Learn
how toquickly check your car’s health from the color of the smoke emitted by your
car exhaust – Tips from Partsavatar Aftermarket Parts.
You can easily
determine an auto malfunction from the smoke emissions. It is definitely time
to pay attention to your car if you notice smoke of different colors emitting
from exhaust tailpipe.
Not all type of smokes
determine auto malfunction. In some cases, if you notice a large amount of
smoke coming out of car exhaust pipe,
you would more or less consider that something is wrong with your car’s engine.
But it is to be noted that it is not always the same case. Not all automotive
problems can be detected from smoke types. But still, how do you know that the
smoke is ruining your engine? When do you think is the time to visit the
mechanic once you notice smoke?
Parts Avatar gives you
the answer. In this article, we shall differentiate between different colored
auto smokes that you must be familiar with along with their causes.
What
are the Causes of Smoke?
First and foremost let
us know why the smoke is produced before analyzing different colors of smoke.
If there is some problem with the engine that produces smoke, that smoke makes
its exit through the exhaust.
Sometimes, fire under
the hood produces engine smoke and in the worst case flames may start coming
out which could lead to a disaster. Do yourself a favor and get far away from
your car if you notice something like this. It is foolish decision to keep on
driving as it will eventually become risky for your safety.
Oil dripping from
leaking valve cover gasket into the hot manifold may also produce smoke. You will
also notice oil pooling under the car or the driveway if the leak is large.You
can replace car valve cover gasket
under aftermarket prices which are quite cheap.
So, not always there is
issue with engine. But to begin with, smoke is not a good sign. Hand over your
car to a certified technician and let him figure out what to do. Now let us
discuss causes of different colored smoke emitted out of exhaust.
White
Exhaust Smoke
Sometimes small amount
of condensed vapors come out of exhaust in the form of white smoke. It is not
that dangerous though. Vapors quickly dissipate in the atmosphere after exiting
car exhaust tailpipe. But if your
car is producing frequent thick white smoke, then it might be alarming.There is
possibility that coolant might be burning inside the internal combustion
chamber. There are various causes behind this as follows.
Cylinder
Head
As the combustion chamber
is located in the cylinder head, most explosive processes take place in here.Engine misfires
are always caused due to cracks in cylinder head.
The crack in the cylinder head
causes the coolant to enter the combustion chamber.
Due to too much heat
inside the chamber, overheating can be caused. Due to immense heat, a lot of
stress is put on cylinder head. As the cooling system has already failed and
pressure has been built, this whole scenario causes the head gasket to
malfunction and the cylinder head starts to crack. When the mixture of coolant
and fuel is burnt for combustion process, it produces white smoke.
Auto Cylinder heads are one of the car’s
costly repairs. Your car may need complete replacement of cylinder head. If the
cylinder heads are ignored, by time the damage is so big that you might need to
consider buying a new car.
Blown
Head Gasket
The basic purpose of
head gasket is to seal the block and the cylinder head. Often a damaged head
gasket or cracks in the engine block makes passage for the coolant to enter the
combustion chamber and get mixed with the fuel. Thus white smoke is produced. car's engine Head gaskets
are cheap to purchase but at the same time costly when it comes to the labor.
Cracked
engine block
A crack in the deck of
engine block near the coolant jacket will cause the coolant to enter the
combustion chamber.Cracked engine block can become a grave problem for your
car’s engine. It is virtually impossible to repair a cracked engine block.
Engine block supports almost all the components of the engine.
A crack in the block
will cause huge leakages making your car emit white smoke. It is better to get
an engine replacement as a whole.
It is to be noted that
emission of white smoke is the first sign of engine overheating problem.Overheating of engine
can lead to massive auto component damage under the hood. So call your mechanic
immediately.
Gray/Blue
Exhaust Smoke
A malfunctioning
turbocharger or burning of oil in the combustion chamber can cause the exhaust
to emit blue smoke.You might need to replace turbocharger of your car
if it is faulty.These are possible symptoms.
Transmission
fluid leakage
The transmission fluid
used by your vehicle’s transmission might be leaking and getting mixed with the
oil or fuel and getting burnt. A malfunctioning transmission vacuum modulator
may be the culprit here which is causing the leakage and burning.
Leaking
Valve stem seal
The valve stems
regulate the oil to lubricate the guides in the chamber. Grey emissions might
be produced due to faulty stem seals as they make the way for the oil to enter
the combustion chamber. The best way is to either replace Auto Valve stem seal set or
just replace the engine if the damage is quite big. Worn or damaged piston rings,
damaged valve guides also cause grey smoke to be emitted out of the exhaust.Replace
car's piston rings in combustion chamber
too.
Stuck
PCV Valve
Blue or gray smoke
could also be produced due to immense crankcase pressure caused by the stuck
PCV Valve. Stuck valve may cause oil leakage into the chamber thus producing
grey fumes. If they are loose, tighten PCV Valve of car and check whether the
smoke persists. Otherwise call your mechanic for better advice.
Black
Exhaust Smoke
Burning of excessive
fuel in the engine often causes the black exhaust smoke to emit. This means
that too much gas is entering the chamber but only small amount of fuel is
being burnt. In this case fill your gas tank with relevant amount of fuel. Let
us take a look at some other causes.
Dirty
Air filter
The air filter allows
the oxygen to enter the combustion chamber and blocks other substances from entering
the chamber. But if it is clogged, less air is allowed in the chamber resulting
in your car burning too much fuel with small amount of oxygen which results in
black smoke. It is better to replace the car air filter if you notice any
symptom of malfunction.
Faulty
Fuel Pressure Regulator
Our car’s fuel system
is designed to work in different range of pressures.The fuel pressure regulator
controls the pressure with which your car runs. A faulty regulator may cause
the pressure to fluctuate and if it falls too low then there may not be enough
fuel reaching the engine to start it. Replace the fuel pressure regulator if
necessary.
Clogged
Fuel injectors
Fuel injectors are the
devices that are used to spray small amount of atomized gasoline into the
vehicle’s Engine intake manifold
which is meant to mix with the oxygen to start your car’s engine. A faulty fuel
injector will cause too much fuel to leak inside the chamber which in turn
produces black smoke. The remedy is to repair the auto fuel injectors.
Fuel
Return
A restricted fuel
return line allows too much fuel to be dissipated for combustion purposes. If
the amount of fuel for combustion is higher than normal, more fuel will be
burnt and the rate of burnt gases leaving the combustion chamber will also
increase resulting in black smoke.
Burning excessive fuel
will affect your car’s fuel economy. So pay attention to what it needs to
ensure more miles for your car.
Bottom
line
If your vehicle is
running on too much oil, engine is burning too much oil or if you notice oil or
coolant leakage, then there is a possibility that your engine is malfunctioning.
Smoke depicts that the
car is in distress. Always diagnose what needs to be repaired and beware of the
fake auto repair shops. Take advice from a professional or even take second opinion.
Don’t wait for the engine light to flash.
Keep an eye on the
smoke emitter by your car’s exhaust and keep proper level of Auto transmission fluid
and coolant of car
in your car.
