1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
 | [Main 9000 Bulletin Board | BBFAQ |
Prev by Date | Next by Date | Post Followup ]
Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
For how long (after the car starts)? Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Thu, 1 Mar 2007 07:09:42
In Reply to: Condensation comming from tail pipe But !, Ken G, Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:07:11 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
All engines produce water vapor as part of combustion. When the exhaust system is cold, the water vapor condenses inside the exhaust, and gets blown out the exhaust pipe as drops. Since the muffler/exhaust pipe is the last part to get warm (farthest from the engine), that's the last place the water condenses, and drips out.
Once the exhaust fully warms up, the water vapor in the exhaust won't condense until it leaves the exhaust system and hits cold air. Once the car is fully warm, there is still water vapor in the exhaust - it's just so warm, that the exhaust pretty much dissipates before it cools enough to turn back into water vapor and show up as a mist.
IF you've got an excess of moisture in the system - like a head gasket is pouring coolant into the engine - then there is much more water vapor than normal in the exhaust. Even when the car is fully warm, there is enough water vapor to be seen when it leaves the exhaust.
So - if you are seeing some moisture dripping from the exhaust while the engine is still warming up, that's normal. Even if a car has been running, and then is sitting at idle (say stuck in traffic), you can see some moisture dripping from the exhaust - because at idle, there isn't a lot of exhaust flow to keep the exhaust warm, and on a cold day the last part of the muffler can cool down enough to condense water.
If you don't see the coolant level dropping, and you don't see a whitish cloud behind when the car is driving and fully warm, I wouldn't worry.
posted by 192.249....
, Thu, 1 Mar 2007 07:09:42 <-- Viewing This Message
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
