and expensive job. How attached to this car are you? Used engine depending how its guarantied could be a good option. There are some "miracle in a can " products out there, which could temporally correct smoking. I'm not a fan of them. To me they are merely to patch it up long enough to trade in.