What causes white smoke from a blown gasket?
Blown Gasket Head: When you have a blown gasket head, you’ll have fuel leaking in the engine compartment. A bad leak may drip right out below the engine manifold and be visible to you but if it happens, you’ll get the white smoke in your exhaust as the fuel mixes with the coolant.
What does it mean when your antifreeze smells sweet?
Antifreeze smells sweet, so if you’re smelling something unusually sweet after you’ve had a temperature warning or you’ve got steam billowing out of your hood, it’s probably your coolant. This is a good time to start checking for obvious leaks under your vehicle.
What happens if your antifreeze keeps running out?
If you’re antifreeze keeps running out quickly, you’ve almost definitely got a leak. This is much different than the slight decrease in coolant levels that you’ll notice at regular oil-change intervals. Sometimes a leak may not be visible.
What should I do if I have white smoke coming from my engine?
The cooling system flows from the radiator to the engine block. Start by checking the coolant level in the radiator. Do not attempt to open the radiator cap while the engine is still hot. When the engine has cooled, check the coolant tank and radiator hose lines for signs of leaks.
Why is antifreeze coming out of the exhaust?
If it is the cylinder head/gasket you will find the cooling system will rapidly over-pressurise and may possibly have a cylinder misfire on the affected cylinder. Squeeze the top radiator hose after starting the engine and giving it a good rev; if the hose is very hard you have a blown head gasket.
When does white smoke come out of an engine?
In these situations, you will typically see this white smoke come out on cooler days. The smoke should only be coming out in small amounts after you start your engine. Then after about 30 seconds to a minute, the white smoke should clear up. If this is the case then you have nothing to worry about.
Why is smoke coming out of my radiator?
If only a small leak, the coolant will be burned producing a large amount of white sweet smelling smoke. If the gasket has failed in a way that it leaks only on the upward or compression stroke, gasses will enter the coolant system. Look for small bubbles in the coolant flow after removing the radiator cap.
What should I do if my antifreeze keeps running out?
If you are not sure which one that is, you may pull all of the spark plugs and will notice one will have a white-crystal-like substance on it and/or may look dirty; this is the plug you should pull. Leave that plug out for the 50 minute idle in order to relieve the pressure from building up and thus allowing the product to seal properly.