Categories: Tips & Tricks

What does smoke coming from my exhaust mean?

A mechanic adding coolant to an overheated vehicle

Meaning of the smoke colors coming out of the exhaust

Smoke coming out of any part of your vehicle can be cause for concern. If you are noticing it coming out of the exhaust, you can tell what the problem is by the color of the smoke.

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Blue

If you notice blue or grey-colored smoke coming out of your exhaust, this could be due to a blocked PCV valve that sucks oil into the engine. If your engine continues to consume oil, this can create internal damage to the piston rings, valve seals or other components inside the engine.

Black

Having a rich fuel ratio can create black smoke coming from your exhaust. If your engine is burning more fuel without enough air intake, it could be caused by leaking fuel injectors, a bad fuel pressure regulator or a blockage in the air intake.

White

If the air is a little cooler and you notice the white smoke is wispier, there should not be too much cause for concern. As your engine warms up, the condensation in your exhaust is just turning into vapor. If you are noticing white smoke on an otherwise warm day or this continues to happen, then it could be due to coolant being consumed by your engine. This could happen from a leaking head gasket and should be fixed because a major break happens.

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Have your vehicle checked out at Freeman Motor Company

We want to ensure your vehicle is ready for the road. Bring it over to Freeman Motor Company and we can do a multipoint inspection to see what could potentially be wrong with your vehicle and fix it up for you.

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