Here are the symtoms: Has hard time starting, backfires ALOT, i had one of my sparkplug wires on the wrong cylinder and it made the same backfiring sounds as it does now. But now the backfires are ALOT more. There sometimes is smoke coming out of the right side of my engine, and sometimes smoke out of my exhaust.

 

Smoke coming from the side of the engine? I would have to say head gasket.....bummer. Do you have headers? Maybe the manifold gasket went bad.........

 

You didn't adjust your rockers in the last little while did you?

 

I do have headers, and no i didnt mess with my rockers. So you guys dont think it has anything to do with my opti? I dont want to change the head gasket and then not fix the problem. Head gasket isnt going to be a walk in the park.

 

i guess the real question is what color is that smoke.


change ur oil btw and see if its milky when you stir it up.

 

You can do a compression check on each one of the cylinders that might tell you if you have head gasket leak. Gauge is like $30 at Autozone.

 

Well im in the middle of a compression check and when i pulled the spark plug it had oil on it. Does that mean head gasket for sure or what? On the compression check, do you just check one side then the other or do you have to check each cylinder?

 

?????

 

Check them all and do it correctly.

 

Check each cylinder.Also look for a plug(s) that is really clean.Sounds like your car burns oil which could be you problem.