Does Your Car Produce White Smoke? These are the Potential Causes and Their Solutions

A proper-running engine should produce white smoke that is hardly visible, mostly only when powering up in the morning or when cold, because of condensation build-up in the exhaust system, which is quite normal. 

However, if you notice your car emits thick white smoke from the exhaust pipe, it could be a sign of a serious engine problem. White smoke from the exhaust pipe indicates potential issues in the engine’s combustion chambers. Here are the potential causes;

Blown Head Gasket

The head gasket is a seal sitting between the cylinder head and the engine block. Its purpose is to prevent oil or coolant from spilling into the cylinders. If the head gasket is blown, the coolant will likely find its way, causing the emission of white smoke out of the exhaust pipe.

The major cause of head gasket damage is overheating. If you continue driving a car with overheating problems, then you are putting the head gasket at risk. To avoid this, do not drive a car with overheating problems until it is repaired. But if the head gasket is already damaged, it can be repaired only if the damage is not severe. Otherwise, you will have to replace it.

Cracked Cylinder Head

The cylinder head is the top cover of the engine that encloses the cylinders. Like the blown head gasket, a damaged cylinder head may allow coolant to flow into the combustion chamber, making the engine let out thick white smoke. 

The main cause of a cylinder head cracking is driving a car with overheating problems. Fixing a cracked cylinder head can be possible only if the crack is small. Otherwise, replace the cylinder head.

Cracked Engine Block

A crack in the engine block is another thing that may cause a car to produce white smoke. Again, engine overheating is the major cause here. Coolant or engine oil might leak through the crack into one or more cylinders.

Since engine blocks are made of aluminum or cast iron, trying to repair the crack might be a costly and complex procedure. The best option to fix the problem is to replace the engine.

Faulty Fuel Injectors

If one or more fuel injectors are faulty, they may remain in the open position and feed the combustion chambers with more fuel than they can burn. The unburned fuel passes through the exhaust pipe as thick white smoke accompanied by raw fuel smell. This also causes the vehicle to have a terrible fuel economy.

Unfortunately, fuel injectors may only be fixed by cleaning when they are clogged. Otherwise, the only solution is to replace them with the exact type. 

Conclusion

When your vehicle emits thick white smoke, you should be quick to have your mechanic diagnose and check its cause. If you don’t, the engine might get damaged completely and need to be replaced.