Your car is one of the most valuable assets you have. Therefore, you should ensure it is well maintained at all times. One of the best ways to service your car is by detecting and repairing any issues before they escalate and ground your vehicle. Observing the color of the emissions coming out of the exhaust is one of the easiest ways to tell any problems with your car. The color of the emissions from your car has meaning. The following is an overview of common exhaust smoke colors to help you understand when there is something wrong with your vehicle and when you shouldn’t panic.
1. Blue Smoke
When you experience blue or grey smoke from your car’s exhaust, you may be having an oil leak problem. Leaking oil ends up in the combustion chamber where it mixes with fuel resulting in a bluish smoke. Recent addition of the engine’s power output may be the cause since it may have added stress and the damaged the piston rings. This results in an oil leak.
The valve seals and cylinder walls might have worn out resulting in the bluish smoke. Take note when you are experiencing the bluish smoke. If it happens during acceleration, then the piston rings might have malfunctioned. If when you decelerate is when you encounter the smoke, then, the valve guide seals are to blame.
2. Grey Smoke
Having a think grey smoke may be a sign something is wrong with your car. This smoke can be a sign of a damaged cylinder head, damaged engine block, or a leaking head gasket. If the problem is the head gasket, you may end up with coolant in the combustion chamber, which will be burnt and evaporated. This will leave the engine without coolant which will make it overheat. In case of an engine block or damaged cylinder head, your engine may fail altogether. That is why you should seek the services of a professional when you notice persistent emission of grey smoke from your car.
3. Black Smoke
When you experience black smoke coming out of the exhaust, it means something is outrightly wrong. This may be a sign that the air filter is clogged, the manifold is blocked, or the fuel injection system is failing. Your car is burning more fuel when you are experiencing black smoke from the exhaust. Seek professional assistance to determine and fix the problem causing this problem.
4. White
White smoke should not worry you especially if it’s during the cold days. The vapour from the combustion causes whitish emission. However, if the smoke remains white even after the car has warmed, it means you may be facing something serious. You should consult a professional auto repair technician to diagnose the problem causing the white emission.
When you encounter odd smoke coming out of your car, you should stop driving. This is because you will do more harm to your car; hence, require more money to fix it. You should contact us immediately to help you out in diagnosing and fixing the problems causing the odd smoke. Don’t wait until your car breaks down – identify the small issues that may be developing before they escalate. Our blog can help you to understand your vehicle better and any problems that may be developing.
