Why different types of smoke coming out of exhaust and why does it occurs || Reasons and Solutions
It is alarming to notice smoke emitting out of the exhaust pipe of your car. It can be either a minor puff or a constant stream, and this is a typical problem that causes red flags among the car owners. When there is smoke that is generally indication that something is wrong with the engine or the exhaust of the automobile. The kind, color and the quantity of the smoke can give significant leads as regards to diagnosis of the issue. In this post, we shall discuss the reasons why your car might smoke, its implication on the health of the vehicle and how to deal with this problem.
What is the Meaning of the smoke coming out of exhaust and it Types?
It is crucial to learn the types of smoke coming out of exhaust that can come out of the exhaust of a car before plunging into the potential causes. The individual types of smoke are representative of other fundamental problems:
1. White Smoke
Common types of exhaust smoke include: White, most of the time with this type of smoke, the occurrence of condensation or coolant getting inside the engine are considered probable causes. On start up, white smoke is usually caused by water vapor or condensation, so when this smoke clears in just a few minutes, it is probably not a concern. This kind of smoke is safe and can be neglected.
This may go on but persistent white smoke or massive volumes of white smoke may be a sign of big trouble. Namely, it is commonly refers to the leaking of the coolant into the engine caused by a blown head gasket, a crack of the engine block, or to a broken cylinder head. Here, the oil and the coolant get mixed which causes what we can call white smoke when the coolant is evaporated. The imminence of this issue is that driving with a blown head gasket may cause additional harm to the engine.
2. Blue Smoke
Burning oil can easily be identified by blue smoke that passes through the exhaust. It is possible that occurs when the internal parts of the engine are wearing out. The usual ones are; worn out piston rings, valve seals, or cylinder walls. In case of oil leakage into the combustion chamber, it burns together with the fuel and causes the blue smoke. Blue smoke during cold weather is not a bad occurrence but constant blue smoke means that your engine is burning too much oil than it is supposed to be burning, an occurrence that might eventually result into serious engine wear and ultimate failure.
One of the experts in the field who works in AutoZone said: “When the blue smoke appears, it points towards the serious problem with the engine, worn gaskets or seals. One should not overlook the problem without a further delay so as not to do additional harm.”
3. Black Smoke
Black smoke is commonly linked with excessively rich mixture of fuel. This implies that the engine is being burnt with a lot of fuel relative to air. The surplus fuel leads to the formation of black soot that comes out in the form of smoke in the exhaust pipe. This may be due to various factors and it may include malfunctioning fuel injector, clogged air filter or it may be a defective mass air flow sensor. Black smoke does not always indicate imminent disastrous breakdown but may culminate into bad fuel consumption, bigger fumes, and destruction of catalytic converter when ignored.
What Causes Smoke to Come Out of the Exhaust?
The common reasons as to why the smoke might end up being released through the exhaust system are now discussed in brief, now that we have dived into why the different types of smoke might be produced. There are several possible causes of smoke which may be relatively easy to address like simple river issues which can just be repaired easily and equally there are those which can be caused by serious engine problems which may cost a lot of money in repairing them.
1. Major Leaking Head Gasket
The head gasket is a very common cause of white smoke through the exhaust due to leakage. The head gasket also closes the engine block and the cylinder head and does not allow mixing of coolant and oil. Failure of this gasket may cause the coolant to escape into the combustion chamber leading to production of white smoke. This problem is usually accompanied by several other symptoms which may include engine overheating, presence of low coolant level and the sweet smell being emitted by the exhaust.
Head gasket replacement is a time-consuming task, and replacing it may be rather expensive. Thus, whenever you think that you have the problem of the blown head gasket, it is vitally important to solve the situation fast so that it would not do more damage to the engine.
2. The problem of oil consumption
The engine also emits blue smoke when it is burning oil. The most frequent reasons to wear out the pistons rings, the valve seals, or the cylinders are the main reasons of excessive oil consumption. With time, some of these parts become worn out and oil finds its way into the combustion chamber to be burnt together with the fuel. This may result in the gradual rise of consumption of oil that may adversely impact the performance of the engine and even its life span.
In case your car burns oil, it is good to watch out and regularly refill the oil in case it dips low. Nevertheless, the addition of oil is not something that can be used for a long time. The stop of the oil consumption by the engine requires the replacement of the worn-down parts like the piston rings or valve seals.
3. Issues of Fuel System
The engine may also kill through black smoke when it is over-burning fuel. This may be as a result of several parts in the fuel system such as faulty fuel injectors, plugged or worn air filter and also faulty mass air flow (MAF) sensor. The wrong functioning of a fuel injector may pump an excessive amount of fuel into the combustion chamber, and the air filter is not working, which feeds what is considered to be excessively rich fuel mixture.
Incorrect air-to-fuel ratios can also be led to by bad MAF sensor as well. This issue may lead to loss of efficiency as well as fuel economy to an engine and even breakage of the catalytic converter by making the engine too rich over some time.
4. Bad PCV Valve
Positive Crank case Ventilation (PCV) valve is a very vital component of engine emission control system. It also brings down the strain in the engine by releasing gasses in the crank case into the intake manifold. Clogging or failure of PCV valve can result in too much pressure developing within the engine potentially forcing oil into the combustion chamber and resulting in a blue smoke.
The cost of replacing the PCV valve is small and quite easy to do. Nevertheless, when this issue is unattended, it may result in a greater damage of the engine.
5. Quality and Additives of Fuel
On other occasions, a bad quality fuel or incorrect combination of additives may produce an excess smoke. Faulty or poor quality gasoline can do this because of poor burning causing incomplete burning and the generation of smoke. Make sure also that you are buying fuel that has a good reputation and that you are using the right kind of fuel that suits the vehicle.
Troubleshooting the Cause: Answering the Question of the Cause of the Smoke How to Diagnose the Cause of Smoke
When you realize that smoke is emitting towards your exhaust, you have to identify what type of smoke it is. After determining the color, the next step is to look at other symptoms that your vehicle may be experiencing; this could be the performance of the engine, oil consumption, or overheating. As an illustration, in case you feel white fumes and observations of a loss in coolant degree, it is more probable that a split gasket in the head is the culprit.
Pay attention to the condition of the oil, the level and search of the oil leaks in case you see the blue smokes. Seeing black smoke? Then you have a problem in your fuel system, such as dirty air filters, clogged injectors, or something wrong with the sensors.
There are quite a lot of instances where it is advisable to bring a professional mechanic who would carry out a troubleshooting procedure with the help of an OBD-II scanner and discover possible trouble codes.
Solutions: The Way to Correct the Problem
After determining the cause of smoke, what you need to do is to act. Solutions to a given issue may vary according to the severity of the problem and may include simple solutions of a relatively nature to more complex solutions related to engine repairs.
1. The Head Gasket Replacement
In case your car is having a blown head gasket, there is no other way out other than changing the gasket. It is a complicated and a costly repair which demands taking apart some parts of the engine. It is very important however, that the problem be corrected at the first moment to minimize the amount of damage done to the engine.
2. The Thing to Do About Oil Consumption
In the case of blue smoke due to oil burn up, you could be required to change worn piston rings, valve seals and even cylinder walls. This may prove a costly repair, however, this is required to avoid any additional engine failure and overuse of oil.
3. Components Replacements in the Fuel System
In case of black smoke emission by the car, it becomes critical to detect and change the parts that are not functioning appropriately within the fuel system. It can include cleaning or changing of fuel injectors, replacement of a clogged air filter, or a defective mass air-flow sensor. Such repairs are generally less expensive than significant engine repairs but they ought to be taken care of as soon as possible.
4. Contents of the procedure involved in Replacing the PCV Valve
In the case that you have an obstructed or damaged PCV valve, replacing that is a relatively easy and cheap fix. This may avoid too much pressure being caused within the engine and burning of oil.
Tip: Smoke Out of Your Exhaust Pipe is Not to Be Ignored
The occurrence of smoke through the exhaust of your car is not to be ignored. Either it is a small puff or blowing it out all the time, the smoke can be an indication that there is something wrong with your engine or exhaust system. Being able to diagnose the problem based on the type and / or color of the smoke can enable you to determine whether the problem is associated to either oil use or problems within the fuel system and even a more serious problem involving the engine of the vehicle.
The early treatment of the problem can help to avoid additional harm and guarantee that your car will perform well in the years that are coming. When you are not sure of what caused the smoke or what has to be repaired, then it is advisable to seek the services of a professional mechanic. Leaving it unaddressed might cost you a lot in the future because the problem will end up being repaired, therefore, act immediately to ensure that your car is in its best form.
