Pay Attention to Your Vehicle's Fume or Pay Heavily to Mechanics

As a car owner you expect something to come from the tailpipe. The smoke coming from the
exhaust pipe of your car may be due to an accumulation of condensation and may not have any
negative implications.

It could also be a sign that there has been some kind of fault in your vehicle and there could be
serious consequences if you don't act quickly

Smoke is definitely a cause of concern and may hint of a number of problems that are happening
underneath the hood of the car. You know how much you should be concerned the more you
know about the emissions of smoke.

Black Smoke 

Black exhaust smoke is an indication of a rich fuel condition. These are possible causes:

Fuel Injectors: A leaking or dripping fuel injector will cause a rich fuel condition.

Fuel Pressure Regulator: A stuck closed fuel pressure regulator will cause a rich fuel condition.

Fuel Return: A restricted fuel return line will cause a rich fuel condition.

White/Gray Smoke 

White exhaust smoke is an indication that coolant is burning in the 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.

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 tailpipe.

Gray Smoke 

Gray exhaust smoke is an indication of oil burning in the combustion chamber. These are
possible symptoms and causes:

Valve Seals: Leaking valve seals will cause 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 gray smoke.

Worn Cylinder Walls: Worn cylinder walls cause blow-by, resulting in gray smoke.
PCV System: A stuck closed PCV valve causes excessive crankcase pressure, resulting in gray
smoke.

Do You Know there is also Blue Smoke? 

If your car is blowing blue smoke, it’s a clear sign that the engine is burning oil. What happens is
that the valve guide seals or piston rings are worn out, and oil is leaking past from where it
should be lubricating the moving parts, to the combustion chamber where it’s being burned up
with the fuel.

If you’re seeing this kind of smoke, check your oil regularly and watch for consumption issues.

While an issue that normally should require immediate attention and expensive repairs,
including some internal replacement parts, if your vehicle is old and the leak is minimal, it can be
carefully managed by topping up the oil on a regular basis.

Along with environmental damage, burning oil can cause rough starts, as the process can ruin
the car’s spark plugs.

There is another reason for blue smoke, and that’s if the car is turbocharged; the smoke being a
sign that the blower is in need of rebuilding or replacement.

Burning oil and gasoline also suggests that there are very hot leaks somewhere in the area of the
engine. It is not out of the question to say that you could be badly burned by drops of hot oil or
gasoline. This is honestly a situation where professionals ought to be called in. You are making a
serious mistake by waiting

For more tips, visit www.autofactorng.blogspot.com and feel free to Join us on Tuesdays and
Thursdays on Twitter for our Online Car Diagnostics Program from 10:00am –  01:00pm. This
Service is absolutely FREE. Don’t let your Local mechanic fool you with jargons. Let’s put you
through the dynamics of your car!