Black smoke is coming
from my exhaust
White smoke is coming from my exhaust
Blue smoke is coming from my exhaust
My vehicle smells like rotten eggs
My vehicle lacks power on flat roads as well as
hills
My vehicle lacks power on hills but is fine
on flat roads
Engine shakes while idling
Black smoke is coming
from my exhaust
This is an indication that too much gas is being burned. Your
air/fuel mixture is too rich. You may have a clogged air filter. If
the air filter is not clogged there may be a problem with a sensor controlling
the vehicles fuel injection system. If your vehicle has a carburetor
then the choke plate may be stuck. Another possibility is a vacuum leak.
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White smoke is coming
from my exhaust
When a cold engine is started, any condensation that has formed
in the exhaust will be burned off. This is normal and nothing to worry
about. On the other hand if if you see white smoke coming out of the
exhaust at all engine temperatures then this is an indication of a blown
head gasket or possibly a crack in the head, intake or cylinder. Basically
what is happening is coolant is leaking into the cylinder and being
burned off as steam. Back To Top
Blue smoke is coming
from my exhaust
This is a definite indication that this engine is burning oil.
The most common cause for this is bad rings and is most likely from
high mileage. An engine with bad rings will also show signs of power
loss, especially when going up hills. Another cause of blue smoke is
bad valve stem seals. Usually the smoke is more noticeable during acceleration.
Lastly if your vehicle has a turbo charger then it may possibly have
leaking turbo charger seals. Back To Top
My vehicle smells
like rotten eggs
The rotten egg smell is the result of unburned gasoline
vapors reacting with chemicals in the catalytic converter. Your air/fuel
mixture is too rich. You may have a clogged air filter. If the air filter
is not clogged there may be a problem with a sensor controlling the
vehicles fuel injection system. If your vehicle has a carburetor then
the choke plate may be stuck or you may have a vacuum leak. Back
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My vehicle lacks power
on flat roads as well as hills
This usually indicates a problem in the ignition or fuel system
or possibly a clogged catalytic converter. If the vehicle doesn't seem
to have the top speed it used to then suspect a clogged converter. If
the engine runs roughly especially when idling it may be due to old/failing
spark plugs and wires. Look for a fuel delivery problem in the carburetor
or possibly a clogged fuel injector. Lastly, look for weak compression
due to bad rings or valves possibly from high mileage. Back
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My vehicle lacks
power on hills but is fine on flat roads
Preignition:
If you also notice a pinging noise then this would indicate a preignition
condition. Preignition means the air/fuel mixture in the engine's combustion
chambers is igniting earlier than it should. If you have been filling
your tank with low octane fuel this could be the cause. Low octane fuel
burns too easily and under certain conditions will self-ignite before
the piston reaches the top of the combustion chamber. Your engine makes
its peak power when the ignition takes place while the piston is at
the top of the combustion chamber, which is not the case with preignition.
Here you have pre-ignition and power loss. Try using a higher grade
of fuel.
If your engine is running hot this could also trigger
preignition. During very hot days your engine will run hotter, this
is normal and unavoidable. However if your engine is running hot when
it shouldn't, then you need to look into what's causing abnormal engine
overheating.
Thin air can also cause preignition. If you are driving
in high altitude areas try using a higher octane/grade of fuel. High
octane fuels burn slower and are therefore resistant to preignition.
Rings or
Valves:
Weak compression due to bad rings or valves. Back
To Top
Engine shakes while
idling
This is a telltale sign that the engine is misfiring on one or more
cylinders. This may be as simple as spark plugs or spark plug wires
but may also be a more serious internal engine problem like a burned
valve. Back To Top
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