Westchester Auto Repair

Black smoke from the exhaust indicates the engine is burning too much fuel and not getting enough air. Some drivers notice it during hard acceleration. Others see it at startup, under load, or when the vehicle is working harder than normal. However it shows up, it is not something to brush off as a harmless quirk. That smoke is the engine telling you combustion is out of balance. Why Black Smoke Stands Out So Much A healthy engine should burn fuel cleanly enough that you do not see thick dark smoke coming out of the tailpipe. When black smoke appears, the fuel mixture has gone too rich. In plain terms, the engine is getting more fuel than it can burn properly, so some of it leaves the exhaust as soot. That is why black smoke is different from white or blue smoke. White smoke usually points you toward coolant or moisture, while blue smoke points more toward oil burning. Black smoke is a fuel-delivery and air-supply problem until proven otherwise. Too Much F ... read more