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White smoke from the exhaust, particularly when hot, indicates coolant is entering the combustion chamber. The most common cause is a blown head gasket. A compression test and a combustion gas test (using a block tester chemical that changes colour when exhaust gases are present in the coolant) confirm the diagnosis. Never drive with a blown head gasket — the engine can be damaged beyond repair very quickly if overheating occurs.
Based on 401 driver confirmations
Panicked when I saw white smoke from the exhaust. Turned out it was just water vapour on a cold morning — totally normal. Disappears after the car warms up and goes away completely once the weather gets above 10 degrees. If it's only there for the first minute on cold days and the coolant level never drops, it's fine.
Parts replaced: Nothing
White smoke, mayo in the oil, coolant dropping. Gasket replacement didn't fix it — pressure tested the head and found a crack between cylinders 1 and 2. Reconditioned head from specialist, £380 plus gasket set and labour. Runs perfectly now. Check the history before buying — overheating causes this.
Parts replaced: Reconditioned cylinder head, head gasket set
Noticed white steam from exhaust when warm, not just cold morning condensation. Coolant level kept dropping. Took it straight in. Head gasket had gone between cylinder 2 and the water jacket. Got lucky — head was still flat, just needed a skim. £650 all in. If I'd left it the head would've warped and it'd have been double.
Parts replaced: Head gasket set, head bolts
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