White smoke coming from the exhaust usually points to one point of failure: the injectors. Usually, white smoke indicates that the diesel fuel is not burning correctly. Unburned diesel fuel will make its way through the exhaust completely unused.
A plume of white smoke is generally most noticeable at diesel startup, particularly when it's cold. This is due to the fact that colder air, which is more dense than warm air, lowers temperatures in engine cylinders at the end of the compression stroke.
White Smoke
It usually means that coolant is being burned in the engine, which means that something is drastically wrong. The most common cause of this is a blown head gasket, which can quickly lead to an overheating engine.
Emulsified water - Under pressure changes, agitation and heavy cavitation, often experienced as the fuel passes through pumps and filters, the water content can become completely emulsified turning it from cloudy to milky diesel fuel.
Recommended Services. Hi! A leaking turbo will usually present itself through white smoke exiting the exhaust. Usually the white smoke will result from the turbo leaking oil internally but will occasionally result from internal coolant leakage.
If You See Smoke: Say Something!
Apart from the faint white exhaust smoke that comes from the tailpipe in cold temperatures, you should not see smoke of any colour from a post-2007 diesel engine. Your DOC, DPF and, depending on your truck model, your SCR system, filter your exhaust stream.
An oil leak in the combustion chamber, resulting from a cracked turbo housing, may lead to blue smoke shooting out of your exhaust pipe. Black smoke, on the other hand, may be caused by a burnt engine, clogged air filter, obstructed air intake duct to the turbo compressor, or defect in your engine's fuel injectors.
Faulty fuel injector: Another possible cause of excessive white smoke from the exhaust pipe is a bad fuel injector. The injector can leak or become stuck open and deliver too much liquid fuel into the combustion chamber. The excess fuel causes thick white smoke to be produced and released from the exhaust pipe.
If your exhaust smoke is white, this is a reason for concern in a diesel engine vehicle. White exhaust smoke means fuel is not burning properly. This could mean: The engine is too cold. Faulty injection system.
When you encounter white smoke in your diesel-powered car, it typically means that the fuel is not burning correctly due to a lack of heat in the combustion chamber. This unburnt diesel does not only cause white smoke but also contains certain toxins that will be more than likely to sting your eyes.
White smoke from your exhaust almost always indicates a blown head gasket, and just like there is coolant mixed with your engine oil, there will also be engine oil mixed with your coolant.
White Exhaust Smoke
White smoke billowing out of your exhaust means that coolant is likely leaking into the cylinders. This usually happens when there has been a breach in the head gasket, which makes the coolant create this white steam. Have it taken care of before the breach gets bigger and bigger.
A perforation to your gasket or a blown head gasket usually occurs as a result of an overheated engine. When coolant flows into the combustion chamber from a blown head gasket it burns/evaporates into white smoke.
Either excess fuel, low-grade fuel, lack of air, or lack of appropriate time to burn the fuel is the culprit. If black or gray smoke comes out in the exhaust, the vehicle may also be experiencing low fuel economy and lack of power. Fixing this problem may pay for itself with increased miles per gallon.
Jammed turbocharger – Burning excessive amounts of oil, slow acceleration and excessive grey coloured smoke are the typical signs of a worn-out turbo. The longer your drive your vehicle with a failing turbo, the more damage you cause to your engine and therefore the most costly it will be to fix.
Darkened Fuel
Normal undyed diesel fuel is a beautiful amber-green color. The same fuel which has started to degrade will darken. This is because heavier components of the fuel blend are no longer dissolved in the fuel, but are coming out of solution and floating freely in the fuel.
That white smoke you see from the exhaust is raw or completely unburnt fuel. “Air entering the fuel line or blockages in the filter are common problems that lead to low injector pump pressures,” Andrew says.
Despite being labelled as white and green, these names have nothing to do with the colour of the fuels. White diesel is the diesel commonly used to fuel road vehicles while green diesel is a greener alternative.
This generally happens because of a cracked or leaking head gasket, which allows coolant to seep into your cylinders. In extreme cases, you will need to replace your head gasket. At the first sign of white smoke you can try head gasket repair treatment to seal the leak before you do serious damage to your engine.
A Faulty Fuel Injector
This means too much fuel in the engine that needs to burn off and be expelled. This is seen as gray or white smoke from the exhaust. This is quite a common problem and, thankfully, is an easy fix.