Few days ago, a friend of mine call to seek maintenance advice on what he noticed from the exhaust pipe of his car - Toyota Camry 2006 model. He was eager to know what could be the cause of white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe because he observed regular maintenance of the car. I asked him few questions in other to know if the smoke is the type that indicates a minor or major problem to the engine (i.e. the colour/smell of the smoke, the last time he serviced the engine and also the condition of his injector as it relates to fuel consumption). After all the questioning, I discover the type of the smoke and advised him on what to do to correct it.
Not all types of smoke spell disaster for automobiles. Beyond doubt, recurrent smoke from your vehicle’s exhaust pipe can be a good determinant of auto malfunction. When big smoke is emitted out of your vehicle, you would more or less consider that something is wrong with one parts of your
engine. This implication can certainly be true in some cases. On the other hand, not all automotive problems can be detected through the existence of smoke. Furthermore, not all types of smoke can indicate that your vehicle needs a serious repair.
engine. This implication can certainly be true in some cases. On the other hand, not all automotive problems can be detected through the existence of smoke. Furthermore, not all types of smoke can indicate that your vehicle needs a serious repair.
So how do you really know when the smoke is already disastrous?
When can the smoke be reliable enough to warn you about the condition of your engine parts?
The answers can be found by thoroughly analyzing the color of the smoke. This may appear as a difficult task, yet once you get to learn this auto mechanic trick, you will find it very easy to become aware of the condition of your vehicle, from problems with the auto radiator to having excess fuel in the system.
There are a few types of auto smoke that you must be familiar with as the auto mechanic of your own car. Below are four types, what each one indicates and their possible causes.
White Smoke
This is not a problem if experienced once, it may be as a result of normal condensation buildup inside the exhaust system. But if it the smoke is frequent, that's an indication that coolant is burning in the engine combustion chamber.
These are possible causes:
- Cylinder Head: A crack in the cylinder head (around the coolant jacket) will cause coolant to enter the combustion chamber. And when the mixture of coolant and fuel is burnt for combustion purpose, their burnt gas is always a white in colour.
- Engine Block: A crack in the deck of an engine block near the coolant jacket will cause coolant to enter the combustion chamber.
- Head Gasket: A damaged or blown head gasket will cause coolant to enter the combustion chamber resulting in white/gray smoke coming from the exhaust pipe or silencer.
Blue/Gray Smoke
Blue/gray exhaust smoke is an indication of oil burning in the combustion chamber of the engine.
These are possible symptoms and causes:
- Valve Seals: Leaking valve seals will cause blue/gray exhaust smoke.
- Valve Guides: Excessive clearance between the valve stem and the valve guide allows oil to leak past the gap into the cylinder.
- Piston Rings: Worn or damaged piston rings will cause blow-by, resulting in blue/gray smoke.
- Worn Cylinder Walls: Worn cylinder walls cause blow-by, resulting in blue/gray smoke.
- Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) System: A stuck closed PCV valve will cause excessive crankcase pressure and the effect will result in blue/gray smoke.
Black Smoke
Black exhaust smoke is an indication of a rich fuel condition on the engine combustion chamber.
These are possible causes:
- Fuel Injectors: A leaking or dripping fuel injector will cause a excess fuel on the combustion chamber, which will cause in excess combustion and the result is result can be seen from thick black smoke leaving the exhaust pipe or silencer.
- Fuel Pressure Regulator: A stuck closed fuel pressure regulator will cause a rich fuel available for combustion.
- Fuel Return: A restricted fuel return line will allow too much fuel to be dissipated for combustion purposes. When the amount of fuel needed for combustion is higher than normal, more fuel will be burnt and the rate of burnt gases leaving the combustion chamber will also increase.
Excessive Smoke
This indicates that your auto is using up too much engine oil or fuel. This type of failure can range from poor fuel economy to a plugged catalytic converter. It can even be caused by a previous engine overheating incident.
If you notice that your vehicle has been using too much oil and you see that your engine oil level is unnaturally low between oil changes then it only means that your engine has been burning up too much oil too soon.
This problem could indicate that our engine is having mechanical problems.
To be sure, do check your vehicle’s compression to find out if any of your engine parts are in need of replacing or repair.
Any smoke coming from your car’s exhaust pipe is a sign that your car is in distress. I will advice you to do a diagnostic check of your car, be very careful of whom you give your car to fix and always pay attention to what it needs to ensure more mileages for your vehicle.
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