Want to know what’s wrong with your car? Look at the color of the exhaust fumes

We say that “Where there is smoke there’s fire.” In automotive matters, exhaust smoke is often an indication that something isn’t quite right with the vehicle. Knowing how to identify what may be causing the problem in a timely manner can be vital to avoiding further technical complications.

The color of the smoke can give us an essential clue. Midas, the American company specializing in vehicle maintenance, recently published a short guide with a few very useful tips to understand what could be happening to our vehicle depending on the type of smoke coming out of its exhaust pipe:

In the case of light, white smoke, there’s usually no cause for alarm, as it’s usually the result of condensation. It’s when the smoke becomes more persistent and thick that we should be alert, as it could be due to the presence of coolant in the combustion chamber, which can cause overheating and damage to the engine.

Black smoke is usually a sign that something is wrong. It’s usually due to an excess of fuel in the air-fuel mixture. A clogged filter or poor injector condition is often the cause of this problem, which, in addition to affecting and increasing fuel consumption, generates more polluting emissions.

If the smoke is blue, there’s no doubt: the engine is burning oil. The reason? It could be due to worn piston rings or turbo problems, among other things. A problem that, in turn, can lead to severe engine damage. To prevent this type of smoke and the potential breakdowns it can cause, it’s best to change the vehicle’s oil based on the time or mileage recommended by the manufacturer.

Identifying the problem behind gray smoke is a bit more complicated, as the cause could be anything from the engine’s turbo to oil loss in the supercharger system. It could even be excessive oil consumption due to a malfunction in the crankcase oil vent system.