Q: Exhaust smoke and oil leak

asked by on January 25, 2016

I have a lot of exhaust smoke coming from my car while driving and the motor oil is leaking.

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Hello, it sounds like you may have a gasket or seal leaking on your car. Smoke in the exhaust could indicate 2 things; you’re burning oil or burning coolant. If you’re burning oil that usually means your valve seals and guides are worn out. If you are burning coolant that means you have a blown head gasket. Oil burning will be blue in color and will not smell. Burning coolant will be a white grey color and will have a distinctive odor. If you’re burning oil you could have a clogged PCV valve as well. Either one of these problems more than likely is going to require a complete engine rebuild to solve. A certified technician could inspect the source and cause of the excessive smoke.

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