Choosing a safe car means more than just choosing the body that attracts you the most or the one that consumes as little as possible.
Whether you opt for a new car or a second-hand one, problems can arise everywhere. Certain issues require immediate intervention, because it means that you can no longer drive the car in safe conditions. But other defects can be simply technical, your CD player doesn’t work anymore or a light bulb has burned out. Being a car owner, you must always know how to tell the difference between the two and turn to the mechanic when necessary.
When you have blue smoke coming out from your exhaust , consider it a signal that cannot be ignored and make an appointment with a mechanic as soon as possible
It is best to get on top of the problem right from the moment it appears, and in doing so reducing the costs of the repairs and possible damages to your car. Thus, we have prepared a list of the most common reasons, causes that can lead to the appearance of blue smoke from the exhaust and how you can fix the problem.
What does the appearance of blue smoke mean?
When your car starts to emit blue smoke from the exhaust it is actually trying to tell you that there may be problems with how the engine burns oil. In general, the most common cause of oil leaks are that the piston rings or valve seats are too worn. Thus, the leaking oil enters the combustion chamber, where together with the fuel, through combustion, create blue smoke. Also, not only is smoke a sign of a malfunction, but inhaling it can lead to serious health problems. Thus, you should consult a mechanic as soon as possible.
What are the most common causes of blue smoke?
The truth is that there are a wide variety of defects that can lead to the formation of blue smoke. Thus, we will divide these causes into two main categories: those that appear when starting the car and those that appear only when you accelerate.
Causes of blue smoke when starting the car
For petrol cars - wear at the point where the valves should be sealed - if you notice the appearance of blue smoke only after you have stopped with the car for a longer period and you want to start it again ,the most probable cause is the wear and tear from the valve sealing.
Each engine is built so that it has certain valves, which have the role of opening and closing the holes that allow air to enter and exit the cylinders. The main element of the valve is the plate, which has the role of closing the inlet or the outlet.
But the oil covers the upper part of the valves when pressure is applied. And here come in in valve seals, which do not allow oil to leak into the engine. But if this seal is worn, the oil will be able to easily enter the engine where in contact with air and fuel, due to the process of burning will lead to blue smoke.
In diesel cars - the use of glow plugs - one of the main differences between diesel and petrol engines is that in the latter the ignition is done by compressing the air and fuel. The higher the pressure, the higher the temperature leading to an easy ignite. The glow plug has the role of heating the combustion chamber so that your car starts optimally when it is cold outside.
Even if these spark plugs have a very high durability, it also matters how they are in good condition or not . The moment you have to replace the spark plugs will be announced to you by your car through several signals, one of them being the appearance of blue smoke, which appears as a result of the diesel that remained unburned in the engine.Even if your car seems to be running with burned spark plugs you should take action and change them as soon as possible
Blue smoke when you accelerate the car
1. Clogged PCV valve - first of all, what does PCV actually mean? It comes from Positive Cranckcase Ventilation and considering that the engine of any car is a thermal system, it is natural to have changes in temperature, heat, condensation, cooling and so on.
The PCV system is an internal ventilation system. The most important component of this PCV system is the PCV valve. The valve has the role of controlling the gases that enter the circuit and then are burned.
Thus, the moment when the PCV valve remains clogged, is a clear sign that you must turn to a specialist, because the leaked oil will continue to combine with the air and other gases inside the engine, initially leading to the appearance of blue smoke.
2. A used engine - an engine that has been used for an extremely long time can lead to many signals and malfunctions. Each engine consists of pistons that move up and down the cylinder shaft.
Each such piston has metal circles (segments) around it. The piston rings have the role of forming an insulation as tight as possible around the cylinder.
Thus, when these rings or maybe even the cylinder itself become much too worn, the oil under the pistons will be able to come to the surface. This oil combined with air and fuel will lead to the formation of blue smoke
3. Turbo problems - in the case of turbine cars, either on gasoline or diesel, issues can occur in the turbo system. Turbocharger problems can lead to blue smoke from the exhaust, increased fuel consumption or lack of power.
4. Transmission fluid losses - a modulator is used to shift transmission to older models of cars with automatic transmission.
In case of a faulty modulator, the motor has the possibility to extract from the transmission fluid. And so the transmission fluid will be burned just like the oil, leading to the appearance of blue smoke.
What can you do to improve the blue smoke situation?
Some of the most common causes of blue smoke from the exhaust may be the causes I mentioned earlier.
In some situations you can intervene on your own to fix the problem, but in other cases you will have to seek professional help.
1. Take a look at the engine
An engine that has never been cleaned can easily lead to an accumulation of impurities. Thus, the oil can easily enter the combustion chamber, leading to the appearance of blue smoke. In case of this problem you can intervene alone to try a fix.
Even if there are many types of problems that can lead to blue smoke, you would be surprised to see in how many cases this is due to a detail as minor as the dirt in the engine.
You can try cleaning the drain holes and checking them. But do not expect an instant effect, even after the cleaning process the car will need a few days to emit oil residue.
2. Check the sealing valves
Checking and changing sealing valves is not as complex and complicated as it seems at first glance, especially if you have little experience with engines.
The most important thing to pay attention to is not to drop the valves in the engine. You need to remove the plate and then the oil seals and then the valves and seats need to be cleaned. After reassembling them, you must perform a test to observe if there are any leaks.
3. Replacing incandescent spark plugs
You will best recognize the problems caused by burned spark plugs in winter, when temperatures are lower.
Remember that glow plugs are replaced with a hot engine. For someone with engine experience, the job is not too difficult, but you can of course call a mechanic.
4. Repair the PCV valve
The good news is that changing the PCV valve is neither difficult to fix nor is it expensive.
5. Changing the turbocharger
Even if it is theoretically designed to run for the life of the engine, various issues may occur. One of the causes of the problem may be low oil or an oil with impurities.
But before you jump to change it, you need to look exactly at what malfunctions have occurred. If the problem is not very serious, you can continue with the change process, but otherwise you will have to seek the help of a mechanic.
6. Repair the transmission modulator
In order to be able to repair or change the transmission modulator, the biggest challenge will be to locate it. Most of the time this type of problem, related to the appearance of blue smoke on the exhaust occurs in the morning or when you start the car for the first time. If you do not make the necessary checks on the car and do not drive to the optimal parameters, this kind of problem will certainly occur.
If the problems are with the engine, you can try or repair the engine or replace it completely, both options being quite expensive.
But the last and most important advice is to drive preventively, to always make the necessary checks on the car and at the first alarm signals to call a professional before the problem gets worse.
Photo: liveabout.com, iloveengineering.com, counterman.com
