Black smoke from the exhaust, what to do?

If you notice thick black smoke coming out of your car's tailpipe, this is never a good sign! But there are several parts that can be involved, in this article we will look at the causes and methods of eliminating black smoke from the exhaust pipe!

🚗 Why is black smoke coming from my car?

Reason # 1: poor air / fuel mixture

In most cases, black smoke is caused by a poor mixture of air and fuel. There is too much fuel and not enough oxygen during combustion. Some of the fuel does not burn and emits black smoke coming out through the exhaust.

There are many reasons for air shortage or fuel overflow:

• Air intake blocked;
• Hoses connected to the turbocharger are drilled or disconnected;
• The valves are leaking;
• Some injectors are defective;
• The flow meter sensor is not working.

Reason # 2: clogged catalyst, particulate filter and turbocharger.

Attention, the release of black smoke can occur not only due to lack of air or overflow of fuel! There are other reasons that can have much more serious consequences for your engine.

For example, if the catalytic converter, diesel particulate filter (DPF), or turbine is too dirty, they can break and repairs can be very expensive.

Reason # 3: clogged fuel filter

A clogged fuel filter can result in black smoke. Unless you are a natural handyman, you should have a professional replace your fuel filter or diesel filter.

🚗 Black smoke on an old gasoline engine: it's a carburetor!

If your petrol car is over 25 years old and emits black smoke, the problem is always with the carburetor.

Poorly adjusted, this part does not properly control the overflow drain and does not send the right amount of fuel to the cylinders, ultimately creating a poor air / gasoline mixture. The conclusion is clear: sign up to the garage to replace the carburetor without delay.

🚗 Diesel Black Smoke: Watch Out for Fouling!

Diesel engines clog very easily. In particular, two parts of the engine are very sensitive to contamination and can generate black smoke:

• Exhaust gas recirculation valve: It is used to recirculate gases in the engine at low speeds. The exhaust gas recirculation valve can become clogged and thus return too much diesel until the engine is blocked. Direct consequence: black smoke gradually appears.
• Lambda probe: it is responsible for the injection control. If it is dirty, it can send false information and then cause a bad air / fuel mixture and, as a result, release black smoke! If it is dirty, it must be replaced immediately.

Very often, black smoke is a sign of a dirty engine and exhaust system, especially if you drive on diesel fuel. If your engine is too dirty, descaling is a quick, inexpensive and very effective solution!