When small amounts of motor oil spill on a hot engine or drain system your car can start smoking. Other liquids that can cause your car to start smoking under the hood include engine coolant, power steering, brake, and spread fluid. Window gasket solvents can also cause smoke under your car’s hood. Smoke from window gasket solvents is usually harmless, but it needs to be addressed immediately. On a more serious note, smoke-belching can come from the tailpipe or beneath the hood and can mean that a mechanical or electrical tube is damaged.

Why Is My Car Smoking Under The Hood?

Different Colors of Smoke

Black and white are the usual colors of smoke However, what do these colors imply when it comes to your car? Are there other colors of smoke that we’re not aware of? Let’s discuss the following below:

White Smoke

White smoke indicates a coolant from a failed internal engine is burning in the combustion chamber from the tailpipe. Another source of white smoke can be a blown radiator hose pipe spraying coolant onto a hot engine. This produces wispy white smoke that looks like water vapor. Smoking coolant has a pungent odor and can feel oily.

Blue or Gray Smoke

An unpleasant odor from the tailpipe can signal the engine is burning oil. Probable causes of this are dripping valve seals, worn piston rings, clogged PCV valve, overfilled crankcase, and using the wrong type of oil. Consuming oil without external leaks shows that the oil is burning in the engine. In this case, try changing to thicker motor oil. Grayish smoke coming from the tailpipe is produced when the transmission fluid is sucked into the intake manifold from a defective transmission vacuum modulator.

Black Smoke

Black smoke occurs when the vehicle is burning raw fuel. A defective fuel pressure regulator, a dripping fuel injector, a failed engine sensor or combustion component results in incomplete burning. Incomplete burning allows raw unburned fuel to make its way into the exhaust system and out the tailpipe. When this happens, the smoke will smell like gasoline and is thick and black. Even if the issue is repaired, your vehicle will have poor gas mileage. Damage to the oxygen sensor and catalytic converter can also occur.

Another source of black smoke is an electrical failure or burnt wires from a short circuit. This can cause the lights to flicker or interfere with other electrical devices. With various wirings and electrical devices inserted into every corner of a modern vehicle, smoke from an electrical failure can originate anywhere.

Carefully Inspect Your Car

Always keep in mind to check your car’s performance to determine whether your car is safe to drive or not before using it. When in doubt, always err on the side of caution. Consider inspecting gauges and warning lights regularly, to examine if the engine is working properly.

Dave & Rays Automotive Repair Shop in Omaha, NE

Our team has learned one thing: automotive problems are as varied and unique as the customers who bring them to us. Fortunately, our decades of experience in auto service and repair also mean that our skilled network of professionals is ready to accommodate an impressive scope of automotive issues. Contact us today.

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