Water coming out the tail pipe.....Head Gasket or something worse?

Electric-Mayhem · 07-23-2007, 12:38 PM

Ok........so I am having issues and I know its at least a head gasket. My question is, if water is coming pretty steadily out of the tail pipe when I crank the car, does that mean its something worse then just a head gasket? I've been having misfire issues lately too (cylinder 1 and 3).

Essentially what happened was, I was driving home from my family's house in the mountains of Colorado and it started to overheat. I figured I had a coolant leak somewhere so I stopped and topped off the radiator. This made it better, but it still wasn't happy. It ran well enough to get me home though. The weirdest thing that happened was that when I let off the gas and coasted with the engine in gear, it made backfire style popping noises that went away once I was back on the gas.

When I went out to start it this morning, I topped it off again to be sure and noticed that it was leaking a bit around the bottom radiator hose, so I tightened that up and filled the Radiator up.

However, when I went to start the car it bogged big time and made lots of very unhappy noises, and started spewing water out of the tail pipe. It will crank but is very unhappy about it.

So what I think is happening is that the head gasket on the passenger side has blown, and that has caused those cylinders to fill with water. My big question is, do any of you think that it did more damage then just the head gasket? I won't have a chance to get it to a mechanic (or tear it apart myself) for a bit so I just want some opinions on what it could be and a plan of action. I think I am capable of doing this myself, but I'm not sure I want to because of time issues and such.

Any ideas or input?

Josh H

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

edo2000 · 07-23-2007, 01:01 PM

It sounds like what you said, a blown head gasket, with possibly a warped head. You could pull the spark plugs and have someone crank it, that should identify which head has the problem.

breathinez · 07-23-2007, 01:28 PM

Check your oil and see if its milky in color. This would defintly mean you have a blown head gasket. The water/coolant mixing with the oil will cause this to occur. Now you will have water come out the tailpipe due to condensation occasionally. But I'm not sure how much you are actually seeing. I personally have never seen that happen per say when one of my cars or friends have blown a head gasket. But I'm not saying that it wouldn't happen. My .02

Electric-Mayhem · 07-23-2007, 01:43 PM

Its more then just condensation for sure and its definitely water/coolant. I'm not sure how much is actually in there, hopefully not a whole lot. I think I'll likely take it somewhere to get done, just a matter of where.

JH

rkramer · 07-23-2007, 04:30 PM

i've seen head gaskets that blew and didn't cause the oil to look different. i'm sure it would have shown up in a UOA, but depending on how it is leaking, it might just be burning off and going out the exhaust valve.

Scuter83 · 07-24-2007, 12:55 PM

If you have a lot of water/coolant coming out your exhaust, I wouldn't necessarily keep cranking the thing. Depending on how the gasket blew and the coolant passages on our engines you could leak coolant into a cylinder and hydrolock the thing. Maybe not at the speeds you see during cranking, but rememer that water/coolant doesn't like to compress.

07-23-2007, 12:38 PM	#1
Electric-Mayhem Scooby Newbie Member#: 60594 Join Date: Apr 2004 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Lakewood, CO Vehicle: 2004 WRX wagon WRB	Water coming out the tail pipe.....Head Gasket or something worse? Ok........so I am having issues and I know its at least a head gasket. My question is, if water is coming pretty steadily out of the tail pipe when I crank the car, does that mean its something worse then just a head gasket? I've been having misfire issues lately too (cylinder 1 and 3). Essentially what happened was, I was driving home from my family's house in the mountains of Colorado and it started to overheat. I figured I had a coolant leak somewhere so I stopped and topped off the radiator. This made it better, but it still wasn't happy. It ran well enough to get me home though. The weirdest thing that happened was that when I let off the gas and coasted with the engine in gear, it made backfire style popping noises that went away once I was back on the gas. When I went out to start it this morning, I topped it off again to be sure and noticed that it was leaking a bit around the bottom radiator hose, so I tightened that up and filled the Radiator up. However, when I went to start the car it bogged big time and made lots of very unhappy noises, and started spewing water out of the tail pipe. It will crank but is very unhappy about it. So what I think is happening is that the head gasket on the passenger side has blown, and that has caused those cylinders to fill with water. My big question is, do any of you think that it did more damage then just the head gasket? I won't have a chance to get it to a mechanic (or tear it apart myself) for a bit so I just want some opinions on what it could be and a plan of action. I think I am capable of doing this myself, but I'm not sure I want to because of time issues and such. Any ideas or input? Josh H * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
blown turbo, head gasket, or something else?	wrx tekker	Factory 2.0L Turbo Powertrain	4	09-17-2009 06:40 PM
leaky head gasket, or something else?	Meat Supply	Off-Topic	10	02-03-2009 07:57 PM
Crap, I have white smoke coming out the tail pipes...	tommypenguin	Factory 2.5L Turbo Powertrain	62	10-03-2008 01:25 AM
Riddle me this - Blown Head Gaskets or Something else	mick_the_ginge	Built Motor Discussion	107	09-22-2008 04:33 AM
I smell coolant...head gasket or something minor?	WRX.357	Factory 2.0L Turbo Powertrain	11	04-04-2007 09:24 PM

07-23-2007, 01:01 PM	#2
edo2000 Scooby Specialist Member#: 68709 Join Date: Aug 2004 Chapter/Region: AKIC Location: Kenai Peninsula, AK Vehicle: 2012 WRX red	It sounds like what you said, a blown head gasket, with possibly a warped head. You could pull the spark plugs and have someone crank it, that should identify which head has the problem.

07-23-2007, 01:28 PM	#3
breathinez Scooby Specialist Member#: 79859 Join Date: Jan 2005 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Greensboro, N.C. Vehicle: 2002 06 STi lb, meth 3" 8cm Green Hydra	Check your oil and see if its milky in color. This would defintly mean you have a blown head gasket. The water/coolant mixing with the oil will cause this to occur. Now you will have water come out the tailpipe due to condensation occasionally. But I'm not sure how much you are actually seeing. I personally have never seen that happen per say when one of my cars or friends have blown a head gasket. But I'm not saying that it wouldn't happen. My .02

07-23-2007, 01:43 PM	#4
Electric-Mayhem Scooby Newbie Member#: 60594 Join Date: Apr 2004 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Lakewood, CO Vehicle: 2004 WRX wagon WRB	Its more then just condensation for sure and its definitely water/coolant. I'm not sure how much is actually in there, hopefully not a whole lot. I think I'll likely take it somewhere to get done, just a matter of where. JH

07-23-2007, 04:30 PM	#5
rkramer Scooby Guru Member#: 118209 Join Date: Jun 2006 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: North Dakota Vehicle: 2002 WRX Sedan	i've seen head gaskets that blew and didn't cause the oil to look different. i'm sure it would have shown up in a UOA, but depending on how it is leaking, it might just be burning off and going out the exhaust valve.

07-24-2007, 12:55 PM	#6
Scuter83 Scooby Newbie Member#: 59781 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Vehicle: 2002 wrx sedan sedona red pearl	If you have a lot of water/coolant coming out your exhaust, I wouldn't necessarily keep cranking the thing. Depending on how the gasket blew and the coolant passages on our engines you could leak coolant into a cylinder and hydrolock the thing. Maybe not at the speeds you see during cranking, but rememer that water/coolant doesn't like to compress.