[vbisbest]

I am seeing what appears to be water coming out of my exhaust pipe. I originally thought it was from a rainy day when I parked it in my garage about a month ago. But water is still coming out when I start the engine so I doubt it could be from that. I recently filled my radiator with water while repairing my heater valve (going to radiator fluid before driving). Thoughts on what’s going on here?

 

[ghnl]

Is it cold where you are? A normal by-product of combustion is H2O (among other things). When you start a cold engine and the exhaust system is cold, the water vapor condenses and gets spit out as liquid water. As the engine & exhaust system warm up the water vapor remains a vapor and is thus nearly colorless. (on really cold days you'll often see white 'smoke' coming out of cars tailpipes as the water vapor condenses when it hits the cold air)

If the engine starts & runs fine it highly unlikely the water you added to the radiator is finding its way directly out the exhaust pipe. Did you add antifreeze to the radiator? Generally a 50% antifreeze solution is good for year round use.

 

[squirrelman1]

normal condensation. should be gone after 10 minutes.

 

[stasha]

I have a similar finding. When I start the car. I get over carbon-tinged water splatter out the exhaust. See attached pattern captured on the cardboard I keep under the car.
Car is kept in kinda-heated garage (around 50deg at coldest).
No decrement in power.
I use antifreeze and do not see any in the oil or in the ground pattern.
So, I also believe it is normal condensation -- although it is MUCH more than I have ever seen in any of my cars.

 

[alfaparticle]

Depends upon how much is coming out. If there is lots of it when the engine is hot then you most likely have a blown head gasket. It has happened to me.

 

[76Satisfaction]

Everything posted here falls within my experience of normal engine operations. Any engine.

Carbon and water vapor come out of the exhaust pipe, no matter what the ambient temperature is, and most often start-up mixtures are rich - so you get even more carbon and water..
I also use cardboard to protect the back walls against which I park my cars, and after a season they tend to look 100times worse than what stasha shows..

IIRC alfaparticle is a very experienced Alfa owner. I hope he'd agree that a blown head gasket with THAT much coolant* coming out, would be accompanied by an unmistakable, dense, light blue smoke from the exhaust pipe. Not just a dribble of carbon-laced water.

*and it would be coolant, not just water.

Cheers,
- Art

 

[vbisbest]

Thank you all! Yes it’s about 45 degrees here in GA. No colored smoke. This is a relief for sure!

 

[alfaromeoblack]

I had the same problem. I guess at some point the engine was running poorly and there was a lot of black soot in the end of the tail pipe. I took a buck of soap water and a brush and cleaned the inside of the pipe. No more black coming out of the back!


Ken

 

[alfaparticle]

I hope he'd agree that a blown head gasket with THAT much coolant* coming out, would be accompanied by an unmistakable, dense, light blue smoke from the exhaust pipe
[/QUO

Steam, no blue smoke.

 

[pantera928]

All of mine do the exact same thing in this weather.

 

[VabeneGTV]

@pantera928 +1