Tucked at the very back of your vehicle out of sight and out of mind, your car’s exhaust may not seem like it does much. In fact, it plays an essential role in reducing emissions, controlling noise, and maximizing your engine’s efficiency and power. We recently talked about the top reasons that you might see white smoke coming out of your exhaust. Today, we’ll be looking at why you might see blue smoke coming out of your car’s exhaust.

1. Bad valve seals

The valves in your engine serve two main functions: to let gasoline and air in and to release exhaust out.

Like much of the rest of your engine, oil lubricates the valves to help them operate normally. Valve seals prevent the oil from getting into other parts of your engine. When your car’s valve seals wear down, oil can escape the valves. The resulting combination of burning oil and gas can cause blue smoke.

2. Stuck or blocked PCV valve

The PCV valve (aka the positive crankcase ventilation valve) is responsible for recycling gases in your engine’s crankcase back into your intake manifold. This process gives your engine another chance to use any uncombusted gases, thus improving your gas efficiency.

When your PCV gets stuck in the closed position or becomes blocked, the imbalance of pressure in the crankcase can cause oil to get into the engine. The burning oil in the engine leads to the blue smoke coming out of your exhaust.

3. Your car has a blown-out turbo

If your car has a turbocharger, a blown-out turbo may be causing the blue cloud behind your car. A blown-out turbo can be identified by a broken or damaged oil seal. In this case, oil gets sucked into your engine’s combustion chamber. There, oil mixes with fuel and leads to blue smoke.

4. Your engine is worn out

With modern engines lasting so long these days, it can be easy to forget that even the best-constructed engines can wear out. When it comes to worn engines as a cause of blue smoke, any seal – whether it’s in your pistons, valves, and/or other components – can lead to the mixture of burning oil and fuel notorious for causing blue smoke.

5. Transmission fluid loss

The transmission modulator is a part in older cars that detects your current engine load in order to most efficiently shift from gear to gear. If your transmission modulator goes bad, it can lead to your engine sucking in transmission fluid. Once inside your engine, transmission fluid and fuel burn and cause blue smoke to come out of your exhaust.

Keep Blue Smoke Away With T3 Atlanta

There are many potential reasons that cause blue smoke to come out of your exhaust. The easiest way to detect the exact cause of the problem is with a certified, experienced mechanic. T3 Atlanta is here to help. Our team will quickly assess your Nissan, Lexus, Infiniti, or Toyota and find what’s causing the blue smoke in your engine. Give us a call today for fast and friendly service!