Techie Q

[tigran]

Quick question dooodz. Just been pondering this for a bit - what can cause copious ammounts of reaaaally bright white smoke to billow out of an exhaust? Obvious answer is something getting into the firing process and burning off in there. That's fine, however no fluids are being burnt - no coolant loss, no oil loss. The only thing dissapearing is atf - and that's due to a leak somewhere.

The question relates to old boat anchor of a straight 6, namely in a rover p5.

Thoughts?

[bstardchild]

Pretty certain on the fluid levels cos white smoke = water to me?

[Davenger]

Yep, sounds like a serously shagged head gasket

[bigginger]

and I was too nervous to say that - but agreed, white "smoke" = water

[street]

Does it get run regular? If not perhaps it's collecting water in the exhaust and bellowing it out in the form of steam when you get behind the wheel and give it some?

[tigran]

It got laid up when it started doing that - and yeah it was doing 100s of miles a week. The coolant is still brimmed - and i'm talking enough smoke to fill my street.

Ho hum i'll lob the head off and have a gander. Really hope it's something as simple as a head gasket.

[BenzBoy]

tigran said:

Really hope it's something as simple as a head gasket.

Yeah I'd suspect steam too... and therefore HG failure. Compression tester could solve that little conundrum for ya!

[scaryoldcortina]

What are the brakes like?? I had a car in once was sucking brake fluid through the MC seals and servo into the engine and burning it, chocking clouds of white smoke being the primary symptom. Also sounds a little like contaminated fuel, its surprising how little diesel mixed into petrol makes the car act like it just elected a new pope!

[BenzBoy]

scaryoldcortina said:

its surprising how little diesel mixed into petrol makes the car act like it just elected a new pope!

LOL ;D ;D ;D ;D

[tigran]

scaryoldcortina said:

What are the brakes like?? I had a car in once was sucking brake fluid through the MC seals and servo into the engine and burning it, chocking clouds of white smoke being the primary symptom. Also sounds a little like contaminated fuel, its surprising how little diesel mixed into petrol makes the car act like it just elected a new pope!

The brakes are icredibly shot, one of them seizing on the motorway and causing the blow out which caused the lay up of the car. Now that's an interesting route of investigation.

Didn't, and wouldn't have even pondered to check the levels in relation to the smoke. Will do that asap, thanks a lot!

[davemk1gti]

the P6 also had a similar problem with servo sucking in brake fluid, take a look inside there deffo.

hum 'servo sucking' on reflection sounds like a bedroom sport.

[wagoneer]

benzboy said:

scaryoldcortina said:

its surprising how little diesel mixed into petrol makes the car act like it just elected a new pope!

LOL ;D ;D ;D ;D

It's that kind of humour that makes being here so much fun ;D