Car engine shaking like a lawnmore and white gas coming from exhaust

The car runs like a lawn more with white gas coming out of the back of it. It smells or sounds like a desil engine almost

My car has 56000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Your car is misfiring. The white gas is most likely steam. The smell is the catalytic converter working to hard from unburned fuel entering the exhaust system because of misfiring. Your car needs to be diagnosed to figure out what is causing the misfire.

Misfires occur when the ignition system is unable to ignite the fuel that is sprayed into the cylinder. The first question is which cylinder or cylinders are misfiring. With your newer vehicle, the best way to determine which cylinders are affected is to look at the misfire counters on a scanner. Keep in mind the code reader that most auto parts stores utilize is not the same as a full function scanner. Scanners are very expensive and complicated tools. If you don’t have a scanner, I would use a test light to short out the cylinders one at a time. Doing this can be tricky and is best demonstrated, so if your not aware of this technique, I recommend you have someone else help you with this. Either way, determining which cylinders are misfiring is your first step.

If you have access to a scanner, if you know how to read all the data, often times we can make a determination about what is causing the misfires. This requires an in-depth understanding of all the electronic systems on your car. If your not very experienced with this information, I recommend you booking an engine is misfiring inspection in order to have this diagnosed correctly.

The diesel smell from the catalytic converter is a result of unburned fuel because of misfiring. Catalytic converters chemically burn HC’s (hydrocarbons) that internal combustion motors naturally create. When unburned fuel, (which is the definition of a misfire) occurs, the chemical reaction inside the catalytic converter becomes out of control and can actually start a fire. If this possibility exists, your Check Engine Light will be flashing. The smell is a precursor to this possibility. Anytime your Check Engine Light flashes, I highly recommend not driving the car. I have seen several customers cars burn to the ground because they did not heed the flashing light.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

A perforation to your gasket or a blown head gasket usually occurs as a result of an overheated engine. When coolant flows into the combustion chamber from a blown head gasket it burns/evaporates into white smoke.
What you`re describing appears to be caused by a blown head gasket. In most instances, white smoke coming from the exhaust is caused by coolant inside the oil galleys, which typically occurs after an overheating issue or major cooling system failure. This could also be the source of your sluggish performance as well.
White smoke from unburned fuel vapor smells like raw gas (because it is raw gas), so there`s no mistaking it for water/coolant-induced white smoke. In even rarer cases, a hot muffler or catalytic converter may cause the fuel vapors to ignite, blowing the exhaust system clean off the vehicle.
White Smoke

It usually means that coolant is being burned in the engine, which means that something is drastically wrong. The most common cause of this is a blown head gasket, which can quickly lead to an overheating engine.

Recommended Services. The misfire alone is not enough to deem a blown head gasket. The fact that you have the white smoke present along with the misfire is sound evidence that this is the case. The white smoke means you are burning engine coolant inside the engine.
White Exhaust Smoke

White smoke billowing out of your exhaust means that coolant is likely leaking into the cylinders. This usually happens when there has been a breach in the head gasket, which makes the coolant create this white steam. Have it taken care of before the breach gets bigger and bigger.

Without getting too technical, the injectors that deliver the fuel to the combustion chamber can leak or become stuck in the open position. This means too much fuel in the engine that needs to burn off and be expelled. This is seen as gray or white smoke from the exhaust.
Can faulty spark plugs make your car blow white smoke out of the exhaust? Yes, they can.. Craig Nicol has it right.. Unburned fuel entering the exhaust can light off in the catalytic converter resulting in white, extremely acrid smoke..
Exhaust Fumes Are Getting Into Your Car

So if you smell gas, it could indicate an exhaust leak. A leaky exhaust is louder than usual or makes a tapping noise while your car accelerates. The louder the ticking noise, the closer the exhaust leak is to your engine.

Automatic transmission failure can be another source of smoke in your tailpipe. If your automatic transmission system is leaking fluid into your engine, the fluid will start to burn and create light gray smoke.
Yes, a bad 02 sensor can cause white smoke to come from the exhaust. One or more oxygen sensors have likely become contaminated with vaporized antifreeze if white smoke pours from your exhaust. There are sensors on all fuel-injected cars, which are welded onto the exhaust system in bungs.
What Should I Do If I See White Smoke Coming From My Exhaust? Most importantly, you should not continue to run the car. If your engine has a gasket failure or a crack, it could lead to further contamination or overheating, which essentially means, “Goodbye, engine.”
The shaking and smoking issue you`re experiencing may be caused by a fuel leak. Typically, if you look at your fluids or under the hood and can`t see anything leaking, such as coolant, oil, or power steering fluid, the leak may be fuel related. Leaking fuel flow can also cause the engine to stumble and vibrate.
A failed muffler or clogged catalytic converter could also cause vibration. Another common cause is an exhaust leak. As exhaust gases escape through a small hole, they may cause the car to shudder.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Car engine shaking like a lawnmore and white gas coming from exhaust
ANSWER : Your car is misfiring. The white gas is most likely steam. The smell is the catalytic converter working to hard from unburned fuel entering the exhaust system because of misfiring. Your car needs to be diagnosed to figure out what is causing the misfire.

Misfires occur when the ignition system is unable to ignite the fuel that is sprayed into the cylinder. The first question is which cylinder or cylinders are misfiring. With your newer vehicle, the best way to determine which cylinders are affected is to look at the misfire counters on a scanner. Keep in mind the code reader that most auto parts stores utilize is not the same as a full function scanner. Scanners are very expensive and complicated tools. If you don’t have a scanner, I would use a test light to short out the cylinders one at a time. Doing this can be tricky and is best demonstrated, so if your not aware of this technique, I recommend you have someone else help you with this. Either way, determining which cylinders are misfiring is your first step.

If you have access to a scanner, if you know how to read all the data, often times we can make a determination about what is causing the misfires. This requires an in-depth understanding of all the electronic systems on your car. If your not very experienced with this information, I recommend you booking an engine is misfiring inspection in order to have this diagnosed correctly.

The diesel smell from the catalytic converter is a result of unburned fuel because of misfiring. Catalytic converters chemically burn HC’s (hydrocarbons) that internal combustion motors naturally create. When unburned fuel, (which is the definition of a misfire) occurs, the chemical reaction inside the catalytic converter becomes out of control and can actually start a fire. If this possibility exists, your Check Engine Light will be flashing. The smell is a precursor to this possibility. Anytime your Check Engine Light flashes, I highly recommend not driving the car. I have seen several customers cars burn to the ground because they did not heed the flashing light.

The engine of the car runs, but when I push the gas pedal it does not accelerate, and the engine does not rev.
ANSWER : Hello. It sounds like you may have an issue with your throttle position sensor. This sensor sends a reference voltage to your power-train control module, which uses that to determine ignition timing and fuel trims. If the power-train control module is not detecting the proper signal from the throttle position sensor, the engine may not accelerate properly. It’s probably a good idea for you to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a car is slow to accelerate inspection first, so they can pinpoint what is causing this issue to occur and they will recommend the right repairs be completed.

Oil was leaking, put in over 4 qts of oil and oil leak stopper. White smoke coming tailpipe,engine shakes, car dies. Oil leaking.
ANSWER : Oil additives are not recommended by any vehicle manufacturer for any reason. Additives that purport to resolve oil leaks are useless, a waste of your money, and may result in engine damage. Every vehicle manufacturer strongly recommends against use of these materials. There is only one recommended and approved repair strategy when it comes to oil leaks: fix the leak.

You can only add the manufacturer specified amount of oil to an engine. If you add too much oil, or too little oil, that will cause engine damage. You should check the engine oil dipstick to determine if there is presently too much oil in the engine. If there is too much, the excess will have to be removed to prevent engine damage.

The leak that you are referring to can be repaired if you request an oil leak diagnostic. If you have further questions or concerns as you decide what to do, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic because we want you to make the most of your repair dollars and help you get the best possible results.

I have white milk coming out of my exhaust pipe but I don’t see it mixing in my oil pan when I check my oil
ANSWER : In most cases, the white smoke is an indicator of coolant finding a way into the combustion chamber. This could happen through a damaged head gasket or a crack in the cylinder head or engine block. Most of the time, this would also be followed by milky oil or overheating problems. However, it could also be a problem with the EGR system, or an extremely rich fuel trim. The best thing to do is have a professional mobile mechanic complete a smoke coming from exhaust inspection, so they can pinpoint the source of your issues and recommend a repair.

My car would not start. The ectricty is good. I put some chemical in the gas and the car start but the engine light still on.
ANSWER : Hi there. When you have an issue with start up that was "resolved" by adding a chemical in the fuel, that leads me to believe that either you have a fuel delivery problem (caused by a dirty fuel filter, clogged fuel injectors or throttle body) or an worn out ignition problem, caused by worn spark plugs. First and foremost, I would recommend AGAINST using a chemical additive to repair your vehicle (especially if it’s an ether product as this can cause a serious backfire and could create major engine damage). Instead, have one of our mobile mechanics come to your location and complete a car is hard to start inspection.

Car exhaust is giving white smoke when I start the car everyday.
ANSWER : Hi there:

Typically white smoke is an indicator of coolant or liquid other than oil or fuel inside the combustion chambers. This can be caused by a blown head gasket (if you had an overheating issue recently) or simple air to fuel ratio issues caused by a mass air flow sensor or exhaust system sensors not working correctly. The best way to know for certain what’s causing these issues is to have a professional mechanic complete a smoke from engine or exhaust inspection.

Gas cap notification and check engine light came on after getting gas. Car started to sputter and stall out.
ANSWER : Hi there. When the fuel cap is not securely fastened to the tank, it can create vacuum issues inside the tank; which triggers the error code to be stored in the ECU. The error will then trigger the check engine light until that code is reset by a professional digital scanner. If you’re still having sputtering or stalling issues, you should contact a professional mechanic to complete an engine sputtering inspection. This will allow them to diagnose what’s causing this problem and reset any error codes to hopefully correct the issue your Chrysler 300 is experiencing.

The car starts, but when I hit the gas the check engine light blinks & it feels like I don’t get much power, sometimes smell gas.
ANSWER : Hello.

A flashing Check Engine Light is an indicator that the computer has detected an issue with the vehicle’s engine management system that could potentially cause harm to the emissions system.

Continuing to drive with a flashing Check Engine Light puts emissions components, such as the catalytic converters at risk of damage. The symptoms you are experiencing can be caused by a wide variety of issues, with the fuel, ignition, or engine management systems.

As the possibilities could be many, consider getting some help from YourMechanic. One of our mobile technicians can start by diagnosing the stored trouble codes, as they will likely reveal some insight on what the issues may be.