WHITE SMOKE...TURBO OR HEAD GASKET?
 

Hi all,

This is my first post, thanks for looking. I have the chance to buy a 93 Impreza Turbo (UK car) but it has white smoke pouring out the exhaust. I know it used to be fine as I had driven the car before. The engine seems to sound ok. It appears to be running on 4 cylinders from start up and revs cleanly. The check engine light flashes all the time too, but I'm not sure if it is related. Because the car has not been used since it happened I cannot see any noticable drop in the water level or any emulsification.

Is head gasket failure common or is it possibly the turbo? I read that if white smoke comes out the exhaust then the turbo has gone. Haven't removed spark plugs yet either to check individual cylinders. Thanks for any help.