Coolant or Water Vapor?

[earleys94gt]

I have already done a search, and haven't found anything 'conclusive.' I am having an issue with white smoke coming out of my exhaust; with small amounts of condensation. The exhaust does NOT smell like coolant, and the cooling system doesn't look low. From what I understand white smoke, like a cloud of it, means coolant. White smoke, in puffs, means water vapor. Mine seems like water vapor, because the smoke 'pulses' out with the exhaust.

I am going to check my spark plugs to see if they show signs of coolant. I have checked both #1 and #8 already to see if the engine was running lean, and both had a brownish tint to them.

The only things I can think of are 1.) bad gas with too much 'water' content. 2.) I have a Mr. Gasket 180* and for some reason it didn't fit as well as the stock one. Maybe it is letting coolant by???

Thanks.

 

[94-302-vert]

Run the car up to temperature... if it is running for a while and it is warm out then it is not doing it... water vapor... if it is still doing it after 10-20 minutes... coolant...

 

[cjones]

white smoke could also mean oil.

does the smoke dissipate quickly or linger??

 

[5.0 from 95]

The ones I have seen that pulse out of the exhaust, is that not a blown head gasket? I also remember reading just a few days ago about somebody giving some information on the brown spark plugs. You might do a search for that if they don't chime in here.


Paul

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

On a cold, damp day, it's normal to see puffs of steam coming out of the tailpipes for a few minutes until the engine warms up but thereafter, there shouldn't be any white smoke at all.
If the white smoke's continuous, the cause is more likely to be a blown head gasket between the water jacket and a combustion chamber and you might not see any contamination of the oil. To find out, you need to pull out all the plugs and see if any one or two are either wet or just look different from the others (light brown coolant stains).
Oil smoke is usually gray with a blueish tinge and has an unmistakeable smell.

 

[cjones]

Oil smoke is usually gray with a blueish tinge and has an unmistakeable smell.

you're right about the smell but the blueish gray is when the rings go bad, the smoke is white if the valve seals go bad.

 

[go-stang5.0]

The exhaust will smell sweet if its coolant. Its unmistakable. If it doesnt smell sweet (just burns your nostrils ) then i wouldent worry about it.

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

you're right about the smell but the blueish gray is when the rings go bad, the smoke is white if the valve seals go bad.

Oil smoke will still be blueish gray regardless of whether the oil's getting past worn rings or worn valve guides/stem seals. The difference is that the condition is worse at idle and under deceleration when it's seals (high vacuum), whereas it's worse under load when it's rings.