Some exhaust smoke can be harmless, while others can signal trouble for your vehicle. If your car, truck, or RV is blowing out abnormally colored smoke, like blue, then you should have a professional check it out.

Usually, blue exhaust smoke can be accompanied by other troubling symptoms. Your diesel truck might have trouble starting up or take longer to crank. So what does it all mean?

What Does Blue Smoke Indicate?

Blue smoke means engine oil has mixed in with your gas in the combustion process, and the motor oil is being burned and sent out your exhaust pipe with the rest of the engine's byproducts. This not only means that your motor is running inefficiently, but it means that you have an oil leak that needs to be diagnosed and patched up. You should get an inspection before damages start to spread.

4 Instances That Can Cause Blue Exhaust Smoke

1. Oil Mixing with Fuel - Dry and cracked valve seals are no longer sufficient to keep your vehicle's fluids separated. As a result, you may find your oil mixing in with your fuel. 
2. Oil Leaking onto the Headers - Hot oil can leak from the gasket between your engine block and the head and drip onto the heated portions of your drivetrain. 
3. Oil Dripping onto Hot Engine Parts - When your head gasket or gasket is damaged and you have an oil leak, it can end up on the surrounding parts and get evaporated. You might see blue smoke from under the hood and catch a burning smell as a result.
4. Bad Glow Plugs in Diesel Engine - If you notice that blue or dark smoke is coming out of your diesel car or truck upon startup, your glow plugs are probably at fault. You may also experience a longer than average cranking time. Thankfully, glow plugs are relatively easy and inexpensive to replace.

If you start to notice unusual behavior, like blue exhaust smoke, from your vehicle, please take it to Don's DI. Auto & Truck Service as soon as possible. You can call us at (702) 734-6144  or visit our team in Las Vegas, NV.