I am getting a white smoke coming into the cabin of my 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette. It only happens after the air conditioning has been running for a while and then it is shut off and the air intake must be set to outside air. If we are using inside air we get no smoke. We also get no smoke if the air is on. We have been told it could be the intake manifold gasket leaking. We replaced it 3 years ago and they used Dex-cool coolant. I have been told it could be the heater core needing to be flushed or replaced and we have been told it could be a problem with the air conditioning unit itself, that it may be leaking. Any ideas?

autodr

• 260 Answers
• Posted on Nov 16, 2008

SOURCE: Olds silhouette heater blows cold air

as long as the engine temperature is normal, i would suspect a clogged heater core, the dex-cool antifreeze is notorious for building up deposits in cooling system. have heater core flushed first to see if it makes any difference

SOURCE: lower intake manifold gasket leaking 02 Olds Silhouette

This is basicly a very time consuming job rather than a physically hard one to complete. In order to replace the gasket you must remove the intake plenum,throttle body, and misc. vacuum hoses. The wiring harness connections must also be disconnected. Finally the intake manifold is exposed. The bolts holding the manifold to the block are removed exposing the leaking gasket. After removing the push rods and placing them in the correct order to be replaced the gasket and sealants can be removed. Finally replace everything in reverse order. Be sure to consult a GM manual for correct bolt torch specs. The correct specs for the manifold bolts usually come with the gasket. Make sure to change your oil a few times after this job in case any coolant entered the block. Also,change the thermostat and the oil seal on the distributor half shaft cap while you have everything off. Good Luck