White smoke from exhaust on Aclass (hope it not head gasket)

[Vince70]

I've had my fathers new car sitting on my drive for the last week so decided to take it over the road and put it on his quite steep drive.

 

Normally a reverse up the drive but this time a decided to drive straight on and when I got out the car while the engine was running there was loads of white smoke that wouldn't clear after 5 minutes..

 

It didn't have any smell and as it was standing a puddle of water appeared on the floor under the tailpipe so I switched it off and went inside for a coffee and then went out and restarted the engine and it was smoke free.

 

The car is low mileage etc and I there's no

oil in the coolant and it doesn't seem to have lost any oil or coolant after the 5 hour drive home from collecting it and didn't overheat..

 

I just wondered could it be possible by parking on a steep drive could possibly cause old condensation build up in the exhaust do this or am I clutching at straws and has the gasket gone.

[Vince70]

Sorry for any spelling errors as its bloody hard to type on an ancient iPhone with a knackered screen lol

[Tetleysmooth]

It's been pretty cold just recently Vince.

I reckon that's just condensation just burning off.

Best plan is to take it for a blast then have another butchers afterwards.

[Squire_Dawson]

Can you clarify if it's definitely smoke or steam?

[The Moog]

Will be condensation, you can normally tell if it is smoke. 

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

It sounds to me to be condensation, too. If a car is run when parked for a reasonable length of time or is only used for short journeys, a surprising volume of water can build up in the exhaust. Enough that it can take quite a few miles to clear it. Engines produce a lot of water.

[xtriple]

Definitely condensation. Stop worrying all is well in the world.

 

You should see the clouds that come out the back of mine on a cold morning - little rain storms follow behind for about ten minutes!

[Vince70]

Thanks for putting my mind at rest... It's just that my father was worried about it as it was like a fog coming out the back and I think we have a now pond under the exhaust pipe and it just wouldn't clear..

Being that the car was relatively cheap and I picked it up and paid for it at a train station my father was expecting the worse..

I've just been out again and restarted it and it's now completely clear. I did say to him that it drives fine and I think if anything wasn't ok it would of shown up on the 300 odd mile drive home and I did sit on the M25 car park for a good half hour and the gauge only went up to 90ish.

[Dave_Q]

Modernz have big complicated exhaust systems which can collect lots of condensation, a few mins idling on the drive isn't enough to clear it.

Rag up a dual carriagway until actually warm and only worry if steam is still present then.

[SiC]

The silencer on a lot of moderns are filled with what is effectively like steel wool. This acts as a great way of keeping moisture droplets in. Also the cats fine mesh can be pretty effective at that too.

 

I remember our mk3 MX5 used to produce huge plumes of condensation "mist" on a cold day, when it hadn't been run of a while.

 

A good Italian tune-up will soon sort it tbh.

[xtriple]

I know I'm really odd, but I like seeing the condensation from car exhausts! No idea why, maybe just relief that I know it's not oil smoke?

[mercrocker]

Only just seen this but concur - my T25 always does this on its winter warm-up sessions whilst in storage.   Rear silencer is like a giant air tank with condensation all around inside it.   Takes a while to clear.   Another good reason for stainless steel!

[SiC]

I know I'm really odd, but I like seeing the condensation from car exhausts! No idea why, maybe just relief that I know it's not oil smoke?

Or is it because you know that the Bentley is actually starting and running today?

[New POD]

When my head gasket was failing on an 8V astra, it started by only steaming at start up, and once warm would stop.

 

Eventually it was a fucking kettle but hey.

[Barry Cade]

As the A class engine is nearly upside down, may be the arse gasket has blown

[Split_Pin]

I saw a Focus accelerate away from a roundabout today with a steady trickle of water coming from the tailpipe, not seen that in a while.

 

I tend to go by the rule* that if it drives as it should, and the oil on the dipstick is not like chocolate then it's ok HGF wise.

 

*blind faith

[saucedoctor]

My 25 is only used for short journeys. The rear silencer had rotted where it joints the pipe. When I took it off, I could hear water sloshing about in it.

 

The silencer's been on it a while now, and it steams a bit now and again (no, not for THAT reason! )

[xtriple]

Or is it because you know that the Bentley is actually starting and running today?

Cruel so cruel....possibly accurate though

[Cavcraft]

It's knackered £50 tomorrow M8