It’s normal to see a little bit of smoke coming out of your tailpipe, but it’s never normal to see smoke seeping out from underneath the hood. If this happens, pull over to safety immediately to assess the situation and call for help if necessary. The color of the smoke reveals its cause. AmeriFix helps you determine what’s wrong with your engine through the following smoke color guide.
Black Smoke
Your car, SUV or truck is likely burning too much fuel if you see black smoke coming out of your tailpipe. If you see it coming out from under the hood, pull over immediately as your vehicle’s engine might be on fire. Black smoke from the tailpipe, however, signals a few issues with your car. You might have a defective carburetor, your fuel pressure regulator diaphragm might be broken or cracked, or you may have a fuel injector that is leaking. The loose fuel burns and creates the black smoke you see.
Blue/Gray Smoke
If you see blue or grayish smoke coming out of your tailpipe your engine is burning too much oil. This does not necessarily mean that you have an oil leak. Old, worn or faulty engine parts can cause the engine to consume more oil than it should, and this is something that needs to be identified and repaired as soon as possible. Burning motor oil decreases its supply, which keeps your engine oil low all the time. Low engine oil damages engine parts and could result in a total engine replacement.
White Smoke
White smoke coming from your tailpipe or engine isn’t a good sign either. In most cases, this means your radiator’s coolant has made its way to the engine’s combustion chamber. It’s also a sign of a leaking head gasket or a cracked cylinder head or engine block. If the smell of the smoke is sweet, it’s definitely coolant and none of the above possibilities is a quick and inexpensive repair. To avoid additional damage, drive your vehicle to an auto mechanic right away if you see white smoke.
Finally, there is one thing that doesn’t mean trouble and that’s water vapor. Condensation builds up naturally in the exhaust system and exits through the tailpipe in puffs that are barely noticeable. If all you see is water dripping from your tailpipe, you don’t need to rush into AmeriFix in Franklin, TN, but you can call us today if you’d like to set up an appointment just to be sure everything is okay.
