engine check light/oil light/ heavy smoking

[fyah17]

Hi..need some suggestions..my 97 honda crv was smoking quite a bit after the head was swapped out...many persons suggested that the valve seals needed to be changed and the smoking will stop..carried it to a "mechanic" to have them change only to hear that cam shaft seal/valve needs to be replaced and some sort of cover seal needed to be replaced as well can't remember at this point. Now upon getting back the vehicle the check engine light is on..the oil light comes on as well now and then, but the dip stick is reading that it has in enough oil and very frighteningly the vehicle seems to be back in a state of how it was before the head was swapped, in that the vehicle when in drive idled right down to nearly 1 and eventually shut off when I came to a stop. There also seems to be just a little bit of oil in the radiator...any suggestions because I really don't want to carry it back to the same person...thanks

[n5926g]

Was this head remanufactured?,or just pulled off another engine?

[fyah17]

Taken off another engine...don't live in the U.S so not that easy access to remanufactured heads.

[n5926g]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news,but I suspect the head that was put on is cracked, Valve seals bad as well.
I think you are indeed back to "Square one"...My suggestion is to have your old head reworked,and put it back on,with new gaskets, timing belt,water pump etc....New head bolts as well....

[fyah17]

do you think a bad/ improperly installed oil pump can be causing the oil light to be coming on and subsequently can that be the reason the engine check light is on?

[Buffalo4]

Why was the head replaced? Did the timing belt break and bend the valves, etc?
Are you sure they actually replaced the head? Oil in the radiator fluid usually means a cracked engine block or a cracked head or a bad head gasket.
Who replaced the oil pump, and why?
Check the PCV valve to make sure it is still working properly. East to get to and easy to change and cheap. Low oil pressure usually results from worn out bearings.
Who did the work, a good shop or a friend or?
A compression check and a leakdown test would provide valuable info.
Have you owned this vehicle for a long time, or just get it?
Best of luck.
Buffalo4

[fyah17]

To kind of summarise most the answers..the head was replaced because the previous one could not be shaved again...the vehicle was working perfectly well except for the smoking after..persons suggested replacing the valve seals...so a member of family took it to someone while I was away...now upon getting it back..I have to double check in the radiator to see the fluid but it was only a small streak of coolant and since there has been know creamy mixture in oil cap for sure...the vehicle is still smoking however...which is not my concern..the fact is we carried it with that being the only problem now I got it back..the vehicle seems to have lost power...upon running a few mins the rpm goes below the 1, the oil light comes on and it starts slightly shaking as though it's going to shut off. Additionally at times when in park the vehicle revs from around 1.5 to the 2 mark up and down up and down..the engine check light also comes on about 3-5 seconds after starting the vehicle...

[kypriaki]

Obviously water and oil are mixing together so could be as mentioned that the head or the engine block has a crack. Never drive or even run the engine in this situation as it could probably over heat and seize up all together. Although it sounds that you have drove it and may have caused more damage.
You need to get the mechanic who has done the work on it and try to get him to fix what he should have done in the first place.