Got My Car Back / Strange Emmission issue

cel0202 · 29. Februar 2008

Hi all,

I haven't been on here for so long because I haven't had my car for 5 weeks.

I finally got my car back from the auto body shop and it looks wonderful. The new quarter panel paint is so much more pristine than the rest of the car's paint. I will post pics when I get the chance back in the original post.

However, I have a new issue. Maybe this has something to do with the car being dormant for so long:

The issue is.. the exhausts are emitting a very strange steam. It doesn't smell like your normal gas emission, but more like steam. Could anyone shed some light? Each of the four pipes actually have white steam coming from them like a tea kettle.

It's sad to see my car back from the body shop only to have to send it over to my mechanic.

TerryY · 1. März 2008

It is hopefully only condensation water that has collected in the pipes after a bunch of short "runs" to move it around the body shop.
How far have you driven it? if only a few miles you you need to take it out for a fairly lengthy drive to dry all the the exhaust plumbing out.

cel0202 · 1. März 2008

I have only driven it a total of 5 miles which was from the body shop back to my home. That took approximately 20 minutes due to LA traffic. I was letting it run in the garage a while as well but it never went away so I got a bit worried and thought it might be safe to shut the engine off. How long does the engine need to be running to "flush" out the condensation?

I will drive it approximately 10 miles in two directions tomorrow to work and see how that goes. My fear is I get pulled over because they'll ticket me for bad fuel emission? Do they do that? I don't know.

Thanks for the info! I am crossing my fingers.

TerryY · 1. März 2008

It should be just water vapor.

cel0202 · 1. März 2008

I had my other car near the exhaust pipes and condensation was forming on its windows from the pipes... so yes, you are definitely confirming my initial suspicion.

How long should it take before it goes away?

I will definitely give an update tomorrow.

Algernon · 1. März 2008

I assume that engine is running like a kitten since you did not mention anything.
Just take it to a highway for 10-15 miles and that will clear the "problem".

There is one check or precaution worth to take (if it really is steaming) is to take a wiff at the gases. If you have antifreeze/anticorrosion (glygol etc.) in your cooling system and there is a sweet smell to the exhaust gases you have a problem. That would mean there is a leak from the cooling system to the cylinders. Are the cooling fluid levels OK?

However I have yet to hear of this problem with E31.

MK · 1. März 2008

got my car back / strange emission issue

Afew years back, a main dealer had kept my car in for over a week to sort afew things out. Eventually I got a call and near closing time (last customer) I picked my car up and left the garage. After afew mile or so I realised there was far too much steam coming out of the exhust. I continued for another mile or so and instead of getting better it got worse.....So I decided to dart back to the dealers before they shut for the week end, more importantly so that they could not blame me for whatever was causing it!!
You can't imagine what was going through my mind!
At this stage I wasn't bothered if I was doing anymore damage to the car, I just wanted to get back to the garage. So waisting no time, I had the auto shift in third and in sports mode (which incidentally is my favourite for getting controlled massive-powered short blasts) as I went to overtake a string of 4-5 cars a gigantic cloud of pure white smoke totally covered the entire road so much as it took a second or so before I saw the cars I had over taken in the rear view mirror.
I thought the head gaskets were surely blown.
When I got to the garage they had already gone.......so had the steam.... the car was running absolutely beautifully. To this day I susspect the valet boys had jetwashed water into the exhusts.

Other signes of a blown gasket is water in the oil (oil filler cap showning emulsion) or oil in the water (oil/scum on water in the radiator reservoir tank checked when cold).

I'm sure and hope its just simply excess water in your exhust needing heat blasting out.

cel0202 · 2. März 2008

hello everyone,

thank you very much for all the insight. i can't tell you how much i appreciate it.

after further investigation and seeing it in more daylight, i think i know what the issue is.

the chrome tailpipe finishers have a gap between it and the actual exhaust pipe and there is a small pool of water in each of the four. there has been a lot of rain and i have a suspicion that my car was out in the rain for much of the time it was waiting to be fixed.

i will take a drive later today and let my car "air out" for the first real time since i have gotten it and give an update again.

thank you again to everyone.

Got My Car Back / Strange Emmission issue

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