Fleeting condensation aside, especially during colder months, thick white smoke is a sign of a major issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Ignoring the smoke could, at worst, lead to a blown engine.
The causes of white exhaust smoke can vary; however, it is common to see white exhaust smoke when first starting a car, especially on cooler days. This is generally steam caused by condensation. As the engine warms up and the condensation dissipates the white exhaust smoke (steam) is no longer seen. If excessive white exhaust smoke is present well after the engine warms up, it is necessary to have the car inspected for possible internal coolant leaks. Indicators of an internal coolant leak include billowing white exhaust smoke accompanied by a sweet odor or a low coolant reservoir level. An internal coolant leak can also contaminate the engine oil giving it a frothy, milky appearance. Even small amounts of coolant entering the combustion chamber will produce white exhaust smoke.
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One of the main causes of white exhaust smoke and coolant loss is a cracked or warped cylinder head, a cracked engine block, or head gasket failure caused by overheating. A cracked head may allow coolant to leak into one or more cylinders or into the combustion chamber of the engine. Dirty coolant, a poorly maintained cooling system, a low coolant level, or a non-functioning cooling fan can cause engine overheating. In addition, engine wear can eventually cause the gaskets to lose their capacity to seal properly allowing internal coolant loss. Intake manifold gasket and head gasket failures are two of the most common sources of internal coolant loss caused by engine wear.
Never remove the radiator cap or coolant reservoir cap while the engine is hot or running as it can cause serious injury; always allow the car to cool down completely first. Checking for a low coolant level in the reservoir is the first step in determining if coolant loss is causing the white exhaust smoke. If the coolant reservoir is at the proper level but excessive white exhaust smoke is present, a cooling system pressure check is required to determine where, if any, coolant leaks are located.
The most common reasons for thick white smoke from exhaust involves some malfunction that requires immediate repairs or replacement of faulty parts, many of which are very expensive, and if you continue to drive in this state, you would risk further serious and expensive damage to your engine. To avoid this, you must understand the various root causes of white smoke from exhaust and master the maintenance steps of how to troubleshoot and fix these problems. Also included is the cost for repair or replacement in each case.
Thick white smoke from exhaust suggests that coolant or water has inadvertently entered the combustion chamber, which they should never. When coolant or water is burned within the engine block, it produces thick white smoke that exits through your tailpipe.
Thin white smoke on startup then disappears is usually a result of condensation build-up within the exhaust system. It tends to occur in the winter or cold mornings. The smoke should be thin, not too visible and only be coming out in small amounts upon startup, and will burn out fairly quickly after your engine warms up, particularly after about 30 seconds to a minute. It is not a sign of trouble, but if it occurs in conjunction with other occurrences of reduced engine performance or difficult starting, it may indicate a more serious issue within your engine.
While a cracked coolant reservoir tank is rare, when most mechanics hear about thick white smoke from exhaust, they would assume the worst. That is usually due to a crack in the cylinder head, head gasket or engine block, all of which are not very quick and cheap to replace, and is not a maintenance job for the novice.
Cracks in these parts are caused by a consistently overheating engine due to low coolant levels, which is due to leaking coolant, and constant temperature fluctuations of the engine. They allow coolant or oil to leak into the cylinders, which then are burned and produce thick white smoke from exhaust.
The only thing that should be inside a combustion chamber is the precise mixture of air and fuel. If oil somehow finds its way into the cylinder, it will be ignited together with the air and fuel mixture, resulting in a thick blue-ish cloud of smoke to exit the tailpipe, which might appear to be white smoke to some people. Other signs include engine misfires and increased oil consumption.
When you encounter white smoke in your diesel-powered car, it means the fuel is not burning correctly due to a lack of heat in the combustion chamber. The unburnt diesel does not only cause white smoke but also contains certain toxins that will likely sting your eyes.
If you own a diesel-powered vehicle, in addition to the reasons discussed above, white smoke from exhaust is usually caused by low cylinder compression, low fuel pressure to the fuel pump, damaged fuel lines, incorrect or broken fuel pump timing, broken injection timing, cracked or damaged rings or cylinder liners, and broken crankshaft keyway.
One of the most common complaints of this type regards exhaust smoke that appears to be white in color. The smoke of this type is often quite dense in nature, and is easily observed by any bystander in the immediate area. This smoke tends to appear most prominently on startup, or when accelerating, leaving ample cause for concern.
Similar to that which occurs in the case of a blown head gasket, a cracked cylinder head can allow coolant to flow into one or more combustion chambers, where it is then burnt, creating white smoke in the process. This problem is only corrected through the replacement of the damaged cylinder head.
In any event, the root cause behind the presence of white exhaust smoke should be diagnosed and remedied as soon as possible. Doing so will prevent the issue itself from progressing in severity, while also minimizing the risk of secondary engine damage.
A perforation to your gasket or a blown head gasket usually occurs as a result of an overheated engine. When coolant flows into the combustion chamber from a blown head gasket it burns/evaporates into white smoke.
In any service shop, a smoke machine is a great investment because of the variety of systems that it can be used to test. The use of smoke machines has proven to be an effective way to locate vacuum, exhaust, gas, oil and coolant leaks. They are also easy to use: simply plug in and turn on. The machines produce a thick white smoke with pressure around 1 psi to 2 psi. The smoke then spreads throughout the system being tested. If there is a leak, smoke will become visible. Using a bright flashlight helps in locating the smoke, especially in dark, cramped areas of the engine bay.
The most noticeable symptom of internal coolant leakage is when the white smoke is billowing out of the exhaust pipe and leaves a sweet odor in the air. If you the white smoke consistently comes out and the sweet odor smell is present, then it is definitely a problem with your coolant leaking.
The reason why coolant usually leaks is because there could be a crack in the cylinder head or even engine block. Even if the crack is small, the internal coolant can easily leak out and contaminate the oil of your engine. This is how the exhaust smoke ends up turning white.
The combination of the coolant and engine oil will create a milky appearance in the smoke. All it takes is for just a little bit of coolant to get into the combustion chamber for white smoke to be produced.
Leaking valve seals or piston rings are another possibility when it comes to smoke. In this case, bad seals or piston rings cause oil to leak into combustion chamber which then mixes with fuel and burns. The result is a white or light bluish smoke that comes out from exhaust manifold.
If you want to fix this white smoke problem, the easy solution is to take your vehicle to the nearest auto body shop as soon as you notice it. But if you are trying to fix this yourself, never try to remove the coolant reservoir cap with the car still running because the engine will be too hot and it will cause you serious injury.
A faulty fuel injector, usually one that is stuck open or is leaking from the o-ring, will deliver too much fuel to the combustion chamber. This excess fuel cannot properly burn in the engine and instead comes out as white or gray smoke out of your tailpipe.
Hi Sean My 2011 VW Transporter does the same. No smoke when the engine is cool, but once up to temperature it puffs white smoke when pulling from stopped or slow speeds. No other symptoms except a smell of diesel outside the car when you park. Thanks
I have a BMW 750i that blows a bit of white smoke out the duel exhaust, especially when I accelerate. I have read that it might be the head gasket and coolant is mixing with oil. Is there a treatment I can add to remedy this problem? Can you suggest a product?
A modern car should not have any visible exhaust coming out of the tailpipe. However, if your car has any kind of visible smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, it could mean a serious issue. Furthermore, if your car is running at optimum performance level, no white smoke from exhaust should be emitted in to the atmosphere.
Generally speaking, thin white exhaust smoke is expected from time to time. However, if you see thick white smoke, your car could be in trouble. There are many reasons why your exhaust emissions could be white smoke. Before going into panic mode, you should get it to a professional mechanic to be checked out and fixed.
The most common cause of white smoke from the exhaust is burning coolant or a blown head gasket. Furthermore, if white smoke comes from the exhaust and clears after a few minutes, it is probably nothing to worry about. However, it might be the first sign of a much more severe issue in the worst-case scenario.
If there is a leak in the coolant tank, the coolant liquid makes its way into the fuel system. If you have a coolant leak, your engine will overheat. Continuing to drive with a coolant leak can cause serious engine problems. Once coolant starts leaking into your cars' cylinders, it is burned and what you see next is thick white smoke emissions from the exhaust system. 2ff7e9595c
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