NEWBIE

My sister's chevy lumina which i believe is a 93' broke down yesterday. from what she tells me she was driving and heard clicking noises and when came to a stop at a light motor shut down and smoke came from under hood. temp gauge did not indicate motor was hot and no apparent leaks of coolant. coolant was full and oil was full. when she tried to restart it would turn but not start and black smoke came out the tailpipe. im thinking the black smoke might be built up gas that burned out because of trying to start it. i havent yet looked at it but in need of some possibilities. thanx a buch

EscalonJon

Could the "clicking noise(s)" be tappets and maybe a valve got stuck open? This could cause all kinds of wierd things to happen. Maybe try a compression check...

Chev007

The black smoke is usually a manifestation of an engine that's burning too much fuel('running rich'). The excess fuel that has entered the cylinder area when unburned completely causes the unlikely smoke. Your sister's valve seals may be cracked also. Also to prevent this in the future, tell her to always have her vehicle emission tested after tune-ups. Hope this helps