Exhaust sometimes will smoke sometimes it wont

1. Matt1-vts Regular Poster Joined: Mar 2010 Poplar, london Posts: 261

   #1 30th April 2010, 13:56

   Some days my exhaust will have some little white smoke coming from exhaust, mainly when idle, then some days it will have no smoke coming from it at all.. Is this normal or is there something wrong.. I know in losing less than litre of oil a month..
2. raunchz Saxperience Addict Joined: Jul 2005 Solihull / Bournemouth Posts: 14233 2015 Lapiz Blue Golf R

   #2 30th April 2010, 13:59

   sounds normal tbh
3. user_35312 Established Member Joined: Jun 2009 Coventry CV6 Posts: 2477 Slowda Octavia vRS SOLD - Cam'd Chip'd VTR

   #3 30th April 2010, 14:01

   Losing less than litre of oil a month could still be a hell of a lot, if its say 800ml or so.. The oil system is a contained system, just like coolant so in theory shouldn't drastically change.. it is not 100% contained as a tiny amount will get burned off.
   
   For example my car is coming up to service time, hasn't been serviced for a year and the oil hasn't moved one bit in a year, so yeah... shouldn't use that much for sure.
   
   The smoke at idle could probably just be condensation, particularly in mornings/evenings when the exhaust is pushing out hotter gas than outside temps, just like breathing out when its cold and you can see your breath. However if its been warm, this could be a sign of head-gasket failure.. particularly if you are going through oil. how much exactly was it using?
4. loz180691 Frequent Poster Joined: Mar 2010 Rugby Posts: 911 NaNa Gti

   #4 30th April 2010, 14:10

   sounds pretty normal
5. Matt1-vts Regular Poster Joined: Mar 2010 Poplar, london Posts: 261

   #5 30th April 2010, 17:04

   Im topping up less than half a litre not sure on ml but I say I would be putting in about 1 litres so far this YEAR, I did have an oil change about 4 months ago. So just wondering could that garage not put enough oil in when they did the change.
6. dankzy Established Member Joined: May 2009 Middlesbrough Posts: 1143 citroen saxo 1.1 forte orange mango :)

   #6 30th April 2010, 17:13

   sounds like a worn engine, how old the car? oil could be getting in to the combustion chamber and burining because of worn seals
7. Matt1-vts Regular Poster Joined: Mar 2010 Poplar, london Posts: 261

   #7 30th April 2010, 19:20

   Car is a 2001 mk2 with 60k on the clock
8. Ax_beefy Frequent Poster Joined: Jun 2006 Cannock Posts: 973 Citroen AX VTS

   #8 30th April 2010, 20:56

   White or blue smoke?
   
   White = condensation.... its colder in the mornings and will disapear when the engines warm if it persists constantly start thinking along the lines of head gasket failure
   Blue/grey = oil.... overfilled, worn valve stem seals, worn piston rings (usualy causes heavy loss through breather as it pressurises the head)
9. saxo_singh Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: May 2009 Birmingham Posts: 4289 02 VTR'd Furio, 07 Audi A4 Avant S Line

   #9 1st May 2010, 01:02

   Mine has this problem to. Maybe burning oil then i guess.
10. Matt1-vts Regular Poster Joined: Mar 2010 Poplar, london Posts: 261

    #10 1st May 2010, 09:59

    Yeah its white smoke.. Been told that if the smoke stays below the car its head gasket but if it rises quick then the head gaskets ok, is that true if so then my head is ok
11. saxtreme Established Member Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 1660 yamaha tzr50/dt125 cars: 1.0i spree

    #11 1st May 2010, 10:04

    mine does it aswell lmao
    
    only on the drivers side exhaust but the other side doesnt
    
    but i only get time to start the car at nights ....
    cos of collage
12. user_35312 Established Member Joined: Jun 2009 Coventry CV6 Posts: 2477 Slowda Octavia vRS SOLD - Cam'd Chip'd VTR

    #12 1st May 2010, 19:25

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Matt1-vts Yeah its white smoke.. Been told that if the smoke stays below the car its head gasket but if it rises quick then the head gaskets ok, is that true if so then my head is ok

    thats sorta true yeah, because what it is, the coolant is being burned causing which is heavier than normal whipsy smoke
13. Matt1-vts Regular Poster Joined: Mar 2010 Poplar, london Posts: 261

    #13 1st May 2010, 23:31

    So its my coolant thats causing the smoking not the oil or is it defo the head, as the white smoke does rises freely and quickly
14. user_35312 Established Member Joined: Jun 2009 Coventry CV6 Posts: 2477 Slowda Octavia vRS SOLD - Cam'd Chip'd VTR

    #14 2nd May 2010, 15:38

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Matt1-vts So its my coolant thats causing the smoking not the oil or is it defo the head, as the white smoke does rises freely and quickly

    wouldnt be that, just condensation