8 Causes For Blue Smoke From Exhaust

Excessive blue exhaust smoke can present itself for several reasons.
Here’s what to look out for:

1. Blown Head Gasket

Blown head gaskets are famous for leaking excess oil onto hot surfaces.

Blue smoke indicates that lubricating oil has made its way into the hot exhaust system or other connecting engine parts.

2. Oil Leak

Oil leaks from engine components such as gaskets, worn engine oil seals, cylinder heads, and the engine block are common. Leaks can drip onto hot surfaces, like the cars exhaust and drivetrain, which causes burning oil.

When this happens, you can expect blue smoke and a nasty smell. You’ll likely notice this blue smoke when the car is idling or accelerating.

3. Oil Mixing With Fuel

Unfortunately, engine parts like a piston ring and valve seal don’t last forever.

If you don’t follow a rigorous oil inspection routine, the oil will do a poor job of reducing engine friction. Excessive engine heat or friction can damage a gasket and valve seal over time.

Damaged piston rings and valve stem seals will inevitably leak excess oil into your engine’s combustion chamber, allowing it to mix with the fuel.

When this mixture burns in the combustion chamber, it turns the normal grey exhaust smoke blue.

4. Stuck PCV Valve

Another likely cause for excessive blue exhaust smoke is a stuck positive crankcase ventilation valve (also called a crankcase breather).

The crankcase breather is responsible for releasing fuel pressure build-up in the crankcase. This fuel pressure is diverted into the intake manifold for fumes to be re-burned.

When the PCV valve gets stuck, it forces lubricating oil to mix with pressurized air and other gases. This fume mixture eventually gets burned, creating blue smoke.

5. Blown Turbocharger

If your car has a blown turbocharger and emits blue smoke, it’s not a coincidence.

You’ll likely notice a large blue cloud of smoke right as your turbo blows. This results from a damaged turbo casing or a broken oil seal inside the turbo itself. Both causes allow oil to seep into the engine’s air intake manifold, causing oil to mix with the fuel.

6. Faulty Transmission Modulator

Commonly found in older vehicle models, a transmission modulator controls shifting in vacuum-controlled automatic transmissions.

A faulty component in the transmission modulator, like a failing diaphragm, can cause the engine block to pull in transmission fluid.

Here’s the kicker.
Burned transmission fluid creates blue smoke!

7. Bad Glow Plug (Diesel car)

If your diesel car produces blue smoke during start-up, there’s a good chance you have a bad glow plug. Another common sign of a bad glow plug in a diesel engine is longer cranking times than usual.

8. Cylinder Head Valve Guide Issue

If you notice blue smoke happening during deceleration, you probably have a cylinder head valve guide issue.

This means that the valve stem (valve guide) is leaking oil out of the cylinder wall of the combustion chamber. Oil may drip from the valve stem onto the exhaust pipe, and in some cases, even the fuel injector.

Both instances result in either blue smoke or black exhaust smoke, depending on whether the oil has mixed with fuel or not.

With a firm understanding of the causes of blue exhaust smoke, we can now cover its diagnostics procedures.

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Top 7 Common Causes of Brake Failure

Brake failure in an automobile can be serious, and each year leads to hundreds of car accidents. Some of these accidents result in serious injury or death and in all likelihood could have been avoided if the driver had noticed the signs of brake failure. Let’s consider the seven most common causes of brake failure in cars today.

1. Owner Neglect
The most common cause of brake failure is owner neglect. Brakes, like many other parts of an automobile, have a limited lifespan and should be occasionally inspected for wear. Although many brands of brake pads and shoes boast a long life, this estimate is based on standard driving patterns. If you find yourself constantly stopping and going in cities or neighborhoods, the life of the brake pads and shoes will be greatly reduced.

2. Overheating Brake Pads
Brake pads can overheat due to excessive use and become hard or brittle. This hardening decreases the ability of the pads to properly grip the wheel rotor disk, increasing the distance necessary to stop the car.

3. Damaged Rotor Disks
Damaged or “scored” rotor disks on the wheel can decrease the life of your brake pads, making stopping more difficult. Have your rotor disks smoothed or “turned” by a trained mechanic when your brake pads are replaced.

4. Leaking Hydraulic Fluid
Oil or other hydraulic fluid can leak from your car’s engine or brake lines. If you find stopping has become difficult, have your brakes inspected to rule out any contamination from a leaking hydraulic line.

5. Driving Through Mud or Water
Driving through mud or water will naturally “lubricate” your brake pads and rotor disks. Gently tapping the brakes can help remove excess water and re-establish the proper friction between your car’s brake pads and rotor disks. As always, use caution when driving in wet conditions, especially when your car’s wheels are partially submerged in water.

6. Loss of Hydraulic Brake Fluid Pressure
Loss of hydraulic brake fluid pressure will decrease your ability to stop quickly. If you find your brakes do not seem to work at all or are working only modestly, tap the brakes several times to help force fluid throughout the brake system. Though effective in helping stop your car, this technique should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Have a certified brake specialist check your brake system for any leaks and refill the reservoir with brake fluid.

7. Overloading Your Automobile
Overloading any automobile will change its ability to stop and can potentially damage the braking system. Only load your car as suggested by the owner’s manual.

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6 Warning Signs that You Might Have a Dead Car Battery

Getting stranded with a dead battery in an unfamiliar place is always inconvenient, but getting stranded with a dead battery in the middle of winter can be dangerous. Thankfully, batteries usually give us a few warning signs that they’re about to fail, so you can get a replacement battery before you’re stranded. Watch for these 6 telltale signs of a bad battery so you aren’t caught out in the cold!

1. Slow or no start while cranking

In an ideal situation, whenever one turns the key to start their car, they can hear a chirping sound that the starter makes before it lets the engine take over and begin running. 

That chirping sound is called ‘cranking’. If your car battery is dead or about to die, you’ll either not hear the cranking or experience a very slow, staggered crank when you turn the key to start your car. 

This is one of the most common signs that will tell you that your car battery needs to be checked.

 

2. Clicking sound during ignition

 Another very common sign of a dead car battery is if you start to hear a clicking or grinding sound whenever you try to start your car.

Generally, during extremely cold weather, there’s a chance that you hear the clicking or grinding more often since it takes time for the engine to crank to life.  

However, if you’re experiencing such sounds even during normal weather or after your car has heated up sufficiently, it’s a sign that you need to get your battery checked.

 

3. Engine starts but then stops

 Once you start your car and the engine cranks up, it should keep idling till the time you switch gears and start driving.  However, instead of idling, if your engine stops, your battery might have a problem.

While this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to replace your battery since its charge was good enough to turn over the engine, it still poses an issue since it’s failing to send consistent signals. 

 

4. Headlights are dim or completely out

This might be one of the easiest signs that point toward a dead or weak battery.

If you see that your headlights are dim while your engine is idling but they start to brighten up as soon as you press the accelerator and rev up your engine a bit, you most probably have a weak battery. 

On the other hand, if your headlights fail to turn on completely, and you’re certain that they’re not burnt out, then it’s clear that you have a dead car battery.

 

5. Check those dashboard lights

There might be a lot of lights on your car’s dashboard, but two of the most important ones that you must always keep an eye out for are the battery light and the check engine light.

If you see that your battery light is on, it’s a direct indication that something is wrong with your battery. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a dead battery as it could just be a loose terminal connection or perhaps an indication that the battery isn’t sufficiently charged.

If your check engine light is on, it could mean a lot of things, which include issues due to a faulty battery.

 

6. Something smells like rotten eggs

If you smell something funny when you lift the hood of your car, don’t ignore it.

When your car battery is about to die, it will sometimes release a gas that smells like rotten eggs. This is due to the battery releasing sulfuric acid, which can cause significant damage if not checked on time. 

It’s important that at times like these you do not touch the liquid as it could be dangerous. Instead, take your car to a mechanic immediately and get your battery tested or replaced.

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5 TIPS FOR DEALING WITH AN AUTOMOTIVE FLUID LEAK

You never want to see fluid leaking from your car. However, some leaks may be more concerning than others . Here are some helpful tips for identifying a fluid leak and how to deal with it.

1. Look at the Color

Different automotive fluids have different colors. For example, transmission fluid is usually red while engine oil is typically gold/brown. Check out our past article on different types of vehicle fluids to help you identify where the leak might be coming from.

2. Look at Where the Leak is Coming from

Another way to identify the source of a fluid leak is to see where the leak is coming out under the vehicle. The engine and cooling system are in the front while the transmission is in the middle of the chassis. Or, if there’s a leak under one of your wheels, it could be brake fluid or hydraulic fluid from the suspension system.

3. How Thick or Dirty is the Fluid?

Another key issue is to see what the fluid looks like. It is dirty and full of debris or metal shavings? Is it thick and burnt? Or, does it look brand new? When the fluid looks fresh, it’s often just a leak somewhere in the lines or connections and it may be an easier fix. If the fluid looks bad, then it might be a sign that there is a more significant internal problem that needs to be addressed.

4. Does it Only Leak When Driving or Continue When You Are Parked?

Some leaks will happen whether the car is running or not. Again, this may be the sign of something more superficial. Other leaks only occur when the car is running or driving, which will usually point to an internal problem.

5. When in Doubt, Bring it to a Mechanic

Unless you can clearly see the source of the leak and it’s something as easy as re-tightening a line connection, you don’t want to take any chances. At the first sign of an automotive fluid leak of any kind, you will want to have the vehicle properly inspected by a professional mechanic. The team at Lighthouse Automotive can diagnose the specific problem and the exact source of the leak, as well as determine any internal damage that may be there. Then, we can get the repairs done right to fix the damage and eliminate the leak(s).

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5 Reasons Why Your Steering Wheel is Shaking

Many drivers are frightened when they notice a shake or vibration in their vehicle, but it’s important to avoid jumping to conclusions. Why is your steering wheel shaking, really? There are several potential issues at play; however, the most common cause is unbalanced tires. When your car’s tires are unbalanced, the steering wheel will often vibrate—the entire vehicle might feel like it’s shaking. Read on to learn more about the causes of a shaking steering wheel and how we can help!

f your steering wheel shakes, it can most likely be chalked up to one of the five following problems:

 

  1. Unbalanced Tires: When your car’s tires are unbalanced, weight distribution is also unbalanced. This causes the vehicle to vibrate, especially at highway speeds. In this case, steering wheel shaking is even more noticeable if the car has a lightweight suspension system. Failing to address this issue can result in damage to your car’s suspension components.
  2. Misaligned Wheels: Your car’s wheels also need to be properly positioned. If you’re usually careful when crossing railroad tracks and take care to avoid potholes, you can more easily avoid throwing your wheels out of alignment. One tell-tale sign that your wheels are misaligned is uneven tread wear.
  3. Bad Wheel Bearings: When the wheel bearings become damaged or aren’t properly lubricated, the resulting friction can cause steering wheel shaking. If this is indeed the problem, the wheel won’t shake all the time — just during turns. Sometimes, simply cleaning the bearings can stop the shaking, but if there’s damage, you’ll need to bring your vehicle in for service.
  4. Suspension Problems: Damaged or loose suspension components or an imbalanced driveshaft can be the causes of steering wheel shaking. Whatever the case, you shouldn’t postpone these repairs. They’re fairly simple fixes, and our team can have you back on Rye roads in no time.
  5. Brake Problems: Does your steering wheel shake when you slow your speed? If so, the problem may be the brake system. Warped brake rotors or damaged brake calipers, pads, discs, or shocks can be the cause.
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5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Brakes

Despite that long lifespan, though, your brakes will eventually require maintenance. With that in mind, you may be wondering what you can do to extend the life of your brakes and avoid emergency repairs or maintenance.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the best ways to make your brakes last longer and keep your car safe.

Let’s dive in.

5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Brakes

Want to make your brakes last as long as possible? Here are five maintenance tips:

1. Take it slow

When you drive fast, you cause lots of wear and tear on your brakes. Stopping a car traveling at 50 or 60 miles an hour generates a great deal of friction and heat on brake pads, which can cause them to break down rapidly.

Over time, this repeated heat can also cause the rotors to warp, leading to extensive (and expensive) damage to your braking system. Instead of driving like a lead foot, keep your speed low in heavy traffic and do your best to avoid sudden braking.

2. Use engine braking in hilly areas

Are you driving downhill? Hauling a heavy load? Use engine braking instead of your vehicle’s brakes.

In manual transmission automobiles or cars with a mode that allows you to manually shift gears, you can use engine braking (which uses the car’s transmission to down-shift and show the vehicle) to preserve your brake pads and rotors.

While engine braking is a great way to reduce brake burnout on steep hills or when hauling something heavy, it will not stop your vehicle fully, so you’ll need to supplement it with your brakes.

3. Invest in routine brake maintenance

Every time you take your car in for routine maintenance, have the auto repair shop inspect your brakes.

A good mechanic will examine your brake pads and rotors, flush and replace your brake fluid, and remove any debris that may be lodged in your brakes and causing damage.

These routine inspections are also necessary because they allow you to replace brake pads before they wear out completely. This, in turn, will save you money on brake repairs.

4. Reduce your vehicle’s weight

Whenever possible, remove additional weight from your vehicle. Sandbags, excess junk, and anything else that’s weighing down your car is also causing excessive brake wear. In addition to helping extend the life of your brakes, removing excess weight from your vehicle will also improve your gas mileage.

5. Practice defensive driving

Defensive driving involves surveying the surrounding area and anticipating potential driving hazards (like potholes) before you encounter them. It allows you to preserve your brakes by avoiding sudden stops, tailgating, and other activities that are tough on your car.

 

 

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How to Protect Your Car from Snow Without a Garage

If you don’t not know how to protect your car from snow without a garage, there is nothing to worry about. Let’s see some of the effective ways to protect your car from snow.

  • Protect your windshield from cracking. Excess snow can cause your windshield to crack. As a car owner, you should be concerned about this and you should know how to protect your car’s expensive windshield from snow. Covering the windows and windshield will not only prevent scratches but will also save you time that you will have to spend on removing snow from the windows and windshield every morning. If you don’t want to buy a cover, you can use cardboard to prevent scratches and also to keep moisture off the windshield.
  • Provide proper maintenance to your car tires. During the winter season, make sure to check your tire pressure frequently as deflated wheels can give you less traction. Low temperatures can lead to low tire pressure. Reduction in tire pressure can damage your car and also endanger your life. Investing in quality snow tires is a smart decision as they can handle cold much better than standard rubber tires do. The significant advantage is that they will not stiffen the way rubber tires will.
  • Check and replace your battery if needed. Freezing temperatures can reduce the pace of power-generating chemical reactions within your battery. Check your battery before it starts getting too cold and replace it if needed, as unhealthy batteries often fail to start.
  • Protect your car’s paint. Along with ice, things like road salt, sleet, and dirt can also damage your car during winter. You may not know how to protect your car from snow and salt. Applying a wax or other paint sealant can protect your car’s paint and shield your vehicle from hazardous outdoor elements.
  • Use antifreeze and distilled water. The viscosity of your oil can be affected in cold weather. Check whether all of your fluids, including brake fluids, are at the suggested amounts. Antifreeze and distilled water ensure that the coolant inside your radiator is appropriate and they also ensure that all of the fluids are at the proper levels.
  • Keep your gas tank full. You can reduce the amount of condensation build-up by keeping your gas tank full, thereby preventing gas line freeze.
  • Ensure that the seals are in working condition. Ice and water can get inside through a small crack or space, resulting in moisture formation. Ensure that the rubber seals on the outside are in working condition and also make sure that your car is totally sealed up to prevent moisture formation that can otherwise lead to mold, mildew, and rot.
  • Use a car cover. Do car covers protect a car from snow? Yes, they do. A car cover is the simplest way of protecting your car from external damaging elements. A car cover is crucial not just for outdoor parking but also for indoor parking.

 

TIPS

Easy Steps to Clean Car Battery Corrosion

Many drivers will encounter situations where the car is difficult to start, car can not jump-start because of a problem of important parts, one of the most important reasons is because the positive and negative extreme mouth of the car battery is corrosion. Car battery positive and negative electrode corrosion will reduce the efficiency of the use of car batteries, car maintenance for battery maintenance can not be ignored, and learning to clean the corrosion of the car battery terminal can avoid unnecessary spending and trouble.

How to Clean Car Battery Corrosion? Follow these 6 easy steps to remove car battery corrosion:

1. Disconnect Your Battery Cables

Disconnect the battery with the negative terminal first. Use a wrench to disconnect the negative terminal and avoid letting the wrench come into contact with the positive side as it may shock you. Do the same for the positive terminal.

You can identify negative and positive cables by checking what they’re marked by: the negative sign (-), the abbreviation ‘NEG’, and/or the color black; and the positive sign (+), the abbreviation ‘POS’, and the color red.

2. Check for damage to the battery.

If you notice any cracks, dents, or warping with your battery, cleaning the corrosion may not do you any good. then that should serve as an indication that you should have them replaced straight away.

3. Cleaning Your Battery With Baking Soda & Vinegar

If you find yourself dealing with extra stubborn corrosion that doesn’t come off with just baking soda, try the baking soda and vinegar method to clean your battery terminals. Vinegar is a powerful acid that can break down corrosion pretty quickly when combined with the fizzing action of baking soda. The baking soda method, for its part, is tried and true as well as simple to perform.

To use this method, first, make sure your terminals are disconnected. Then simply sprinkle baking soda powder on your terminals liberally. Next, pour the vinegar on the terminals and baking soda and let it sit. When you pour the vinegar on the terminals you’ll see it fizz. Similar to peroxide the fizzing action breaks up and moves the dirt and grime out. After it sits for a few minutes and it’s done fizzing, rinse it clean with hot water and follow the remaining steps from below before reconnecting your cables.

4. Rinse and Dry

Completely dry the battery. Water and electricity don’t mix well, so make sure the battery and its terminals are completely dry before reassembling it. After that, you’ll want to use your toothbrush or bristled brush to scrub the corrosion off. Once you’ve scrubbed away all the corrosion, rinse the battery and cable ends completely with clean water and let it all dry.

Be careful not to let the solution nor the corrosive elements fall on the other engine components to keep your car protected from the damage these could potentially cause. We advise you to take the battery out completely.

5. Take Some Corrosion-Preventative Steps

It’s never a bad idea to spray an anti-corrosion solution or apply an anti-corrosion gel to your terminals after you’re through. Doing so can help to prevent the issue from recurring! Also known as battery terminal protectors, these little guys help protect your battery posts. Use pads coated in a battery-corrosion preventative compound.

6. Reconnect Your Battery to Your Vehicle

Once you clear the corrosion (step 3), let everything dry completely (step 4), and apply some preventative substances to your battery parts (step 5), you’re ready to reconnect your battery to your vehicle.

Do this in REVERSE order to avoid injury. Start with connecting the positive battery terminal first, followed by the negative one. Car battery corrosion removal is a must-know maintenance task. Keeping your battery clean will add years to its lifespan and help maintain its performance levels.

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Items to Include in an Emergency Car Kit

Some of a driver’s worst fears are a dead battery or alternator, a blown gasket, your car running out of gas and any number of other car troubles that leave you stranded on an empty stretch of road.

For winter drivers, there’s also the possibility of sliding off an icy road into a snowbank. A quick call to a tow truck or roadside assistance service will usually get you to safety within a couple of hours, but technology can fail, and there are still parts of the country that aren’t covered by cellular service.

In such scenarios, having a car safety kit with the right components can make the difference in keeping you and your passengers safe until help arrives. 58% of people have some emergency supplies in their cars, but only 30% are confident that what they have is sufficient if bad weather strikes.

Depending on the problem, having the proper tools can also get you back on the road as quickly as possible. While some items should be found in every trunk, not every roadside emergency kit is built the same. You should tailor your kit to the type and condition of your vehicle, as well as the weather in which you’re typically driving. With the unpredictability of winter weather, even drivers in traditional warm-weather states may want to consider adding safety items for snow and ice. It’s always wise to err on the side of caution and include certain items just in case.

Here is the essential emergency car kit list:

1. Flares and lighting

The first and most important safety items to include in your auto emergency kit are flares or reflective triangles, which warn other drivers of the roadside hazard, especially in low visibility conditions. In case of a breakdown, they should be spaced out evenly along the roadside behind your vehicle. For a reusable, longer-lasting option, invest in battery-operated LED flares. A flashlight is also a necessity, especially a multi-use version that flashes.

2. Jumper cables

Jumper cables are another essential to include in the car emergency kit. Batteries can die or lose their juice at the least opportune moment, and jumper cables, with a jump start from another vehicle, can at least get you to the next service station. You should also consider carrying a separate battery pack for starting your car when no one else is around to help.

3. First aid kit

A first aid kit is a must-have item to include in any emergency road kit, indispensable for addressing smaller everyday injuries and more serious wounds from an accident. You can purchase them prepacked with all the essentials or assemble one customized to your needs. Families with small children should include medications that are age appropriate. Be sure to know what medications are needed for your passengers and pack enough to last for a reasonable time.

4. Spare tire, tire iron and car jack

A spare tire and tire-changing equipment should be included in your car emergency kit. You should familiarize yourself with how to change a tire just in case help is unavailable and you have to do it yourself. Check your kit every 6 months and make sure that your spare tire is properly inflated.

5. Mobile phone and charger

Another essential for your safety when driving is a working mobile phone and charger in case of a low or dead phone battery. It’s important that you can call for help if you’ve been seriously injured from a car accident or something is wrong with the car.

6. Water

Along with keeping warm, staying hydrated is an essential element of survival. Keep clean drinking water in smaller plastic containers, which will thaw faster with a little body heat in the winter than large gallon jugs. If driving in a remote area, you should be sure to bring plenty of water – one website recommends at least one gallon per person per day for three days if possible.

7. Nonperishable food

Packing food in your kit will help keep you fed in an emergency. Nonperishable food such as granola bars, soup, nuts, jerky, peanut butter and dried fruit are great options to pack in your kit.

8. Car fluids and tools

Flat tires are one of the most common causes of roadside trouble, but it’s not always possible to change a tire. Including a can of tire inflator and sealant in your kit can get you back on the road at least until the next stop. Other items that may help avert a roadside crisis and keep you going:

  • 1 quart or more of motor oil (make sure it’s the right formula for your car)
  • 1 gallon of coolant
  • A toolkit with screwdrivers, pliers and an adjustable wrench
  • 1 set of windshield wiper blades

Good wiper blades are also crucial to have handy, as they can clear a windshield in less than three swipes without leaving streaks. Keep a set of new blades in your vehicle so you can replace worn blades quickly and on the go.

9. Winter emergency car kit

Aside from winterizing your car, you should keep certain things in your car to prepare you for a winter emergency. If you know you’ll be driving in snowy weather, include:

  • An ice scraper
  • A spray bottle with washer fluid
  • 1 set of snow chains for your tires
  • A shovel
  • Waterproof matches

Store all your items together in a box or carrying case in the trunk, making sure it’s easily accessible in case you need it in a hurry. Blankets, a sleeping bag or a heat-retaining emergency survival blanket are critical for making it through a cold night, especially in wintry climates. Bottled water and long-lasting food items such as granola or energy bars can be rotated out over time.

TIPS

How to Prepare Your Car for a Winter Storm

Winter’s here! Is your car ready for the snowy roads? 🚗 Here are some top tips to prep your vehicle for the chilly weather:

1️⃣ Check Your Tires: Ensure they have good tread depth and proper inflation. Consider snow tires for extra traction.

2️⃣ Fluid Check: Top off antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, and ensure oil levels are adequate for cold weather.

3️⃣ Battery Health: Cold weather can strain batteries. Check for charge and clean any corrosion.

4️⃣ Lights and Wipers: Ensure all lights are working correctly and replace worn wiper blades.

5️⃣ Emergency Kit: Pack essentials like a flashlight, blanket, ice scraper, jumper cables, and snacks.

6️⃣ Check Brakes: Get brakes inspected to ensure optimal performance on slippery roads.

7️⃣ Keep Fuel Tank Full: This helps prevent condensation and ensures you’re ready for unexpected delays.

Remember, safety comes first! Take it slow, increase your following distance, and be prepared for changing road conditions.

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