White Smoke Problems–Identifying 4 Common Causes from Bad to Worst
Have you ever seen white smoke from the exhaust pipe? Someone may tell you that this is a worrying scene, but before you panic, you will want to see if it will clear up in a minute or so. If so, it may just be harmless condensation. White smoke is only the warm air from the engine meets the cold outside air.
But what if you keep seeing white smoke? This is a sign of a simple or very serious problem. Look at the four main causes of white smoke in the exhaust, from bad to Worst.
ECU fault
The engine control unit (ECU) is the brain of the engine. If it goes wrong, the timing of combustion may be completely interrupted. If your ECU is the culprit, it needs to be reprogrammed by a trained technician. The good news is that when this is the cause of the white smoke problem, you do not have to spend on replacing parts. That is, unless the ECU itself needs to be replaced.
Injector fault
The fuel injector is a component that sends fuel into the internal combustion chamber. It must perform this operation at the correct time, or the engine will lose timing. If the amount of fuel that does not enter the combustion chamber is not correct during combustion, white smoke will be generated. This particular problem is more common in diesel engines. Fortunately, the fuel injectors are relatively cheap and easy to replace.
Worn piston rings or valve seals
The seals around the piston rings and the valves help prevent engine oil from entering the combustion chamber. When these deteriorates, the oil will mix with the fuel and burn together, producing white smoke. Replacing these seals requires a major overhaul, which is quite intensive and therefore expensive.
Damaged cylinder head
This is the most serious cause of white smoke, as it almost always requires replacing the head itself. When the cylinder head is cracked or damaged, the coolant may start to leak internally. Even the smallest cracks can cause coolant to leak into the oil and mix with the oil, thus polluting the oil. The contaminated oil is the cause of the white smoke from the pipe. Accompanied by the unique sweet taste of engine oil.
