Both steam and smoke can be emitted from the exhaust pipe. If the steam is not terrible, then when smoke appears, a diagnosis should be carried out. Smoke can be pure white, off-white, or even black. And the color indicates a malfunction in the engine.
Exhaust smoke can alert the average driver. Just don't grab your head and sound the alarm right away. It is possible that the smoke from the exhaust system is not dangerous and will not affect the operation of the engine in any way. First of all, you need to pay attention to the color of this smoke, and only then draw conclusions about what exactly is wrong with the engine, whether it needs repair and maintenance. An engine malfunction can be identified by the color of the exhaust gas.
Exhaust steam
Novice drivers, poorly versed in cars, but already heard from "experienced" motorists about smoke from the exhaust pipe, often confuse steam with smoke. As soon as the ambient temperature drops, white smoke from the chimney can be observed for a while. But this is actually a simple pair. Breathe out the air from your lungs. You will see exactly the same steam.
Now imagine that during the night all the parts of the engine and exhaust system have cooled down. And in the morning you start the engine and processes with intense heating begin to take place in it. According to all the laws of physics, condensation will begin to form, which, under the influence of the force of the exhaust gases, will tend to exit - to the muffler and exhaust pipe.
Exhaust smoke
But it happens that even on a warm engine, black smoke comes out of the exhaust pipe. This is the most dangerous symptom. The cause of this phenomenon may be the destruction of the oil scraper rings or valve stem seals. The former are installed on all pistons, and the latter are installed on the valves. When the rings break, the engine starts to consume more oil. The breather also emits black smoke, or white with a bluish tinge, contaminating the air filter.
Replacing the valve stem seals and seals will help get rid of black smoke. But before replacing the rings, be sure to check if the cylinders need boring. This can be determined by measuring the circumference of the sleeves. If they have the shape of an ellipse, then it is necessary to bore the cylinders and replace the piston group. Even if you just change the rings, run in the engine, do not expose it to excessive loads for some time.
But white smoke on a warm engine is also not a good symptom. White smoke is caused by coolant entering the lubrication system. It is not difficult to determine this, since the level of the coolant will decrease, and the oil in the lubrication system, diluted with antifreeze, will become clearer and lighter, and foam will form on its surface. The main reason for the leakage of antifreeze into the lubrication system is the destruction of the cylinder head gasket. Slightly less often, a loose fit of the head to the block affects.
