Somewhat over heating. White greyish smoke coming out of exhaust. No heat
I recently ran into an issue temp gauge and heat not working. Temp gauge who bounce around more than normal and mt heat was vey good. I was driving to work the other dayband hear a loud pop. I stopped the car and check my hoses belt tires ect and everything looked fine. Still having problems i went a head and replaced the thermostat and water pump. Now im having an issue with the car trying to run hot but the thermostat will bring temp back down to half. But i have white/greyish smoke coming out of the exhaust and still no heat. When the car is in park and idling the temp runs fine with
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Hi there. From the description you have provided, leads me to believe, there may be air trapped in the cooling system. Bleeding the cooling system can be difficult. A cooling system flush could resolve this issue. The white-greyish smoke cold, may just be condensation in the exhaust, being the smoke goes away engine warm. Continued driving with a low cooling system, could result in catastrophic and expensive repairs. I recommend having your vehicle’s erratic temperature gauge and white-greyish exhaust smoke be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.
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However, if you are getting thick white or gray exhaust smoke coming out consistently that dissipates shortly after it comes out of the tailpipe, it often means your head gasket is blown or leaking. That`s not good news. This color is often a product of coolant leaking into the combustion chamber.
White or Gray Smoke from Exhaust – Just like if you see white smoke from under the hood, persistent white smoke usually indicates a coolant leak. If there`s only a little bit, it`s probably condensation. Blue Smoke from Exhaust – If you see blue or dark gray smoke, that`s an indication of burning oil.
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.
Thick white smoke coming out of the exhaust typically indicates a blown head gasket, a crack in the head, or a crack in the engine block. Cracks and bad gaskets allow the fluid to travel to places it shouldn`t be.
To fix blue or gray smoke: The easy way is to add a bottle of Motor Honey Oil Treatment to your motor oil with each oil change. It`s specially designed to reduce oil burning and stop smoky exhausts. The hard way is an engine overhaul, which is about a hundred times more expensive and a thousand times more work.
Blue/gray exhaust smoke means there`s likely an oil leak and your engine is burning oil. Time to have a qualified technician check things out. The leak could be caused by several issues like leaking valve seals, damaged piston rings, or worn cylinder walls.
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.
White smoke usually means coolant is getting into the combustion chambers of your vehicle. This generally happens because of a cracked or leaking head gasket, which allows coolant to seep into your cylinders. In extreme cases, you will need to replace your head gasket.
When your thermostat stops working, you may notice a higher incidence of coolant leaks. This happens when your engine runs at too high of a temperature due to the dysregulation, causing an overflow of coolant into the surrounding areas. This can result in a “sweet scent” when you operate the vehicle, or white smoke.
If a valve seal has lost its grip or piston rings get worn, they can cause oil to leak into the combustion chamber. This wayward fuel then mixes with other engine elements and burns, causing white or blue smoke to escape from the exhaust manifold.
Thick white smoke pouring from the exhaust is usually due to a crack in the cylinder head, engine block or head gasket. This is caused by constant temperature fluctuations and a consistently overheating engine due to low coolant levels.
Grey smoke from the exhaust: This could be excess oil, a PCV valve failure or a transmission fluid leak on automatic cars. • Black smoke from the exhaust: In a petrol car, this suggests too much fuel is being burned and could be a sign of air filter or fuel injector problems.
Light or Thin White Exhaust Smoke
It is considered normal when the exhaust coming from your vehicle is light or thin white.
The color of the smoke depends on the material that is burning. Natural materials such as unfinished wood will change to tan or brown colored smoke, whereas plastics and painted surfaces appear to be grey in color. However, black smoke can appear grey when it is mixed with moisture from other heated materials.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Somewhat over heating. White greyish smoke coming out of exhaust. No heat
ANSWER : Hi there. From the description you have provided, leads me to believe, there may be air trapped in the cooling system. Bleeding the cooling system can be difficult. A cooling system flush could resolve this issue. The white-greyish smoke cold, may just be condensation in the exhaust, being the smoke goes away engine warm. Continued driving with a low cooling system, could result in catastrophic and expensive repairs. I recommend having your vehicle’s erratic temperature gauge and white-greyish exhaust smoke be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.
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.
Over heating, white smoke coming out the exhaust, and no heat just cold air blowing
ANSWER : Hi there. In most cases, a bad or malfunctioning heater is accompanied by an overheating problem. However, if you’re temperature gauge is HOT and you’ve got white smoke blowing from the exhaust, this can be an indication of coolant inside the oil galley’s which is typically caused by a damaged or blown head gasket. You should have a professional mechanic inspect your 2002 Chevrolet Express to determine the source of your overheating problems, and if there is coolant in the oil system; which can lead to serious mechanical damage.
Thick white smoke from exhaust, change thermostat, fan doesn’t come on, top hose stays cold,
ANSWER : Hello, thanks for writing in about your Geo Storm. If you are getting white smoke from the exhaust then you have a blown head gasket or cracked head. I suggest having a certified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, diagnose the smoke firsthand by pressure testing the cooling system to see if the head gasket is blown.
White smoke coming out my exhaust.
ANSWER : Hi there. The problem could be that your valve stem seals are leaking oil into the cylinders when the car is off. Once you start the car, the engine burns the excess oil that is in the cylinders. This issue is most likely due to running the engine with low oil levels. Oil keeps the seals lubricated and if they get hot, they split and allow oil to run down the valves and into the cylinders. There is no quick fix for this and I do not recommend oil supplements that claim they stop smoke and fix engines. These products can cause more damage to the engine over time. If you need further assistance, I recommend you have a certified technician, like one from YourMechanic, inspect the white smoke coming out of your vehicle and suggest an appropriate repair.
My car is starting to over heat and lose speed and I lost heat as well. There is a white smoke coming through my vents
ANSWER : This sounds like the heater core may be leaking. Typical symptoms of a leaking heater core: smoke/steam through the vents, sweet smell, fogging of windows. The heater core is typically located behind the dash. It is part of the heating/cooling system. Coolant circulates through it to provide warm/hot air. Have the heating and cooling system inspected by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, to verify the cause.
Hello, i had my head gasket repaired and after 8 months it has started making white smoke come from exhaust again and I can smell
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. With white smoke coming from the exhaust, the smell of coolant, and the (very likely although unmentioned) lowering of the coolant level, it is quite apparent that the coolant is making its way passed the head gasket and into the combustion chambers. Unless you have a cracked head, engine, or other serious damage, the head gasket is very likely the issue. Make sure you are adding coolant to compensate for the loss. Low coolant levels will not give you accurate temperature readings on your dashboard, as the sensor is located at the top and needs to be submerged in liquid to give you an accurate reading. As far as repairing the issue, replace the gasket again, and in the process inspect the old gasket for signs of failure or indications on what caused the leak the second time. If replacing the head gasket again does not solve the problem, you know you have a larger issue with the engine and can take further diagnostics from there. For more help from our technicians, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
Car will turn over but won’t start after over heating. Coolant was boilng over, white smoke from exhaust.
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. Several things will need to be done, or can be done, to help diagnose the issue. Start by having the vehicle scanned for diagnostic codes, checking the oil, and checking the coolant. Both fluids are heavily effected by overheating, and the oil in particular can cause issues with the engine running and starting. Use any diagnostic codes to help direct you towards the issue. If none are present, you will want to inspect the coolant system. The white smoke that you have been seeing means the coolant had been leaking, or had been overheating prior. Check for leaks and other damages. Make sure the coolant is filled and the oil is fresh and full before you do any more work or testing. If the temperature got over 260 degrees major engine damage may have occurred, and repairs may be extensive. We must find the cause of the overheating and correct that issue first. From there we can work on making sure the engine is okay and getting it to start. For more help with this process, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
