White Smoke from Exhaust

The symptoms associated with exhaust are called White Smoke from Exhaust. It’s essentially the result of exhaust steam, which exists inside your vehicle’s exhaust system. But you can easily determine if it is a serious problem or not, depending upon how thick or thin the white smoke actually is.

The cause for this is mainly because all vehicles emit white smoke on startup only then gradually disappears once the vehicle reaches its normal operating temperature. If you experience these symptoms, you have to first check the source of the problem. But if you can’t seem to find anything, you need to get it checked by a mechanic as soon as possible.

What are the possible causes for the white smoke from exhaust?

Check the timing belts

One major cause is a broken fuel pump timing belt. This basically happens when the fuel pump was damaged when filling the tank or when the fuel pump was forcefully removed and installed again.

Sometimes, a damaged or broken fuel pump will also lead to the emission of white smoke. In addition, when the fuel pump timing belt is cracked, the pressure will be much lower in the cylinder than it should be.

Maybe it’s the coolant

Another common cause of the white smoke from the exhaust is a damaged or cracked coolant reservoir tank. This is usually accompanied by the sound of popping or cracking noises. This is caused by the presence of excess coolant. If this happens to your vehicle, you need to first open up the radiator hose on your radiator to take out the excess coolant.

The other cause of thick white smoke from your exhaust can be the presence of a clogged coolant level. When the coolant level is low, there will be a buildup of hydrogen and oxygen in the combustion chamber. When the level of these two chemicals is high, the performance of the vehicle would be bad. It is important to have your coolant levels checked regularly so you will know when to refill them. Replacing a cracked coolant tube is one way to prevent this thickening of the coolant.

Or the oil level

You also have to check the level of the oil in your engine. A good mechanic can help you do this but if you don’t know what to look for, you may just ask your mechanic to check the level of your oil. The cause of thick white smoke coming out of your exhaust could be your radiator fan. If the fan is damaged or broken, the accumulated dirt inside it will cause the white smoke to come out from your exhaust. Hence, you need to thoroughly clean and repair the radiator fan on your vehicle.

Other reasons

There are a few more things that will cause a thick white smoke coming out from your exhaust system besides the fuel/air mixture. One cause is the presence of moisture in the combustion chamber. This will mostly happen when your fuel is burned with too much fuel/air. If the temperature is right and there isn’t too much moisture in the combustion chamber, you won’t see any condensation.

Sometimes, the white smoke coming out from your exhaust might be caused by a crack in one of your engine blocks. Cracks in the engine block are very common because of the wear and tear that the vehicle experiences every now and then. If the crack is located near the dipstick area and the hole is plugged with some material, you will notice a greenish or yellow color.

The problem may be where it wasn’t expected!

Another cause for the white smoke from your exhaust can be a faulty lighting system. When you start the car, it might illuminate both headlights. If one bulb is defective, the other one will also have a low blue beam. This means that the failed lamp must be replaced. The yellow beam is usually the cause of the “short circuit” in your engine. Replacing a bent injector pump or replacing a bent intake tube will resolve this problem.