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Steam coming from exhaust

MrAnderson

NAXJA Forum User
So I've noticed that I'm getting quite a bit of steam comin from my pipe upon start up :(

Where I lives pretty cold this time of year so I didn't think anything of it but I recently let it warm up before leaving for work and noticed that a had a wet spot bout the size(and shape!) of a football under my tailpipe and began to worry. Also I noticed that i can sit there and watch it spatter out a good amount.


My coolant level is not going down at all and I'm not experiencing any performance issues? And also I think it goes away after warm up but I will looking more into this now that it has my attention

My guess is head gasket or nothing at all? Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue and could point me in the right direction.

Thanks
 
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Yeah, it could be coolant, I guess. Do you notice if the vapor has a particular smell or color?

(I mean, don't stick your face in it or anything...haha :))

Might also just be condensation like you mentioned - that amount seems pretty normal, especially if:

-You're not losing coolant
-You don't have an oil milkshake on your dipstick
-You don't have signs of coolant on your spark plugs

Just my thoughts..
 
That is really common here in Colorado.
 
Normal. Picture what happens to the outside of a glass of icewater when you leave it sitting out on a hot day. Now imagine the reverse happening inside your exhaust tubing... cold air outside and hot exhaust gases going through it cause the moisture in the air inside to condensate, and you end up with a puddle beneath the tail pipe. No big deal, it's normal.
 
20 - 30 degree mornings in my neck of the woods and mine is parked outside all night; upon start-up and warm-up I have the same thing in my driveway. It's normal..
 
It must be a slow day Mr. Anderson...

Condensation is normal, just means that the combustion process is working. You will see it in the summer also if you let your car sit idling for a while.

OEM mufflers have a hole in them to allow condensate to drain out and not rot the muffler.

If you have an aftermarket muffler installed, you may want to drill a 1/8" hole on the bottom towards the back seam.
 
Water vapor (H2O) - This is another product of combustion. The hydrogen in the fuel bonds with the oxygen in the air.
 
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