Inspection Info
Why We Cannot Test Your Smoking Vehicle
Smoke is not normal engine exhaust. Any spark-ignited four stroke internal combustion engine, regardless of the fuel it is using, should not produce any visible exhaust emissions other than some water vapour during the initial warm-up period.
What Causes Smoke in the Exhaust?
Smoke from the exhaust means that the engine is not operating normally.
Black Smoke means that excessive amounts of fuel is being delivered to the cylinder for combustion. Since there is not enough air available to burn all of the fuel, some comes out as carbon particles, which are naturally black. Black smoke is usually accompanied by a strong fuel smell, as much of the fuel is simply exhausted in unburned form. The engine will run poorly in this state, with reduced power and very poor economy.
White Smoke from a fully warmed-up engine may indicate the presence of engine coolant in the combustion chamber. Coolant is typically a water-glycol mixture which, when exposed to the high temperatures in the engine cylinders during combustion, forms a white, sweet-smelling smoke which comes out of the tailpipe. Continuous white smoke is a sign of a failed head gasket or a crack in the cylinder head, allowing the coolant to get into the combustion chamber. When white smoke appears, repairs must be made quickly or serious damage will occur.
Blue Smoke accompanied by an acrid smell, may indicate that lubricating oil is getting into the combustion chamber. Oil is meant to lubricate the moving parts inside the engine and, by design, is resistant to high temperatures. Although it is a hydrocarbon, like other fossil fuels, it does not burn well inside an engine and much of the oil comes out of the tailpipe in partially burned or unburned form. The oil also carries contaminants from inside the engine which undergo changes in the combustion process and contribute to the creation of smoke and unpleasant smells. Engines may run satisfactorily while burning oil, except that the oil level must be topped up frequently as oil is consumed. Really smoky vehicles may use as much as 1 litre of oil every 200 km. Normal engines, however, burn little or no oil in 5000 km of driving.
What Do I Do If My Vehicle Is Smoking Excessively?
Take your vehicle to an AirCare Certified Repair Centre for professional advice on what repairs are required to fix the car. A list of the AirCare Certified Repair Centres is available at any of our AirCare Inspection Centres or here. Please note: if your vehicle is rejected due to visible smoke the repairs performed to address the problem do not apply towards a conditional pass or repair cost limits.
You may purchase a Temporary Operators Permit (T.O.P.) for up to 15 days, if required, so that the vehicle may be driven while repairs are obtained.
Testing vehicles with obvious smoke emissions pollutes the atmosphere in our testing stations and may endanger the health of the employees and members of the motoring public who are having their vehicles tested at the same time. Due to the potential health risk associated with smoke emissions, your vehicle will not be tested until it does not emit visible exhaust.
The engine and exhaust system of every motor vehicle shall be equipped and adjusted to prevent the escape of excessive fumes or smoke as compared to other motor vehicles of the same or similar types and sizes.
BC Motor Vehicle Act Regulations Division 7, Section 16 [external link]
