What do you when there is lots of water coming out of the tailpipe of your car? First, verify to check any liquid that comes out of your tailpipe is water. If it’s indeed water, there is no problem to worry about – water coming out from the tailpipe is caused by condensation. Condensation is the formation of a liquid from a vapor, occurring when the vapor (gas) is cooled/pressurized and condensed into a liquid from the loss of heat.
How Condensation Occurs in your Car
1) You drive your car.
2) The internal combustion engine (car engine) runs on gasoline.
3) Small combustions of pressurized gasoline keep the car going.
4) Small combustions of gasoline inside the engine raises the car temperature.
5) The exhaust pipes carry the hot air from your car to be cooled and expelled.
6) The cooling component in your car cools the hot air, causing the gas to condense.
7) The hot gas condenses into a liquid, forming water inside the exhaust/tailpipe.
8) The water trickles down and outside the car.
At cold environments, you may find that there is much more condensation in the car than in the warmer environments—this is because the effect of condensation is greater when the cooling of the exhaust air is aided by the cold air as well as your car’s cooling component.
Smoke or Other Liquid from the Tailpipe
Steam happens when your car overheats and the heat causes even the condensed liquid to turn back into gas. However, if smoke or a liquid other than water is coming out of your tailpipe, there may be a serious problem with your car. Consult a professional before operating your car any further. For help finding the right professional to help fix your car, use TalkLocal. TalkLocal can help with finding the correct local experts to fix your car in this case, saving you time and energy in what may be a stressful situation.
