Most engine
fluids are toxic (they can kill you) and flammable. Antifreeze tops the list and has
a sweet odor so it attracts kids and animals.
Please clean any antifreeze right away; a small amount can/will turn your day
bad in a hurry. Be safe with your engine chemicals and all chemicals for that
matter. Do not get antifreeze or other engine chemicals on your skin.
1)
Black smoke is raw
gasoline burning. A rich condition can be the cause by a faulty or poorly
adjusted float, a choke stuck shut, a bad oxygen sensor, a bad map sensor, a
bad fuel pressure regulator, a plugged up air filter or a bad injector, too much fuel pressure or any
other function that may cause excessive fuel to be ingested into the motor
including a bad tune. Typically, if you only get black smoke first thing in the
morning, it has to do with the choke or the fuel enrichment portion of your
fuel injection system. If you get black smoke all the time, get it fixed soon
or you run the risk of ruining the catalytic converter and doubling your repair
bill.
2) Blue smoke is oil burning. The tailpipe will either smoke all the
time or just once, first thing in the morning. If you get blue smoke all the
time, that is a sign of impeding doom. That is the first sign of the beginning
of the end. Broken rings, bad pistons, damaged cylinder walls, all high dollar
items.
On the other hand, if all you get is a puff or two first thing in the morning
and never again throughout the day, then your problem is probably bad value
guides or value guide seals, never assume that seals alone will totally fix
this problem, if the engine has 100k miles plus just rebuild it. Blue smoke can
also be caused by oil in the converter (After installing a new engine onto old catalytic
converter(s) that were previously attached to a worn motor.)
Testing = Check plugs for color and odor. Compression check, find
low cylinder add a few drops of oil in plug hole, then
recheck. If compression rises bad rings are at fault. If no rise in
compression, seals are probably bad. If no cylinders are bad, don’t tear the
motor down until you have checked the pcv valve and other possible functions
first.
3) Gray smoke can really be black or blue. You can usually tell which is
it by the odor or by matching other symptoms you have to the color of the smoke.
4) White smoke is either;
A)
The transmission shift modulator is bad and
allowing the engine to suck and burn transmission fluid.
B) White smoke could also be coolant or
antifreeze that is either leaking, or being forced into the combustion chambers
and being burned. The exhaust will look wet and have a sweet smell to it.
C) A bad head
gasket (most common)
D) a broken/cracked
head
E) a broken/cracked
cylinder wall
Testing = Check plugs for color and odor, check oil for water
intrusion (brown muddy oil), check radiator for excessive bubbles or motor oil.
Warm engine and perform a pressure check on the radiator. Compression
check.