12 replies to this topic

[pusb]

I had a cardboard box near my exhaust earlier with the engine running, when I went to move the box it was soaking. I could see liquid drops coming out of the exhaust. It appears to be a clear fluid, with a slight smell, however standing near the back of the car you get a petrol smell, and I've had someone following me before say that they could smell petrol.

 

So what is it likely to be? I don't appear to be loosing and coolant. I recently changed the oil, could that have affected it?

[Carlos W]

Was the engine cold?

 

It may just be condensation

[Stiggytoo]

It could be running rich?

Was this moisture just after starting the engine or was it warm? As a bit of condensation is normal in some cases. 

[pusb]

The engine had been cold, but I let it get up to normal temperature.

The fluid itself wasn't hot.

[brad-the-bear]

water. 

[Bungle]

condensation it's still quite cold out

[brad-the-bear]

(2C8H18 means petrol)

 

2C8H18 + 25O2 -> 16CO2 + 18H2O

 

(EDIT: this is complete combustion)

Edited by brad-the-bear, 11 May 2014 - 07:45 PM.

[pusb]

So is it likely to just be condensation?

I would have thought if that amount of fluid was caused by the head gasket then the car would be running badly?

[Bungle]

and the water level in the radiator would drop

[MathieuGT]

Yeah, i also have a lot of liquid but only when it's cold. It's just condensation.

[pusb]

Thanks for the reassurances!

[AVV IT]

Also if you have happen to have an upswept tail pipe on your exhaust, they have a tendency to collect a small amount of rainwater, which then gets fired out when you start up the engine. Something that made me most unpopular with the missus, when she walked behind my Mayfair as I was firing it up one day after a downpour. She consequently got splattered from head to toe with soot coloured water that reeked of petrol fumes!

[Dan]

So is it likely to just be condensation?

Not really, read the answers above! More than half of what comes out of your car's exhaust is steam and water vapour created by burning petrol, put something absorbent behind the tail pipe and it will absorb water whether it's a hot day, cold day or anything in between. Yes if it's spitting out gobs of liquid water it's because the exhaust gasses have condensed inside the system and left some puddles (some boxes have drains to avoid this) or there is rain in there. But there is always water in the exhaust gas and it will get collected out of the exhaust charge by anything absorbent or will splatter anything you put behind there.