If you see a ton of exhaust smoke flowing out of your tailpipe, this is a sign that there is something seriously wrong with your engine. Kauai Auto Repair advises that excess exhaust should never flow out of your tailpipe, even if you drive a diesel engine. You may see little puffs of smoke on a cold morning or evening, but this is just natural steam and condensation. Excessive exhaust tells you that your engine has a serious breach and there is fluid hemorrhaging somewhere inside. The color of the exhaust tells you what the fluid is.
Black Exhaust
For example, if you see a lot of black exhaust coming out of your tailpipe, your engine is hemorrhaging diesel fuel or gasoline. This can be dangerous as the diesel fuel or gasoline might ignite inside of the engine. In fact, in severe cases of a fuel leak, some drivers have reported seeing sparks or flames coming out of the tailpipe along with the black exhaust smoke. If you see black smoke coming out from underneath your hood, as well, pull over and call 911 right away.
Blue Exhaust
It’s not a good idea to drive your vehicle if you see excess black exhaust or excess blue exhaust pouring out of the tailpipe. The blue exhaust is an indication that your vehicle has a serious oil leak in the engine. The oil leak is causing the motor oil to be burned away, and this is what creates the blue or gray exhaust that you see. In most cases, the engine gasket has cracked and you have oil leaking into the engine cylinders. This is an indication of serious engine damage that needs immediate attention. It’s important to stop driving your automobile as driving it with burning motor oil can kill the engine in less than 30 minutes in some cases.
White Exhaust
White exhaust pouring out of the tailpipe means that your engine is hemorrhaging coolant. The most common cause of this problem is a blown head gasket. The coolant will spray out from underneath the head gasket and the engine will burn it away. Your engine will also overheat because the coolant isn’t circulating through it. As with the black and blue exhaust, it’s important that you stop driving your automobile if you see a ton of white exhaust.
Kauai Auto Repair in Lihue, HI, can help. Call us today to schedule an appointment if your vehicle is hemorrhaging exhaust via the tailpipe.
