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Registered
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: So. Georgia
Posts: 1,397
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Steam from exhaust
Ok guys help me out here, on a water cooled car if you see some type of steam or fog coming from the exhaust after the car has been sitting idling for about ten minutes what would you think ?
The car has been in storage for the past two and a half years and has 31K miles, I know that I am not giving you much info but it is all I have. Todd 
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11-11-2009, 05:00 AM
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Cars & Coffee Killer
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: State of Failure
Posts: 32,246
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If there's a lot of moisture in the air that day, and it is relatively cool out, think nothing of it. The car is breathing in the moist air, turning it into steam with the combustion, and then it is condensing in the exhaust and dripping out.
White smoke usually indicates a coolant leak into the engine (the "other" stuff in the coolant does that).
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Some Porsches long ago...then a wankle... 5 liters of VVT fury now -Chris "There is freedom in risk, just as there is oppression in security." |
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11-11-2009, 05:14 AM
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Petie3rd
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Philly PA
Posts: 4,528
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this is a normal condition .
The exhaust system has not reached operating temperature though the cats are getting hot as this heated air cools the water vapor in the exhaust condenses and forms the smoke that you see, once the pipes heat up enough then the air is too hot condense to the vapor point, this then will cause the smoking to stop. In very cold conditions an exhaust may smoke all of the time as the air is cold enough the cool the hot air to the vapor point quickly before it has a chance to disperse
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11-11-2009, 05:17 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: dfw tx
Posts: 3,957
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Ten minutes is a long time for just condensate. Drive it around the block and see if it goes away or at least starts to diminish. Also, pop the radiator cap and look for bubbles and that the coolant level is full. If there are bubbles it may have a blown head gasket.
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11-11-2009, 06:03 AM
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is this thing on?
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Franklin, NJ
Posts: 2,527
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that is normal...water is one of the by products of a converter
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"People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both" ~Benjamin Franklin |
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11-11-2009, 06:07 AM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
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One thing you want to do is to drive the car long enough to boil out any moisture that is left in the exhaust. Not doing so is how the muffler and exhaust rusts out. It also boils out the moisture from the oil, another good thing.
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11-11-2009, 06:24 AM
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Targa, Panamera Turbo
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Houston TX
Posts: 22,366
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on Dune they would recycle that...
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11-11-2009, 06:43 AM
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Cars & Coffee Killer
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: State of Failure
Posts: 32,246
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Quote:
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Some Porsches long ago...then a wankle... 5 liters of VVT fury now -Chris "There is freedom in risk, just as there is oppression in security." |
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11-11-2009, 06:46 AM
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Information Junky
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: an island, upper left coast, USA
Posts: 73,189
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It's not so much the moisture in the air, or the converter, as much as it is the fact that gasoline gets converted to water (vapor) during combustion.
One reason you don't want to start and run the engine briefly is that the water vapor will condense and pool in the (cool) muffler. -next start will take even longer to heat/dry the standing condensate.
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Everyone you meet knows something you don't. - - - and a whole bunch of crap that is wrong. Disclaimer: the above was 2¢ worth. More information is available as my professional opinion, which is provided for an exorbitant fee. 
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11-11-2009, 07:00 AM
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Unregistered
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: a wretched hive of scum and villainy
Posts: 55,652
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It might be normal but I'd think that after 10 minutes it would probably be gone. Was it really cold outside? If so the water vapor might be visible even if the engine is warmed up.
or it might be a head gasket or a cracked head or block. if a head gasket was leaking into the radiator the radiator would pressure up over time and pop the relief on the cap and vent into the catch bottle and probably wouldn't show up as steam out the exhaust. Steam out the exhaust after the engine and exhaust is warmed up could indicate that water was leaking into the combustion chamber (possibly in the intake tract). In that case the static cooling system pressure test would show the pressure dropping off over time. A compression test might show it but might not. If water is getting into the combustion chamber, some of it would most likely get past the rings and into the oil changing it's appearance if it had time and ran long enough. 10 minutes probably wouldn't be long enough. |
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11-11-2009, 07:03 AM
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Unregistered
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: a wretched hive of scum and villainy
Posts: 55,652
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Or, it might be di-hydromonoxide you are seeing. Careful, that stuff can be lethal if inhaled in sufficent quantities.
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11-11-2009, 07:06 AM
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canna change law physics
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Quote:
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11-11-2009, 07:14 AM
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1970/1982 Porsche 914-6/911SC 2.7 RS
