keplero
New Member
How can I detect if I have steam or White smoke from the exhaust ?
Thanks
Max.
<hr width=100% size=1>Max
Thanks
Max.
<hr width=100% size=1>Max
Steam or white smoke? ?
- Thread starter keplero
- Start date
Evadne
Well-Known Member
Smell? Or hold a plate in the blast and see if condensate appears?
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ex-Gladys
Well-Known Member
Doubt that will work because one of the byproducts of hydrocarbon combustion is water - normally as invisible vapour. It's a matter of "experience". Steam tends to be greyish rather than pure white, and tends to drift upwards more than white exhaust smoke. A good comparison is to look at the structure of an old banger burning oil or running rich. Ignore the blue or black smoke, but look at the "texture". Now compare that with what you have...
<hr width=100% size=1>Larry Botheras
Anderson 26 "Amber"
<hr width=100% size=1>Larry Botheras
Anderson 26 "Amber"
jleaworthy
Well-Known Member
I'm probably totally wrong but I've always thought that "white smoke" was steam which had condensed into tiny water droplets as the steam cooled - just like clouds. Again, I've always thought that "white smoke" in a cold engine was caused by condensing in a cold exhaust system the steam produced in the combustion process and was therefore quite normal. Excessive "white smoke" in a hot engine could be the result of cooling water entering the combustion chamber through a leaking gasket or cracked head.
Other colour smoke such as black/gray results from unburnt carbon particulates whilst blue smoke comes from burning the lube oil in a worn engine.
Perhaps one of our experts could either confirm or correct my misunderstanding.
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Other colour smoke such as black/gray results from unburnt carbon particulates whilst blue smoke comes from burning the lube oil in a worn engine.
Perhaps one of our experts could either confirm or correct my misunderstanding.
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oldharry
Well-Known Member
White smoke from a diesel engine is unburnt diesel fuel - unlike black smoke which is caused by insufficient oxygen mix in the fuel charge producing a large volume of soot. a labouring diesel smokes black because the throttle setting is calling for large doses of fuel while the engine is not running fast enough to draw in sufficient air to burn properly. Worn injectors make the problem worse.
White smoke is produced if one cylinder is failing to fire -perhaps due to low compression from a valve or ring problem. Also a worn engine will produce sometimes quite copious white smoke at start up. As long as it disappears within 30 seconds or so it is nothing much to worry about (except in a marina where it is anti-social!) - except to get the piggy bank out to start saving for eventual engine replacement. It is in effect a 'fog' of diesel droplets and is very pungent. The faulty cylinder can fire a part of the charge and still pass unburnt diesel through, unlike a petrol engine where the fuel is much more flammable and if it ignites at all will burn the entire fuel charge. A cold or faulty diesel may only ignite the fuel in the vicinity of the heater plug, or inlet valve, but not in the area cooled by the metal sides of the cylinder block for example.
A secondary effect is that if a diesel has been difficult to start and has been subjected to extended cranking, the exhaust system may become saturated with fuel, and as the engine warms up this begins to boil off producing sometimes spectacular amounts of white smoke for anything up to half an hour. And that is the cure - thrash the engine for a good 40 minutes and all may be well.
Steam is produced simply by the heat of the exhaust, but may be a symptom of reduced cooling water flow into the exhaust.
Telling the difference is quite difficult unless you are experienced at it - both are quite smelly, although true white smoke is worse. Both contain water anyway so a condensation test is not conclusive. Diesel fuel fog does not disperse as readily as steam, and tends not to rise in the way steam does, so if the exhaust on a calm day is hanging around close to the water - suspect smoke rather than steam.
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White smoke is produced if one cylinder is failing to fire -perhaps due to low compression from a valve or ring problem. Also a worn engine will produce sometimes quite copious white smoke at start up. As long as it disappears within 30 seconds or so it is nothing much to worry about (except in a marina where it is anti-social!) - except to get the piggy bank out to start saving for eventual engine replacement. It is in effect a 'fog' of diesel droplets and is very pungent. The faulty cylinder can fire a part of the charge and still pass unburnt diesel through, unlike a petrol engine where the fuel is much more flammable and if it ignites at all will burn the entire fuel charge. A cold or faulty diesel may only ignite the fuel in the vicinity of the heater plug, or inlet valve, but not in the area cooled by the metal sides of the cylinder block for example.
A secondary effect is that if a diesel has been difficult to start and has been subjected to extended cranking, the exhaust system may become saturated with fuel, and as the engine warms up this begins to boil off producing sometimes spectacular amounts of white smoke for anything up to half an hour. And that is the cure - thrash the engine for a good 40 minutes and all may be well.
Steam is produced simply by the heat of the exhaust, but may be a symptom of reduced cooling water flow into the exhaust.
Telling the difference is quite difficult unless you are experienced at it - both are quite smelly, although true white smoke is worse. Both contain water anyway so a condensation test is not conclusive. Diesel fuel fog does not disperse as readily as steam, and tends not to rise in the way steam does, so if the exhaust on a calm day is hanging around close to the water - suspect smoke rather than steam.
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chriscallender
Well-Known Member
If its a Bukh then its steam ... only joking but they do have something of a reputation for it, mine is no exception.
Chris
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Chris
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clio
Member
also if injection to far advanced white small will be produced, however as you say smell and saw eyes will soon tell you
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