smoking is not in anymore
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smoking is not in anymore
Thank you for all the helpful people that posted on this subject. The white smoke coming out of my exhaust is really making me very nervous. Just what is causing it? Has the 2001 automatic xtype got a design fault? I have a cloud of white smoke at start up and I think even some while driving as the car headlights behind me always look hazy. By the way I am a woman, so I might not be big on all the terminology, but I would really like to sort out the problem as I'm worried it might fail the m.o.t. due to emmisions. Any help will be so welcome.
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Joined: May 2008
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From: Great Mills, MD
Always, because you are seeing white smoke, this is a water issue. Not an oil issue or anything else. Odds are, what you are looking at is a bad head gasket. A look under the hood should confirm this by looking at the coolant reservoir (opaque tank on the driver's side of the car, near the windshield). The coolant should be up near the top of the tank. If it is starting to get low, this would be a good sign of a leak. A local shop should be capable of diagnosing this for you. Ask them to do a compression check of the engine. Probably run you about $200 for this check. That will tell you which side of the engine it is on.
Now, before you get all worried that your car is falling apart, I have a few questions for you. Do you only notice this at a cold startup and possibly for a few minutes after a cold start up? Or does the car emit the white smoke (which sounds like it is really steam) all the time (even after being driven for 15 minutes)? If it is only happening for a few minutes after start up, that is normal for a vehicle as it is clearing the water that is collecting in the exhaust system following the exhaust system cooling. If it goes on for a long time, then you are looking at a leak issue.
The best thing that I can recommend to you is to drive the car for around 15 minutes (get the car up to temp and then keep driving for another 5-10 minutes) and before you turn off the car when parking, get out and look at the exhaust pipes. If you see the white smoke coming out now, get the compression check done. If you don't, this is normal for a vehicle.
BTW, welcome to the forums. Feel free to introduce yourself up in the "New Member" forums. I think you will find us a friendly bunch and are more than willing to help out other members. We just ask that you follow a few of our "courtesy" rules.
Now, before you get all worried that your car is falling apart, I have a few questions for you. Do you only notice this at a cold startup and possibly for a few minutes after a cold start up? Or does the car emit the white smoke (which sounds like it is really steam) all the time (even after being driven for 15 minutes)? If it is only happening for a few minutes after start up, that is normal for a vehicle as it is clearing the water that is collecting in the exhaust system following the exhaust system cooling. If it goes on for a long time, then you are looking at a leak issue.
The best thing that I can recommend to you is to drive the car for around 15 minutes (get the car up to temp and then keep driving for another 5-10 minutes) and before you turn off the car when parking, get out and look at the exhaust pipes. If you see the white smoke coming out now, get the compression check done. If you don't, this is normal for a vehicle.
BTW, welcome to the forums. Feel free to introduce yourself up in the "New Member" forums. I think you will find us a friendly bunch and are more than willing to help out other members. We just ask that you follow a few of our "courtesy" rules.
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