"TheJWT" (thejwt)
01/11/2015 at 11:50 • Filed to: None
0
16|
"TheJWT" (thejwt)
01/11/2015 at 11:50 • Filed to: None | 0
| 16 |
Today I was letting my car run while I put air in the tires, and after a few minutes of seemingly healthy idling, white smoke started pouring out of the exhaust. I don't drive my car in the snow, so it hadn't ran in about a week, and it took a few tries before the engine turned over. I'm worried that water or antifreeze got into the engine, but I could be (and probably am) wrong. What do you guys think, and what should I do?
Funktheduck
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 11:57 |
|
Smoke or steam? A byproduct of combustion I water. It could be there was water in the exhaust that froze. As the engine/exhaust warms up the ice melted giving you lots of steam that wasn't there before
Bytemite
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 12:02 |
|
Was the engine still cold?
DoYouEvenShift
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 12:04 |
|
Keep a close eye on the coolant temp and the coolant level. If you notice the level dropping somthing may be up. You can also take it to a shop and have them run a block test. They may call it something else. But basically it test the coolant for exhausr gas contamination. Which would happen if the headgasket is starting to leak.
|
TheJWT
> Funktheduck
01/11/2015 at 12:05 |
|
It looked to me like smoke, and the car is garaged, so it hasn't been exposed to any rain or snow lately. That being said, I couldn't smell anything burning so it could be steam
|
Funktheduck
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 12:09 |
|
The water would have been in the exhaust just from the car running. No rain or snow required.
Clown Shoe Pilot
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 12:12 |
|
if you're worried about water being where it shouldn't, what you're probably REALLY worried about is a failed head gasket. You can check a couple things -
1) Check your dipstick for an emulsion. It'll look like a lighter brown foamy slime. It's an indication of coolant getting into the oil passages
You can also open your radiator cap (while the engine is cold!) and then start your engine. After everything warms up a little and your thermostat opens, look for exhaust bubbles in the coolant.
The absence of these symptoms doesn't mean you don't have a problem, but their presence is an excellent indicator that you DO.
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 12:14 |
|
It's probably nothing to worry about. Did the engine run any differently? Misfire? Check engine light? If not I would be surprised if it's leaking coolant into the cylinders. Just keep an eye on your fluid levels.
505Turbeaux
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 12:44 |
|
I wouldn't get too worried. Monitor the temp and coolant levels but I am pretty sure the engine wasnt warmed up yet. When the t stat opens it should get clearer. What is the ambient temp outside?
Sam
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 13:29 |
|
Did the car seem down on power? Was it making any odd noises? Were there any strange fluctuations in power? How thick was the smoke, because it could have just been the usual water that naturally gets in the exhaust due to the cold metal.
brianbrannon
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 14:03 |
|
I don't understand why these questions get asked without specifying what kind of car. If you have a turbo it's a symptom of sucking oil.
MM54
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 15:11 |
|
My guess would be (unless it's running poorly) the white 'smoke' was just a lot of steam from the exhaust. On cool, damp mornings my Chevelle would envelope itself in a thick white cloud shortly after starting it up as the exhaust system came up to temperature. Even my Crown Vic has, on cool damp days, left a smokescreen a couple times.
In short - unless it's running differently now than before, I wouldn't worry about it. As always, keep an eye on your fluids.
|
TheJWT
> Sam
01/11/2015 at 16:06 |
|
I didn't drive it, so I'm not sure about power, but it didn't seem out of the ordinary besides the smoke. It seemed pretty thick, though
|
TheJWT
> 505Turbeaux
01/11/2015 at 16:07 |
|
It was about 30 out, but it's been in the single digits the past few days
|
TheJWT
> Bytemite
01/11/2015 at 16:07 |
|
Yeah, it was cold out and it hadn't ran in about a week
|
TheJWT
> brianbrannon
01/11/2015 at 16:08 |
|
My bad, it's a 1993 Sentra SE-R, so no turbo
|
Bytemite
> TheJWT
01/11/2015 at 16:50 |
|
Then that's all there is to it man. Nothing to worry about.