RI Automotive cannot overstate how important it is that you stop driving your automobile if you have excessive amounts of exhaust flowing out of the tailpipe. This is a sign that your engine is hemorrhaging automotive fluid. There are three specific types of fluid that cause exhaust when they are leaking. They are fuel, motor oil, and engine coolant. The color of the exhaust will reveal the fluid that is being burned in the engine. Continuing to drive your automobile could be extremely dangerous and damaging. Let’s talk more about all of this below and how we can help.
Black
It isn’t safe to drive your automobile if it is leaking fuel. Fuel is extremely combustible and the engine’s heat could ignite it. If you see black exhaust in your rearview mirror, your engine is hemorrhaging fuel. You do not want to continue to drive your automobile. Doing so opens you up to the risk of an engine fire. Rather, pull over and call for a tow to our shop. We can find out from where the fuel is leaking and repair the problem so you can resume driving your automobile safely.
Blue
Motor oil isn’t as combustible as fuel, but blue exhaust is also a sign that you need to stop driving your automobile. This is an indication that you have a crack in the engine gasket that is leaking the motor oil into the combustion chamber. This is serious engine damage that needs to be repaired immediately. As the motor oil leaks into the chamber, it is burned away with the air and fuel. Eventually, your engine will be depleted of motor oil and you will end up with a dead engine in less than 30 minutes. Continuing to drive your automobile with a severe oil leak is damaging to the engine.
White
You’ve likely blown a head gasket if you see white exhaust in your rearview mirror. You will also probably see steam coming out from underneath the hood. In addition, your engine will start to overheat quickly. This is a sign that engine coolant is spraying from underneath the cracked head gasket and flooding the engine. The hot engine will burn away the coolant. As with the oil leak discussed above, the more coolant that sprays out the lower the coolant level in the engine.
You can see why we here at RI Automotive in Tampa, FL, recommend you don’t drive your automobile under any of these conditions. Have your vehicle towed to our shop so we can repair the fluid leak.
