The titled question may seem odd, but we want to talk about the different colors of vehicle exhaust because each color indicates a separate problem. Auto Service Kingston would be happy to inspect your engine if your car, truck, or SUV is releasing exhaust that you can see. Technically, you should never see the exhaust. It’s there, but it’s invisible—more on this below. If you do see your vehicle’s exhaust, bring your automobile to our shop right away because there is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Invisible
As we just mentioned, you really shouldn’t see your exhaust. What flows out of the tailpipe is invisible because it has been treated by the catalytic converter, so it is safe for release. You will see steam at night and when the weather is cold. Other than that, if your exhaust has a specific color to it, again, there is something wrong in the engine that needs to be corrected as soon as possible.
Black
For example, if your exhaust color is black, the engine is burning excess fuel. You have a serious fuel leak somewhere in the engine. Fuel can leak out of cracked fuel injectors, leaking fuel hoses, or a loose fuel filter. The fuel level can also be adjusted incorrectly by the engine control module if you have a faulty mass airflow sensor or oxygen sensor. The engine may also burn away excess fuel if the fuel pump sends too much fuel into the engine.
Blue/Grey
Engine exhaust that is blue or grey is an indication that the engine has a serious oil leak. It’s crucial that you avoid driving your automobile if it is releasing blue or grey exhaust. A serious oil leak can cause irreparable damage to the engine in less than 30 minutes. You may have oil leaking into the cylinders from a cracked head gasket. As the oil is burned away, it will produce the blue or grey exhaust that you see flowing out of the tailpipe.
White
Finally, if your engine is hemorrhaging coolant, it will overheat, and you will see steam coming out from underneath the hood. You may also see white exhaust flowing out of the tailpipe. This, too, is a sign of a cracked head gasket. When the head gasket cracks, pressurized coolant sprays all over the engine.
Auto Service Kingston in Kingston, ON, is here for all of your auto service needs, so give us a call today, so we can find out why your automobile’s exhaust is either black, blue, grey, or white.