Get a load of this.

I'm having some pretty noxious fumes now, for sometime. They hint a sweet smell but aren't at all. Getting worse. My ride runs, and fairly nicely. I only ever hear what sounds like a lifter sticking and tapping every so often.

I've developed such a small coolant leak that eventually i have to add more fluid maybe once a month. I've had suspicions of a cracked head gasket, and i noticed very small white chips coming out my exhaust. I think they're actually ***** of water/antifreeze bouncing out the hot exhaust.

What are the odds that i don't have a cracked gasket. I mean i could race my car, and i have to full power and it doesn't complain. I know i have low compression 130's so I'm losing oil ever so slightly too. Could this be keeping my car alive? lol Like turbo is functioning, cooling is functioning, hasn't overheated. I run it a bit cooler than normal.

Sounds pretty pathetic, but I heard a cracked head gasket would run like ****. I'm not getting smoke out the tailpipe. I'm going to do the seafoam again when i change the oil and see if i can tell when i get her jacked up. I have a black drip from passenger side in a bit from the wheel. seems like where i could be loosing my coolant, it runs down and turns black. not oil consistency

so odd. stealership garage gives me a lookover once a year, no charge. so i'd like to tell them kunckle heads what to look at.

 

The drip could be a bad fuel filter I had the same black leak and that's the right spot for it.

 

Cars make a gallon of water for every gallon of gas/fuel they burn. You're going to see some moisture on the tailpipe. Head gasket leaks seem to be part of the deal these days and Volvos aren't immune to the problem. It's a matter of degree and which way the leak goes.
I'd noticed a drop in coolant in the tank several times and decided to loosen the cap a tad to relieve some excess pressure and keep more coolant in the system till things change for the worse. I'd also noticed an oil leak from the valve cover trickling down the right rear of the engine while doing the timing belt; annoying but not critical. If the head gasket problem gets worse, I'll take care of both leaks at the same time.
I don't need a perfect car, just one that gets me down the road economically. Economically, to me, means doing only meaningful maintenance on it... that what keeps me on the road the longest between services. Right now I only stop for gas and fluid changes.
As for the noxious fumes, look for external leaks of oil, ATF and coolant hitting the exhaust system and vaporizing and coolant leaking into the car from the heater core.
ED7

 

The fuel filter i changed and have not had issues there, i'm talking about up front by the oil filter. maybe coolant hose loose. But I use to have an oil leak from the turbo, replaced the seals so its good. Possibly maybe a small coolant leak from around the turbo. Does anyone else's turbo seem to smoke just barely visible?

I didn't replace the j bolt copper o rings, so maybe that would be that issue.

But the smell I'm getting is definitely from the exhaust. Its odd, like the inside of my exhaust is turning white...

 

The smell and loss of coolant was from a bad clamp on the coolant line coming off the turbo. It would slowly leak run down and burn off on the turbo or, squirt under pressure. All is well. I was wondering why i kept pulling low coolant light under boost

 

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