How The Smoke From Your Tailpipe Can Tell You What's Wrong ...

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CarThrottle//YouTube

In general, smoke coming from anywhere on your car is a pretty good sign that something's gone wrong. The major exception, of course, is smoke that billows out from under your tires while you do a burnout. That's a sign that you're doing something right.

But if the smoke is coming from your exhaust, it will generally be one of three colors. Correctly identify the color of the smoke, and you can usually figure out what needs to be fixed.

In the video below, CarThrottle breaks down the meaning of blue, white, and black exhaust smoke. It also explains what probably caused that problem, so you can get a better idea of what's going on with your car.

For example, if you see blue smoke, your engine is probably burning oil. It could be the result of a damaged valve stem, seal, or guide, but it could also be a faulty piston ring.

Of course, if the smoke is coming from the engine bay and not the exhaust, it could just be a sign that you're driving a Ferrari.

View full post on YouTube Headshot of Collin Woodard

Collin WoodardWriterCollin Woodard is a web content writer for Road & Track located in Boston. A former contributor to sites like The Smoking Tire, Bold Ride, and Autos Cheat Sheet, he's a little too in love with the E39 540i, the El Camino, and the Volkswagen Phaeton.Watch Next loading video...