Let’s talk for a moment about what excess engine exhaust can mean for your car, truck, SUV, or crossover. We’d love to say that it isn’t anything to worry about, but it is. Excess exhaust coming from any engine, even a diesel engine, is a sign of serious problems underneath the hood. Bring your automobile to West Omaha Auto Service as soon as possible to avoid causing further damage. If you keep driving with exhaust flowing out of your tailpipe, you could damage your engine beyond repair.
You Shouldn’t See Your Exhaust at All
The bottom line is this: You shouldn’t see your vehicle’s exhaust. The exhaust pushed out of the tailpipe is clear, unless it’s a very cold morning and night and you can see the condensation steam. Otherwise, you should never see black, blue, or white engine exhaust. If you drive a diesel engine, depending on the age and type of vehicle, you might see some black exhaust when you step on the gas, but other than that, anything coming out of the tailpipe should be invisible.
Exhaust Smoke Colors Indicate Serious Problems
The color of the excess exhaust coming out of your vehicle’s tailpipe can help lead auto service technicians directly to the underlying problem. Exhaust smoke comes in three primary colors, black, blue, and white – as we said above – and these colors reveal what’s going on. Specifically
- Black exhaust means your engine is burning too much fuel
- Blue exhaust means you have a serious motor oil leak
- White exhaust means you have a serious engine coolant leak
As you can imagine, any of the colors could be a sign of death for your automobile, especially if it’s very old and has a ton of mileage on it. Even more frightening is black exhaust and fire coming out of the tailpipe, which can happen if your vehicle has serious fuel problems.
You Might Need an Engine Rebuild or Replacement
In the case of all three exhaust colors, your engine may need major repair, to be rebuilt, or to be replaced. Assume for the moment that you have blue exhaust. Your engine will burn oil most commonly in the cylinders when oil has seeped through leaking engine seals. This can cause serious engine damage as the oil mixes with the air and fuel in the cylinders. White exhaust can be caused by a blown head gasket, which can also be an extensive engine repair.
As much prevention as possible is the best medicine here. Stop driving your vehicle right away and have it towed to our auto repair shop in Omaha, NE, to reduce the engine damage that will occur if you keep driving. We are West Omaha Auto Service, and we’ll find the source of your excess engine exhaust.