Head Gasket Repair – White Smoke Out Exhaust
Reader Question
WOULD A BAD O2 SENSOR CAUSE MY CAR TO SMOKE FROM THE TAILPIPE? I REPLACED ALL GASKETS ON THE TOP END. PLEASE HELP, ANY ADVICE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
Hey there
A bad o2 sensor could cause the engine to run too rich…burning too much fuel, thus the excess unburned fuel would be dumped out the tailpipe as black smoke that smells of raw fuel.
A check engine light will probably be illuminated on the dash, and poor engine performance would also be a result of too much fuel.
Here is an article I wrote about exhaust smoke and what the different colors of smoke mean.
Blessings,
Austin Davis
Reader Follow Up
Yes I have read the article and that is why I’m asking you directly. I have white smoke that comes from tailpipe. I have read your article on white smoke and all them gaskets have been replaced. That is why I don’t know what the problem is. Hope you have some more advice. Thanks.
Hello Again
White smoke is usually due to coolant/water getting into the cylinders of the engine…and it should NOT be there. I would get a cooling system pressure test done by your mechanic, this is a cheap and quick test to determine if there is indeed an internal leak in your engine.
If there IS, I would recommend you try using this cheap over the counter cooling system additive first and see if that solves the problem before you spend lots of money on this issue.
Here is an article about the head gasket sealer
Blessings,
Austin Davis
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