i need some opinion or some answers please. my 91 buick regal limited 3.8 litre has no power going uphill. meaning that i have to slam the gas and kick in passing gear to go up a hill. the tranny seems to be shifting great. on flat ground. runs and drives excelent untill i reach a hill. i just did a tune up on it. (plugs, wires, heater core, water pump, oil change cooling, system flush, air filter, fuel filter and a new alternator). but still no power. i notice my oil pressure guage is pegged way past 120 and when i sit at idle it bounces all over the place and the car shudders a little bit. and the volt meter says 18 and pegged also. i can smell antifreeze every time i shut off the car. the cooling system has no pressure in it. when its fully warmed up i can pop the radiator cap off with no blow back. as if there was no pressure in the radiator. also when the car sits at idle i notice it smokes a bit. just a very light whitish smoke. but dont most cars stop smoking when they warm up. the cat converter isn't glowing. and the radio buzzes like an aeroplane when i drive it. but its a new alt. any help would rule. i just hope there isnt a crack in the block anywhere. please help. -Brett -brettstgermain@yahoo.com

Several things could cause the lack of pressure in the radiator, like a leak somewhere in the cooling system, a blown head gasket, or simply a bad radiator cap. You need to pressure test the cooling system first, then do a compression or leak-down test on all the cylinders. White smoke from the exhaust, would most likely = coolant coming from somewhere! :uhoh: