Hi Guys, Yesterday I started my 328 and I noticed, while I waited for it to warm up a bit, that there is significantly more white smoke emerging from the right pair of exhaust pipes. A friend that was driving behind me later said that he could see nothing when I pushed the throttle but that he could see a difference again in exhaustfumes when I would take my foot of the throttle. It is definitely white smoke and not blue smoke. Is it just water because I don't use the car that much in the winter? I would appreciate your input. Ton
i believe there was a recent thread about this. the answer was believed to be the way the exhaust is sectioned inside, the right side has more flow than the left. ( the path of least resistance is the right side) the condensation in the pipes turns to steam which makes the right side appear to "smoke" more. the flow balances between the 2 sides above 3000rpm or so. i hope this helps, nice car by the way! michael
Thanks Michael, That is reassuring! I just never noticed it before. I will look it up in the archives. Ton
Are you freezing your butt off in Belgium, like we are here in most of the US? If so, it's probably steam. Even in cold weather, tho, it usually will reduce some if you thoroughly warm up the car.
Yep. Here in Madrid, we have below 0 C temps at night, and we are at 80% air humidity these days, with ice cover cars in the morning. At 15C temp I have no smoke at all when I start the car cold. Below that temp it takes up to 7 minutes until the car warms up and the smoke ends, usually at the same time that the ECU reduces the idle rpm from 1200 to 900. Smoke comes stronger at the begining from the driver side, and as it warms up it evens up with the other side until it disapears. My new garage will be heated, among other things to avoid this. - Julio.
Julio, The smoke emerges stronger from the passengersite with my car. But I am reassured that it is probably just water. @4RE gt4, We are indeed freezing our butts off. Today they expect a lot of snow. I guess that the temperature changes in the garage will be responsibel for a lot of moist in the exhaust system. As soon as it is possible again I will take her for a long ride. Ton
It is probably water. Your car and my car are different in the exhaust. My car is a US version, (with a test pipe) so the exaust pipes coverge and enter the muffler in only one side, that could explain why we get the smoke in different sides. It is water vapor, that is for sure, which does not make it less embarrasing every time I have to start the car cold in a public place I wish there were a solution. - Julio.
Two days ago, before the snow and the sleet I went out for a cruise. Out of the back of those 4 SS pipes came the most satisfing growl and dragons-breath of white steam curling back up over the engine bay.. cool. Don t worry unless it does not go away once the car warms up. Then worry, it would be a cooling leak in to the manifold or head gasket leak.
Just if you have not found it yet, here is the link to the old thread http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5301 Ciao Eugenio
