Your car is spewing black smoke because there is something wrong. In fact, your automobile might be on fire, so it’s critical that you find a safe place to park immediately and cut the engine. McCurley’s Shell advises that any excess smoke, whether coming from the tailpipe or the engine, means there’s something serious going on underneath the hood. Let’s talk about what black exhaust means, and the other colors of vehicle exhaust that are a symptom of severe engine damage.
What Black Exhaust Means
Gasoline or diesel fuel; this is what is burning when you have excess black exhaust flowing out of the tailpipe or black smoke coming out from underneath the hood. When fuel ignites and burns, it creates black smoke. Excess black exhaust is a symptom of a serious fuel leak somewhere in your engine. The excess fuel is being burned and the smoke, as a result of the fire, will either flow out of your tailpipe or out from underneath the hood. This is serious. If you suspect your car is on fire, call 911.
Other Exhaust Colors
Black isn’t the only exhaust color that can indicate your engine has been damaged. One of the key components in the engine is the head gasket, and this part can crack – what many people call blown – when it succumbs to the pressure that it deals with every day. An overheated engine can also blow the head gasket or it can be caused by a blown head gasket. If you see excess white exhaust flowing out of your tailpipe or from underneath the hood, your engine is burning coolant, and this can be caused by a blown head gasket.
Serious engine trouble is also signaled by blue exhaust. We are afraid that this one usually means that your engine is a goner and it will need to be rebuilt or replaced. When you see blue smoke coming out of the tailpipe or out from underneath the hood, your engine is burning motor oil. Your engine should never burn oil. If it does, you have a serious breach somewhere in the engine and the oil is hemorrhaging out of that breach. This not only means that you already have serious engine damage, but it also means you’re on the way to additional engine damage because as the oil burns away, your engine is left dry.
As you can imagine, an engine without oil will die within hours. It’s important that you have any excess exhaust diagnosed immediately, and if you’re looking for the best auto shop in Atlanta, GA, look no further than McCurley’s Shell. Schedule an appointment with us and we’ll find out what’s wrong with your engine.
