Engine Problems White Smoke from Exhaust
What Does White Smoke From My Vehicle's Exhaust Mean?
When starting an engine from cold, a little white exhaust smoke is normally visible, especially in damp or cold conditions. The white exhaust smoke is usually down to water vapor which has condensed inside the engine as it cooled from the last time it was running, entering the cylinder, and the engine tries to burn it with the fuel. The white smoke is, in fact, steam. However, when the engine has warmed to its normal operating temperature no smoke of any color should be visible. If there is, it usually points to a problem.
Okay, we know that white smoke from an exhaust is steam, so, if the white smoke is billowing out of the tail pipe even when the engine is idling and/or while driving, it tells us that coolant/water is entering one or more of the cylinders. And it should not be. This can be a symptom of several faults,
- a leak in the cylinder head because of actual damage like a crack or other similar defect,
- a blown cylinder head gasket,
- a warped or twisted cylinder head.
If the engine recently overheated, the cylinder head may have become warped.
A blown or partially failed head gasket is not good – it can destroy your engine very quickly. There are four quick and easy checks you can do that will confirm a head gasket or cylinder head problem. First, check the coolant level; if it is low, some coolant has been lost somewhere, possibly through a damaged gasket. While you’re checking the coolant look for any visible traces of oil mixed with it, if there are, it means there is a problem with the cylinder head and /or head gasket. Before leaving the cooling system, one more thing is to look for bubbles in the coolant in the overflow reservoir (also known as the expansion tank) while the engine is running. Bubbles in the coolant whilst the engine is running are a sure sign of a blown or partially failed cylinder head gasket.
Caution The checks on the cooling system should only be done if the engine is still cold, as in most cases it involves removing the coolant filler cap.
The fourth check is to see if the engine oil is contaminated with coolant. Again this indicates a cylinder head and/or gasket failure.
A blown head gasket can destroy an engine very rapidly and my recommendation is not to drive the vehicle at all, but have it towed to a shop for repair.
