Introduction to smoke signals
Author: Haje Jan Kamps
Published: 06 October 2005
Every now and again, our cars are trying to tell us something, by bellowing clouds of smoke out of the exhaust. Especially on older cars this is a problem - but also newer cars occasionally let go a puff of confusion. But what do you do? Does a big cloud of black smoke mean your car is ready to be replaced, or is it more malign than that? Through our handy guide, we tell you how to read your cars’ smoke signals. Of course, it is always best to take the car to a garage, but it’s good to know a little about what is going on yourself. So - without further ado - the MotorTorque guide to smoking:
Blue smoke
If the smoke is coming out of the exhaust pipe, it generally means that your car is a little bit too thirsty on the oil. If you are driving a car with an automatic transmission, make sure to check the oil used by the transmission system. A leak could conceivably cause blue smoke. If the smoke occurs all the time, you need to get to a garage as soon as possible, because this could signify that something pretty bad is going on - a jammed turbocharger or similar. It could be pricy to repair, but less expensive than a full engine failure, so make sure to have it looked at soon! Intermittent blue smoke can be caused by a series of things, but would most frequently be caused by worn valve seats. This used to happen most frequently on old, lead-dependent cars that are being run on unleaded fuel, but it can also happen on newer cars that are driven hard, or if they have been driven in adverse conditions with big variations in temperature etc. In Diesel engines, a pale blue smoke may mean that air is sucked into the fuel system, which would mean you have a problem with your fuel pump or the fuel pipes. Blue smoke is generally bad news: The repairs are quite tricky, and may be costly.White smoke
White smoke from the exhaust system is often quite benign: It will most frequently be steam from condensated water that evaporates in the hot exhaust system. This will often happen when the engine is still cold - once your engine gets warm and the humidity has evaporated from the exhaust system, the white smoke disappears. Generally: nothing to worry about. If your car has an even flow of white smoke, even when it is running nice and warm (after, say, 30 miles), make sure you check your coolant fluid: If it is depleting, you may have a leak in the head gasket, a problem with the cylinder head, or even just a cracked seal somewhere. Make sure to keep your cooling fluid topped up, and get to a garage when you have a chance - it may be nothing, but it could be serious. If huge billows of large amounts of smoke are coming from the car, but not necessarily from the exhaust system, it may be a problem with the brake fluid. The hydraulic oil that keeps the pressure in your brake system smokes a lot when it comes into contact with somehting hot (such as your exhaust system or the hot brake discs). It may be a leaking brake cylinder or crack somewhere in the brake system. Obviously, this can be quite dangerous, and it is worth getting it checked out sooner, rather than later. In diesel engines, white smoke may signify fuel not being burned well enough, due to an injection problem, air delivery problem, or any of the problems noted above.Black smoke
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thank you for the info, very handy