White smoke after idling for about 20 minutes

RedHelix

Hi everyone,
I left my '08 Focus idling for about 20 minutes in the driveway this afternoon. Suddenly, I heard a soft pop and white smoke started billowing out from under the hood, accompanied by a hissing sound. I ran over and shut the car off, and the smoke promptly stopped. I caught a whiff of antifreeze when I popped the hood, but I can't say for sure if that's what the smoke was.

I let the car sit for about 2-3 minutes and when I started it up again, everything was fine. Even the temp gauge was spot-on center.

Now, I haven't changed the coolant since I bought it in 08. When I checked the coolant reservior it looked pretty empty. We topped it off with water and I went on my way. Drove the rest of the day without issue, but didn't idle that long again.

I think it just overheated, but I'm concerned about the soft popping sound I heard just as the smoke started coming out. Should I suspect any permanent damage somewhere? Or do I just need a flush?

Tom Struble

head or head gasket problems,flushing ain't gonna do it

RedHelix

You think so? My spark plugs are clean, and the car doesn't run rough at all.

BryantS

Did your fans even come on? This might be going out on a limb and all but if you smelled coolant when you opened the hood then maybe your t-stat is leaking. They are famous for this. the plastic housing has an o-ring and it just corrodes. When they leak it creates an air pocket. When the car trys to warm up steam fills the pocket then it can pop when trying to get out.