Thread: Smoke from exhaust

  1. #1
    In your face... ha ha ha Liger86's Avatar
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    Smoke from exhaust

    What am I doing asking question like this on cprogramming, well you guys are the best source for some real good advice and comments, plus I've been here long enough to know how some members of the board react to certain threads.

    On with the question... My 1993 Taurus 3.8L smokes. I checked coolant level and it was fine, then I looked under my mufler and found a whole which I found out also caused my car to have a bit louder than normal sound out of the mufler.
    I was wondering if anyone knows what can cause this? I was thinking it could be water getting into the whole and then evaporating when engine gets hot enough, but that is just my theory.
    The car itself is in perfect condition, it just recently got a major tune up and all fluids were flushed, plus a resealed intake.

    Any help is appreciated!
    From Ukraine with love!

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  2. #2
    ATH0 quzah's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Liger86
    I looked under my mufler and found a whole which I found out also caused my car to have a bit louder than normal sound out of the mufler.
    I was wondering if anyone knows what can cause this?
    Driving over big rocks.

    Quzah.
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  3. #3
    Sweet
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    Nah i got a hole in my muffler too and not from driving over rocks just buy a new muffler I got a semi-preformence one for only 40 bucks. And for your other problem. What color is the smoke? black or white?
    Woop?

  4. #4
    ATH0 quzah's Avatar
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    It was a joke. -_-;

    Quzah.
    Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.

  5. #5
    It's full of stars adrianxw's Avatar
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    Smoke in the exhaust is often a sign of oil getting into the cylinders. The smoke has a charecteristic smell, which smells like, well, burning oil from a worn engine! It is usual on cars as they get older, the piston rings/cylinder bores wear and some oil gets into the combustion chamber.

    It is possible to rebore the cylinders slightly larger, and fit appropriately sized piston rings. Here it would cost a fortune. In the states, it is probably almost free.
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  6. #6
    In your face... ha ha ha Liger86's Avatar
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    The smoke is white and only small amount is visible (1-2 feet high or longat still), lots are visible in cold weather, and it only smokes when the engine is warm rather than cold.

    Car is at 90,000miles

    Some people told me that is normal, but I think it is caused by that whole in the mufler.

    How do I determine the smell of the smoke? I checked and smelled the dipstick and it was ok and not burnt. Can anyone tell me what a regular exhaust smoke should smell like? I know there is lots of water coming out of exhaust, that is for sure, but I can't detect any wierd places water could enter cylinders.

    Again no evidence of faulty head gasket because oil and coolant fluid don't mix, but then again that is the only case I know, so it could be head gasket.

    Engine does not everheat and the heater kicks in at normal warm-up rate. Everything seams to run normal.

    Also my Taurus makes noise out of power steering area at exeleration, but no damage was found during the inspection of the steering rack or the power stearing pump.

    Maybe it's the vapor build-up caused by broken mufler.

    I'll start the car again in a few hours and check everything again and let you gues know.

    If there something you want to know in particular about the car just ask, because I don't want to get the car to the condition where repairs are over my budget.

    Thank you all!
    From Ukraine with love!

    Internationally known – widely respected

    - Digitally yourz -

  7. #7
    PC Fixer-Upper Waldo2k2's Avatar
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    There's a reason it's called exhaust...white smoke is normal, especially in the amounts you described it. I'd get the muffler replaced, but I doubt that the smoke is anything to worry about, I have 180k miles on my 95 pontiac. Sure it has some problems, but nothing major. At 90k miles your car shouldn't have anything majorly wrong with it (even if it is a ford ).
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  8. #8
    Bob Dole for '08 B0bDole's Avatar
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    even if it is a ford
    you mean American made
    Hmm

  9. #9
    In your face... ha ha ha Liger86's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by B0bDole
    you mean American made
    Do you mean that? Ford does not make cars anywhere else! Correct me if I'm wrong!
    From Ukraine with love!

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  10. #10
    It's full of stars adrianxw's Avatar
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    There is a big difference between SMOKE in the exhaust and the normal fumes that come out of the exhaust pipe!

    If it is white and more apparent in cold weather, you are seeing normal exhaust. Smoke is black.

    >>> Ford does not make cars anywhere else! Correct me if I'm wrong!

    Ford makes cars in many countries. Here is a list of Ford plants in Europe and what they make at each. There are plants in other parts of the world as well.
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  11. #11
    Bob Dole for '08 B0bDole's Avatar
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    i was playing on the fact that he has a pontiac.
    To make sense of my joke, i was stating all american made cars suck.
    Hmm

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianxw
    It is possible to rebore the cylinders slightly larger, and fit appropriately sized piston rings. Here it would cost a fortune. In the states, it is probably almost free.
    No, this would cost a small fortune in the states too...just because we have a ton of mechanics everywhere doesn't mean they work for peanuts. Plus, reboring the cylinders isn't a fix for bad rings. Just replace the rings and be done with it. Even that costs a small fortune. The rings are like $10USD each, and the labor is a $1000USD (I'm pulling figures out my .........., but you get the idea).

    If your wondering why your muffler has a hole, it could be any number of reasons. Those things rust, and they are on the underside of the car so they get all kinds of grime and splashback and small rocks and other crap thats all over the roads. Just a spot of bad luck.

    And just because the smoke is white doesn't mean its normal. Its more the way it looks and smells. Anything that smells stringly burnt is bad, and if its thinck and doesn't dissipate (thick in the air instead of disappearing like your breath on a cold day), then chances are its oil. It happens to older cars...90K might not sound like a lot of miles, but Tauruses ain't exactly "built ford tough"

    A hole in the muffler will cause more smoke to be visible from the tail end. The muffler also traps particulates (smoke) in it as well as muffling the sound. But since you have a hole in the muffler, chances are the engine is fine and a new muffler will make you feel right as rain.

  13. #13
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    white smoke may not be normal. If it makes you eyes water and burn, you have a leaking head gasket. Go to your local parts store (i work in advance auto) and get Bars smoke away. Run that for a bit and see if it goes away.

    Also, start the car up cold with the radiator cap off. Take care as coolant CAN fly, but shouldnt. Watch the coolant for about five minutes, if its bubbling more than say, a bubble a minute, this is also another sign of a cracked head or leaking head gasket.

    You cant fix that "waahhhh wahhhh" from your power steering. Thats every ford ever made : )

    I'm going to go study now, ASE test next week.

  14. #14
    PC Fixer-Upper Waldo2k2's Avatar
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    >>You cant fix that "waahhhh wahhhh" from your power steering. Thats every ford ever made : )

    he speaks the truth, every one of my friends with tauruses have this problem.
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  15. #15
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    but its not a joke, people come in everyday wanting the part to fix it LOL

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