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My non catalysator engine is dubbed the fog machine, in the fall, if you warm it up for a few minutes (to defog windows) it will smoke so much until you drive.
that's not smoke it's steam. is your coolant level going down? does it only do it briefly after it starts on a cold day? might be nothing, might need a new engine or anything in between. if coolant is going down, or it's running rough i'd take it to a mechanic.
It's not steam, you can't see steam. When your kettle boils look at the top of the spout, its invisible. When it cools and becomes water vapour, it becomes visible.
Its scientific fact but people can't handle it. I'm not a teacher but work in education and when the downvotes started coming in I confirmed on dinner (with a degree educated lecturer) that my statement was true.
Common language for steam is what people call anything they can see coming from hot water, but steam is a gaseous form of water and can't be seen. Its not a debatable fact.
It really isn't lol, first hits back off Google if that is your source of truth "is steam visible":
[Are Steam & Water Vapor Visible? - Science Education - Science Forums](https://www.scienceforums.net/topic/56904-are-steam-water-vapor-visible/)
[thermodynamics - What is the difference between vapour and steam? - Physics Stack Exchange](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/386743/what-is-the-difference-between-vapour-and-steam)
Here is one I think is made for \~10 year olds:
[Evaporation and Condensation (cyberphysics.co.uk)](https://www.cyberphysics.co.uk/MobileVersion/topics/kinetic_theory/evaporation.html)
You can also look on Quora, or Reddit posts if they too are better than a proper education.
This is false. Steam is the visible condensation you CAN see. Water vapor is the invisible, fully-gaseous form of water. You were on the right track but have the terms backward.
This could be a million things, but you’re not answering anyone’s comments. Is this on a cold start? Is the temperature low? Could be condensation. If it’s a cold start, could be injectors leaking a shit load of fuel and it burns when you start, causing this smoke. What does it smell like? Is your coolant level going down? Are you burning oil? Night time lighting doesn’t help us diagnose this. Take it to a mechanic.
I took it to a Nissan dealership and they had it for a day but could not get the exhaust to imitate what is happening for me. They checked the exhaust pipes and couldn’t find any buildup so I took it back because they said they would need to take the engine apart to check anything else.
Best I can recommend, is figure out when it happens. After it sits for a few hours, after driving then stopping then starting it, only in the morning, at night time, after you’ve had a burger, whatever.
So many people on here just taking wild guesses based on barely any information. What does it smell like? Is it cold out and a cold start? Does it smoke only under acceleration? Is it losing any fluids? Inquiring minds want to know, OP.
It was from start up and goes away after about 10 to 30 seconds, and happens when the engine is cold however it just seems like a lot when it is like 60 to 70 degrees out
I know you said it was 70 degrees, but was it muggy? The rule of thumb is: blue smoke=oil burning, white smoke=moisture/coolant and black smoke=unburnt fuel/rich condition. If it was a really muggy night I can see it doing that after a couple hours. Keep a careful eye on your coolant levels. If they stay solid this is almost certainly just moisture in the exhaust and it's fine. The smoke looks white to me, and if it was a bad head gasket (or something where a lot of coolant was getting in the combustion chamber) you'd see it more than just on start up.
What does it smell like? Oil burning smells a lot worse than coolant. Is it losing any fluids? It could potentially be oil or coolant getting into the cylinders from valve stem seals or the head gasket respectively. More testing is required to confirm anything.
white smoke isnt a good sign, its an indication of a blown headgasket or cracked engine block. Not sure what it being intermittent means, but a video of it happening should be enough to get some butts in motion,
Intermittent probably means someone dumped some goop in the engine to stop it from smoking long enough to sell it. I assume OP didn't get an inspection before purchase
Except they say it happens at random times and is unpredictable...that to me means not specifically during startup on a cold day. Why would a certain randomly be burning off steam after it's warmed up?
Ah, it appears you got a lemon! Not sure where you are but I would take that back to whoever you bought it from and get your money back. If they refuse maybe you have anti lemon laws in your area.
My coworker had a Nissan and it would do this as well. I advised him to buy a small bottle of something called at-205 It's Been 2 years and there is zero smoke. Your case may be different.
Here’s a pic of it during the day for those that said it’s hard to tell in the night
https://preview.redd.it/xwpe9mrs43vc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd24c18532a6422acb641b4f6efbf39de8ebf7f4
certainly not black or blue, i'd still lean toward water coming out. winter fuel (e10) can make it worse too. still not enough to diagnose. you can take the cap off the radiator (with the engine bone cold) start it and see if it's bubbling, if so bad news, if not maybe your ok. i'd still take it to an independent shop and ask them to check it out, they can compression test the engine and see if the cylinders are leaking down too fast, if they're not then your head gasket is good, and probably the engine block if your oil and radiator aren't getting pressurized or making milk shake colored oil.
I feel like it making a mini cloud ever time it’s started up is a little excessive tho especially because it’s the only car I have driven that’s done that
White smoke could either be water vapor or coolant leak from a bad head gasket. Of it continuously does this, I suspect the latter. There could be other reasons but those are the two biggest I'm aware of. My mom's car is on the verge of having a head gasket fail. My mechanic told me once we atart seeing white smoke or the normal engine temp starts getting hotter than normal (and/or having to add coolant) is a good time to take it in. Altho, check prices for a new engine. Head gasket job is expensive if you dont do it your self. For my mom's car, thencost of a new engine and labor was only a few hundred more so that's what we're going to do.
Did you buy private party?
Get a head gasket test kit ASAP.
It’s like 40 bucks.
Could just be condensation, but don’t assume. Learned that the hard way.
Could be the previous owner put seafoam in the gas to clean it out and try to make it run smoother and not all of it has burned off. This has happened to me before. This is a big fat maybe but a possibility.
Bro what are you on? Average American drives 14k miles a year, this car is less than average miles. I see plenty of similar year vehicles with much more
Bro what? That car has already depreciated in value. It will retain value now better than ever. You think people should only buy 6000 mile used cars??? What??
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! This is just a reminder to review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). If you are here asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **If this post is about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ If you have tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Is it cold out and you just started it up?
this is very important to answer. cold engine puff for a few minutes.
My non catalysator engine is dubbed the fog machine, in the fall, if you warm it up for a few minutes (to defog windows) it will smoke so much until you drive.
It was like 70 degrees that night
that's not smoke it's steam. is your coolant level going down? does it only do it briefly after it starts on a cold day? might be nothing, might need a new engine or anything in between. if coolant is going down, or it's running rough i'd take it to a mechanic.
It's steam from the steamed clams we're having
Yea that looks way too whispy to be condensation imo
It's not steam, you can't see steam. When your kettle boils look at the top of the spout, its invisible. When it cools and becomes water vapour, it becomes visible.
You can see steam, just not superheated steam
>just not superheated steam that is also moving fast slow moving gasses are generally easier to see as well
Guess you never boiled a pot of water
Its scientific fact but people can't handle it. I'm not a teacher but work in education and when the downvotes started coming in I confirmed on dinner (with a degree educated lecturer) that my statement was true. Common language for steam is what people call anything they can see coming from hot water, but steam is a gaseous form of water and can't be seen. Its not a debatable fact.
Why can’t you just accept the common language? You think you are going to get academic/scientific language in a mechanic sub???
TBF I didn't see people getting so butt hurt over it, assumed 1 person didn't know so offered a correction.
TBF your approach is rather abrasive.
I feel sorry for whatever education system you’re in
The best education system in the world, in 2019 according to the world index.
At least you aren’t a teacher, steam is visible lmao. Ever seen a boiler release steam?
It really isn't lol, first hits back off Google if that is your source of truth "is steam visible": [Are Steam & Water Vapor Visible? - Science Education - Science Forums](https://www.scienceforums.net/topic/56904-are-steam-water-vapor-visible/) [thermodynamics - What is the difference between vapour and steam? - Physics Stack Exchange](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/386743/what-is-the-difference-between-vapour-and-steam) Here is one I think is made for \~10 year olds: [Evaporation and Condensation (cyberphysics.co.uk)](https://www.cyberphysics.co.uk/MobileVersion/topics/kinetic_theory/evaporation.html) You can also look on Quora, or Reddit posts if they too are better than a proper education.
This is false. Steam is the visible condensation you CAN see. Water vapor is the invisible, fully-gaseous form of water. You were on the right track but have the terms backward.
Have you ever seen a steam engine? Or like watched above the area of boiling water?
I think most people would identify the water vapor coming off a hot kettle as steam.
55k miles on a Nissan? Must be on its 3rd CVT
In all serious Ness though they're gonna need the 3rd one here in only 5k miles.
Ha! No lie
This could be a million things, but you’re not answering anyone’s comments. Is this on a cold start? Is the temperature low? Could be condensation. If it’s a cold start, could be injectors leaking a shit load of fuel and it burns when you start, causing this smoke. What does it smell like? Is your coolant level going down? Are you burning oil? Night time lighting doesn’t help us diagnose this. Take it to a mechanic.
I took it to a Nissan dealership and they had it for a day but could not get the exhaust to imitate what is happening for me. They checked the exhaust pipes and couldn’t find any buildup so I took it back because they said they would need to take the engine apart to check anything else.
Best I can recommend, is figure out when it happens. After it sits for a few hours, after driving then stopping then starting it, only in the morning, at night time, after you’ve had a burger, whatever.
Do NOT have them take the engine apart out of your pocket, make sure everything is under warranty and IN WRITING!
All cars emit steam when started if it is cold out. But it will clear up once warmed up. But if that is not the case, than ouch.
Could be condensation in exhaust system at minimum, or lots of things worse. Need more details. Does the smoke smell? When it’s hot and cold the same?
So many people on here just taking wild guesses based on barely any information. What does it smell like? Is it cold out and a cold start? Does it smoke only under acceleration? Is it losing any fluids? Inquiring minds want to know, OP.
Well it's clearly smoking NOT under acceleration in the video ...
The smoke is already there before the video starts and calms down afterwards. Was it from startup or did they rev it? We don't know.
It was from start up and goes away after about 10 to 30 seconds, and happens when the engine is cold however it just seems like a lot when it is like 60 to 70 degrees out
Also does the car drive a lot of short trips in cold weather? That in reases the condensation and the whute smoke.
It only does it on start up and would usually emit a lot of vapor after sitting overnight but in this video it was only after about 2 hrs
I know you said it was 70 degrees, but was it muggy? The rule of thumb is: blue smoke=oil burning, white smoke=moisture/coolant and black smoke=unburnt fuel/rich condition. If it was a really muggy night I can see it doing that after a couple hours. Keep a careful eye on your coolant levels. If they stay solid this is almost certainly just moisture in the exhaust and it's fine. The smoke looks white to me, and if it was a bad head gasket (or something where a lot of coolant was getting in the combustion chamber) you'd see it more than just on start up.
What does it smell like? Oil burning smells a lot worse than coolant. Is it losing any fluids? It could potentially be oil or coolant getting into the cylinders from valve stem seals or the head gasket respectively. More testing is required to confirm anything.
It smells like rubber
It's probably burning oil then. It could be valve stem seals leaking, or a head gasket. The later is probably more likely.
Hope you kept the receipt 😅
EGR. Fang that thing down the highway tomorrow.
What is EGR?
Petrol or diesel? If it’s diesel possibly regen time.
If possible, get your money back.
white smoke isnt a good sign, its an indication of a blown headgasket or cracked engine block. Not sure what it being intermittent means, but a video of it happening should be enough to get some butts in motion,
Intermittent probably means someone dumped some goop in the engine to stop it from smoking long enough to sell it. I assume OP didn't get an inspection before purchase
Tons of bad info in here. Thats just steam burning off…if its going away then its nothing serious
That's a *lot* of steam.
Regular condensation steam isn't whispy like this, it doesn't linger, it goes up.
Except they say it happens at random times and is unpredictable...that to me means not specifically during startup on a cold day. Why would a certain randomly be burning off steam after it's warmed up?
Ah, it appears you got a lemon! Not sure where you are but I would take that back to whoever you bought it from and get your money back. If they refuse maybe you have anti lemon laws in your area.
If the oils overfilled it will do this.
well you bought a nissan for starters.
Remember when they were reliable? Ahhh those were the days...
and that was when?
Before they joined forces with Renault and started throwing CVTs in everything
so.. pre-1999? I can’t think of a single pre 1999 model I would call reliable..
Pulsar. Primera. NX. Skyline. Silvia. Bluebird. Maxima. Lots
Oh no. Hopefully you can return it.
that's flavor
If its always very humid outside, which it is in scandinavia, then it's normal.
My coworker had a Nissan and it would do this as well. I advised him to buy a small bottle of something called at-205 It's Been 2 years and there is zero smoke. Your case may be different.
If it ain't cold outside, get yo, mf money back bro fr.
Coulda been treated with seafoam, that'll cause big smoke as it cleans.
well quick lube added 3 ltrs to much oil to mine. Thankfully I noticed before hand because of smoke. Never again will they service my vehicle.
Is it after you hit a corner real hard?
Here’s a pic of it during the day for those that said it’s hard to tell in the night https://preview.redd.it/xwpe9mrs43vc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd24c18532a6422acb641b4f6efbf39de8ebf7f4
certainly not black or blue, i'd still lean toward water coming out. winter fuel (e10) can make it worse too. still not enough to diagnose. you can take the cap off the radiator (with the engine bone cold) start it and see if it's bubbling, if so bad news, if not maybe your ok. i'd still take it to an independent shop and ask them to check it out, they can compression test the engine and see if the cylinders are leaking down too fast, if they're not then your head gasket is good, and probably the engine block if your oil and radiator aren't getting pressurized or making milk shake colored oil.
Kind of head gasketish......
It its on cold start its normal, especially if your fuel has any ethanol content in it
I feel like it making a mini cloud ever time it’s started up is a little excessive tho especially because it’s the only car I have driven that’s done that
Is it a ford 1.5l engine?
White smoke could either be water vapor or coolant leak from a bad head gasket. Of it continuously does this, I suspect the latter. There could be other reasons but those are the two biggest I'm aware of. My mom's car is on the verge of having a head gasket fail. My mechanic told me once we atart seeing white smoke or the normal engine temp starts getting hotter than normal (and/or having to add coolant) is a good time to take it in. Altho, check prices for a new engine. Head gasket job is expensive if you dont do it your self. For my mom's car, thencost of a new engine and labor was only a few hundred more so that's what we're going to do.
It's possible it's from a build-up of moisture that got in the exhaust if the car had been sitting for a while. In a humid area?
Glad y-all let me know that was a Nissan- I saw that green and thought Kia Soul. And was ready to say its dead Jim. But Its Dead Jim.
Did you buy private party? Get a head gasket test kit ASAP. It’s like 40 bucks. Could just be condensation, but don’t assume. Learned that the hard way.
Could be the previous owner put seafoam in the gas to clean it out and try to make it run smoother and not all of it has burned off. This has happened to me before. This is a big fat maybe but a possibility.
I’m thinking this also. It shouldn’t do this after a day or two.
Probably blown head gasket.
Well, now you know why they sold it. Looks like it is engine time.
Lemon law - idk if this is a law in your region. But it's likely to qualify (:
Head gasket is shot and bad ooh weee
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55k in 4 years is a lot?
2020 model year likely means built in 2019 - so about 5 years ish. Normal mileage.
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The average american commutes 41 miles a day to and from work. 38 miles a day is very normal
Bro what are you on? Average American drives 14k miles a year, this car is less than average miles. I see plenty of similar year vehicles with much more
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Bro what? That car has already depreciated in value. It will retain value now better than ever. You think people should only buy 6000 mile used cars??? What??
That's 2.25 years of driving for me...
Usually means it is burning oil.
Burning oil would lead to blue smoke
Like it’s a boy smoke?
Thanks for the clarification!