White smoke from exaust

cuprabod

Active Member
Mar 24, 2003
643
5
Cheshire
My 2017 leon fr st 1.4 dsg has white smoke coming from the exhaust more or less constantly , mentioned this when it went in for a service and they said there was nothing wrong , is this correct ?
 

bgb

Active Member
Jan 22, 2019
600
316
Check your oil filler cap for white sludge, check coolant for discolouration/foreign bodies.

If any of those, points towards head gasket leaking or somewhere coolant is making its way through the engine.

Sounds daft, but sniff the exhaust, sweetish smell will be coolant, could just be condensing hot air in this weather??


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Cuprobbie

Active Member
May 4, 2016
91
26
Hamilton
Is it white smoke or condensing water vapour in the exhaust?
My outdoor weather sensor says that the outside temperature is -3.3 degrees C at the moment.
The water vapour in the exhaust will condense instantly when it comes in contact with air at a low temperature.
 

'Little' John

Active Member
Oct 12, 2018
274
114
Mine does this pretty constantly during the winter months. If you don't do long runs condensation collects in the exhaust system and doesn't seem to get burnt off properly.
 

Dannnnn

Active Member
Dec 9, 2018
440
200
Hampshire
It won't be smoke it will be steam. It'd just a combination of damp and cold weather.

My BMW used to leave a cloud behind it when sat in traffic
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,388
1,278
@Sootycuprabod; I agree with your dealer - nothing wrong, it’s normal at this time of year and will be steam.

When you’re waiting in stop start traffic, you’ll see the same from exhausts of other cars.
 

BoomerBoom

Active Member
Jun 1, 2018
690
249
Water is a normal by product of combustion, as are several other products, including sulphur which mixes with the water to produce acid inside your exhaust - hence why petrol cars exhaust don't last as long as diesels.
 

ajg74

Active Member
Dec 9, 2016
121
4
Manchester
My Leon 1.8tsi always looks like it has a major vapping habit this time of year, if you aren't loosing coolant I wouldn't worry.
 

Legojon

I only wanted a remap
Staff member
Moderator
Jul 7, 2015
5,284
2,713
Mine was actually doing this so much, every day, I was convinced it must be something other than steam. But the 150 mile motorway run last weekend seems to have fixed it! So I guess it was just water vapour.