Q: Car won't run after running rough

asked by on February 12, 2016

I started my car after work and noticed it was running rough while it was idling. It also had thick white smoke coming out of the exhaust, smelled like used fuel, and didn't have much power. Once I got it home, I turned it off and started it back up, and all I could hear was metal clinking. Now, the car won't start. I checked and the battery is fine.

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Hello, from your description it sounds like you might have fuel injector that is stuck open. A stuck open fuel injector will let fuel just flow into a particular cylinder, letting raw fuel just go strait into the exhaust without being burned in the cylinder. You say that it won’t start which might be an indication of the engine being hydro locked. There should have been a Check Engine Light on, if not flashing while this was happening. Now that the engine won’t spin with the starter, the spark plugs will have to be removed, and the engine turned at the crank to see if the engine spins. This will also force any fluid out of the cylinder safely. If the engine doesn’t spin, then the engine is seized or locked up due to a bent rod. If you would like have this inspected by a professional, YourMechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose your engine’s rough idle for you.

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