Coolant leak and white smoke

In this case the coolant would end up being heated in the combustion chambers and blown. If you the white smoke consistently comes out and the sweet odor smell is present, then it is definitely a problem with your coolant leaking. Leaking coolant is a leading cause for white smoke coming from the engine. The cooling system flows from the radiator to the engine block. Begin by checking coolant levels in the radiator.

Another possible cause of white smoke from the car is a leak in the internal coolant. The good news is, white smoke alone is not an indicator of this problem. Along with the white smoke , you will be able to smell a sweet odor.

Sometimes, you can also see that the coolant reservoir level is low. White smoke issues from the tailpipe and coolant is dripping from the engine. The engine has a blown head gasket and is passing coolant through the engine to the tailpipe. You are seeing the steam.

When the smoke emitted is thick, white and billowing , this usually points to a crack somewhere within the internal combustion engine which is allowing coolant or oil to leak out of the areas they should be contained within. One cause of white smoke from the exhaust might be the engine leaking coolant. If the engine leaks coolant , it will be burned by the heat of the engine and then come out as smoke from the exhaust. A problem with antifreeze might also be causing white smoke to come from the exhaust. One of the main causes of white exhaust smoke and coolant loss is a cracked or warped cylinder hea a cracked engine block, or head gasket failure caused by overheating.

A cracked head may allow coolant to leak into one or more cylinders or into the combustion chamber of the engine. It doesn’t take much, but if tis white smoke has beenn going on for months without coolant loss, I suspect youare right it isn’t the head gasket. A few days ago I noticed my coolant tank was almost empty, so I know there is a leak somewhere and I believe the coolant is what is burning and causing the smell and smoke. If white smoke starts to escape immediately, water begins to drip as the car warms up, and your exhaust smells of antifreeze, there is a coolant leak inside your engine. The indication is apparent when white smoke appears while the car is running, but not when you start it.

The reason for this type of white smoke is due to burning coolant that somehow got mixed up. If you are losing coolant out of the degas, then you may well have a bad EGR cooler. A bad EGR cooler will also cause white smoke. As the coolant leaks into the hot combustion chamber it will quickly evaporate.

The white smoke could have been steam from a coolant leak. I’ve had that happen twice, one time on a Corolla due to a radiator that sprang a leak , and the other time on a Ford truck, a coolant hose burst. Suggest for the sake of your wallet to not start or drive the car until you have someone knowledgeable take a look at what’s going on.

But it will still look white to the untrained eye. An internal coolant leak can also contaminate the engine oil giving it a frothy, milky appearance. Even small amounts of coolant entering the combustion chamber will produce white exhaust smoke. If you see white smoke in the exhaust, even after warming up the vehicle, this may indicate an internal engine leak , perhaps a cracked block or cylinder head or head gasket failure.

Under pressure, coolant may be forced into the cylinder, flashing to steam every time the cylinder fires. Once that happens, the oil will become contaminated. The first sign of having contaminated oil is white exhaust smoke coming out of the tailpipe.

As this continues, the white smoke will begin to have a sweet odor smell that won’t go away. After removing the throttle body and gasket I realized the leak was from my failure to get every last bit of the old gasket off. Different smoke colors can be caused by the following issues: grey or black smoke can be a rich condition, white smoke can be burning coolant , blue smoke can be burning oil. Intake manifold leaks. A leaking intake manifold gasket can cause white smoke from the exhaust, if the engine has coolant flowing through the intake manifold.

Causes of White Smoke from the Exhaust pipe. Based on your description, it would be hard to say exactly where the leak is coming from. Is the vehicle overheating at all?

No oil or coolant has mixed either. My car has an automatic. When you have the radiator cap off the radiator the water is not under pressure, and will often come to a boil.

If the white smoke is coming from the engine compartment, then you are leaking coolant from radiator, hose or gasket.