So I was out in the '96 960 today which I know is needing a new head gasket soon since it's losing a lot of oil. Anyways, I hear a banging sound followed by clunking and then thick grey smoke starts pouring out of the tail pipe while I drive and the car is burning hot to the touch but all of the coolant levels are fine.

Long story short I've been trying to get it home all day stopping every few blocks until it starts to smoke again and then letting it cool down. It's gone through 4.5 quarts of oil today so I know something is seriously wrong. I'm about two miles from home and I have let it sit for the last 4 hours so it is cool now plus it's dark out so no one can see me smoking.

I'm taking it to shop in the morning but should I add more oil (its dry again) and try to limp home or should I take the bus and send a tow truck for it in the morning. I want to take the bus but my dad who is with me is insisting that he adds more oil and drive it home and then to the shop in the morning.

Which should we do?

 

Sounds like the motors toast. Still, your father is a sadist to attempt driving it further. If he's footing the bill for a new engine then let him have his jollies. Otherwise, tow it.

 

It may be too late, but have it towed if is leaking oil so badly.

I have to say it does not sound good, something must have broken a wall internally to allow oil into the cylinder and at a large rate. A broken valve?

Keep us posted, very interested in finding out what this is.

DanR '94 964 354,000 miles (120,000 on the new engine)

 

In the end we just parked it on a side street for the night and came back today in the afternoon. We started it again and within 10 seconds of idling it started smoking and smoking a lot...I mean smoking like batman hitting the smoke screen button in the batmobile kind of smoking. So the tow truck came to get it and dropped it off at the shop which was closed so I'll hear the verdict in the morning and then let you all know what it is.

 

Well the shop just called, they said there were problems with the rad which was causing the oil to massively overheat. So they are going to throw in a new rad, replace the head gasket and any other seals that are bad and repair any cracks that they find. It's going to run me $2,300 all taxes in (12%) which I don't think is terrible and they say the car should be good for another 300,000 or 400,000 kms, it already has about 325,000kms on it.

 

I would pass on that. Should be able to find another car for that kind of money, and/or have a motor replaced for $1,500. Take that money and put it towards another car a little newer.

 

I actually told him to go ahead on it. I got a quote from 3 other shops and the local dealer and all quoted $3,000-$5,000. Every other mechanical or suspension related thing on the car replaced within the last year so I know it will be virtually new once this gets fixed. Replacing the motor makes me a little jumpy as I have had bad experiences with that in the past, this is the only car we have so saving the money and putting it towards something newer won't work either.

 

The only reason I said that is because I recently purchase a S90 for $500. Put about $350 into it and it was good to go for probably 100k. I did the work myself but that's a long way away from $2,300 on a motor (will that be new or used? Oh, you said repaired). A damaged motor like that always scares me. Does it have a cracked piston wall? Can they fix that? Will this turn into you having the motor replaced and end up being out of another $1,500???