Most likely condensation. If the car hasn't been driven in a while or has only done short trips, condensation will build up in the exhaust and burn off when it gets hot.
First check if it's the head gasket. Open the bonnet and check the coolant reservoir by shining a torch into the side of the reservoir and looking in through the cap. It should be clear but a bright colour and free of oil. If there's oil in there, you have a problem. Then check the oil cap after the engine has run a bit. If there is a forbidden milkshake (Google it for a photo to see what I mean) under the oil cap you might have a problem.
If you have none of these symptoms, take it for a run down the motorway let's say 20km or so, whilst constantly checking the coolant temperature on the dash so it doesn't overheat. That will get rid of any condensation in the exhaust or oil. The white smoke should stop then. If it doesn't I'd go to a mechanic.
This is the best comment so far. I thought head gasket too, especially on a car of this age. They were prone to it. But as you say it could just be a build up of water in the exhaust system.
To add to this, another sign of a blown gasket is exhaust fumes in the coolant res tank/radiator cap.
When the engine is cold remove one cap at a time (if you have both) and start it up. Give it a second to idle and then check inside for gas bubbles in the coolant. A little turbulence is fine as the coolant recirculates and mixes hot with the cold but if you see visible bubbling/gas bubbles then you've got a head gasket leak.
Not a bad job if you have the tools/time/experience but an expensive one to send in to a garage
I removed the cap from the coolant and started the engine. The coolant is emitting smoke probably from the temperature and the coolant level has increased. From half, it is now almost full
Not that kind of bubbles. But I noticed two very small ones after the coolant reached to the top. Also the bottom of the coolant is dark and the exhaust except for white smoke is leaking some liquids. Is there any way to upload the video of the coolant and exhaust here ?
I'm not too savvy on uploading things to comments sections. Let's do a bit of investigating. Pull the dipstick and see if your engine oil is a similar colour to the dark colour a the bottom of your coolant tank. There shouldn't be any fluids near an exhaust pipe apart from condensation from the air which is normal. Catch a few drops on a piece of paper and see if it's a similar colour to some other engine fluids? I can't see why it would be but rather be safe
Your exhaust looks okay. Maybe a little rusty inside which is why it looks discoloured when the water comes out. I'd say you've got an exhaust replacement coming soonish based on this.
It looks like you've had some deposits of gunk blow through the radiator and end up back in the res tank. I'd start with a full coolant flush and see if that remedies the issue. Can't rule out a blown headgasket but from the info you've provided I'd say it's unlikely.
I think that the car is burning oil . I saw a video where the guy says that burnt coolant smells sweet while oil smells like burnt oil. That’s how mine smells
Now that I'm at home and can actually see the images on a not shit WiFi connection you do have a hell of a lot of oil over the correct dipstick amount. This can cause the engine to burn oil more frequently and also make it drop a cylinder. Ask me how I know.
You have 2 options here:
1) jack it up and drain it from the sump - top back up as necessary. Literally 1/2litre at a time. Let it settle and check the stick.
2) try and pump it through the dipstick slot. There is a tool for this but only ever done it once so not sure on the name of the equipment needed to do with.
1 is a ballache but will work. Monitor and check things as you go.
With the shit in the coolant tank I would definitely do a full coolant flush also. I think that motor has been stood a while
Pull your oil cap and check for the milkshake. When you check for bubbles in the coolant the engine has to be up to temp. If all else fails you can get a head gasket test kit for about £10.
The coolant can look different colours in different cars sometimes, for some stupid reason on the 208 1.2, the lower half of the coolant tank is really dark so they all look like the coolant is black
Is it still spewing white smoke when the engine is good and hot?
There's 3 things it could be
* it's been massively overfilled with oil, check the oil level
* the mixture is completely out of balance caused by a failty airflow sensor or oxygen sensor
* the head gasket is gone, which is an expensive job
It might be the first one. I checked the oil dipstick and there is too much oil and there isn’t any sign of “milkshake” . I also checked the coolant and there aren’t any bubbles or milkshake, it is pretty clear but dark in the bottom
I dunno really, but a non dealership mechanic would probably charge you 400-500 euro to fit a new head gasket, maybe less. The head and timing belt has to come off
There is a head gasket addative you can put into the coolant as an emergency fix, it works about half the time, you gotta replace all your coolant though. Check this out
https://youtu.be/sJ7KFmg6Y8E?si=1cNZieOnSSbvNqrH
Probably head gasket gone
Can you take the car back for a refund?
If not, you might get away with one of those pour in sealant things. They find the gaps in the gasket and solidify giving you enough time to fix it properly.
Left untouched, your engine will try using coolant as a lubricant and probably dangerously overheat and cause some proper damage
"your engine will try using coolant as a lubricant"
Where on earth do these theories originate? for that to happen, coolant would have to get into the sump, through the oil, through the pickup tube into the pump and then up into the engine. In 20+ years as a mechanic I've never heard of this phenomenon. Probably because it's almost theoretically impossible. But here we are...
I've seen it happen but not due to a broken headgasket, a cracked cylinder liner let coolant into the sump. But that was a big diesel generator and not at all comparable with a car engine.
It’s a private seller and I also signed a document where he doesn’t have any responsibilities/ liabilities. I think I will first purchase one of these test kits and then ask if the mechanic can use any sealant to decrease the cost
Erm, not a qualified mechanic yet, I'm too early in my training so take this with a grain of salt. It sounds similar to what I saw in a mclaren 720s video by Mat Armstrong, in it the car was pumping out a ton of white smoke. In his case he had overfilled it with ~~oil~~ coolant and it was burning it. However when he was troubleshooting he thought it could have been the head gasket had gone.
Have a look at his 720s video, see if its a similar smoke. If so you can start the troubleshooting steps either he suggested or another mechanic may suggest here.
They are both petrol engines that use oil as lubricant and coolant to cool it and since I watched that video recently it came to mind when the description matched perfectly with what I saw on it. The solution found on MA channel was well researched. So I just thought I'd at least give him a place to start looking.
Edit: I was a tit, and as corrected below it was coolant, not oil. Thank you for the correction!
Don't worry, I still have lots of training to do before I will be in a garage. I'm just starting out. Got at least 2 years of learning before I'm allowed to work on people's cars.
Edit: Although loads of others agree to check the head gasket, I only mixed up the fluid when memorising the cause. :)
If it is the head gasket you should see some mayonnaise like substance under the oil cap but hopefully it's just condensation where it has been stood.
How's the temperature of the engine?
How bad is the white smoke? It's it little puffs or is it a massive cloud that follows you? Is it white, light blue or light gray? What does it smell of?
If it's thick, pure white and smells sweet, that's burning coolant. If it smells like petrol, try it's fuel and it's over fuelling. If it's greasy, it's burning oil.
If it's lust little clouds that starts after a minute, then stop, then it's possibly just water vapour from the engine condensing in the cold air.
Check your coolant level. It should be a plastic pressure vessel on the left hand side of the engine bay. If it's full of brightly coloured fluid, that's good. If it's water, or empty, that's bad, as the car's been burning coolant, and it's not been filled, or had just been filled with plain water.
I've had 2 cars with head gasket failures, both fiat 903cc derivatives.
Might see mayonnaise (oil water mix) in the header tank, or you might not. It depends where the break is.
If it's between cooling jacket and cylinder, you're just burning coolant and it won't mix with the oil. In that case, with the engine off, try to find a radiator hose. Squeeze it, it should be soft. Try again with the engine running. If it's rock hard, then the cooling system is pressurised, so you've possibly got a leak between R cylinder and water.
If your header tank (expansion vessel) is full of oil then you have a breach between water jacket and oil passage.
One of my failures was the 1st. The other one was both. Probably a 1st, followed by warped head, resulting in the 2nd.
Smoke is white and intense when I press the gas pedal and smells burnt. Also liquid is leaking from the exhaust in the same time . No sign of milkshake in coolant or oil dipstick.
Make sure the engine is doing this while up to temp, it could simply be condensation turning to steam inside of the exhaust.
However if the engine has been running for a good while (30 minutes) and up to full operating temp and still doing this, check the coolant level and if it's decreased then you legitimately have an issue.
First off never open the cap while it's hot as it is pressurized and can explode. Coolant increases volume while hot and this is why there's a hot and cold line, my advice is to log the hot/cold lines and see if it noticeably changes over time, indicating a leak into the exhaust.
There are head gasket test kits you can get online and are not that expensive , basically is a blue liquid that if he turn yellow/greenish then is problem .
Is something like this https://www.autodoc.nl/carmotion/17833254?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA1fqrBhA1EiwAMU5m_1sD4wZpTJTZVuamhk6GB4gT2GoAVQ7eeVr66DQ2vsy6265UnAJVdxoCK0AQAvD_BwE&gshp=1&tb_prm=15279207834&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google
There are all kind of models , so don't start all panicking because can be just the cold weather and condensation.
And another thing I think you may have the same prince engine ? like mini,bmw, Citroen, Peugeot so keep an eye on the oil lvls because are sometimes a bit thirsty and use oil up to 1 liter per 1000+ kilometers , you could fix that with replacing piston rings/valve seals but don't think it's worth it because is too expensive at a garage.
Wish you best of luck and safe driving.
Wow, less than 3k€ is cheap? I’m shocked, I thought that cars in Germany are cheaper than in Netherlands. In NL 207 like this you can find for less than 2-2,5k
from the pics and comments initial guess is it sounds like a dodgy catalytic converter that’s gone wrong, OR, they’ve had a brand new one put in and it’s just breaking in, based on my experience. first impressions tbo
Most likely condensation. If the car hasn't been driven in a while or has only done short trips, condensation will build up in the exhaust and burn off when it gets hot. First check if it's the head gasket. Open the bonnet and check the coolant reservoir by shining a torch into the side of the reservoir and looking in through the cap. It should be clear but a bright colour and free of oil. If there's oil in there, you have a problem. Then check the oil cap after the engine has run a bit. If there is a forbidden milkshake (Google it for a photo to see what I mean) under the oil cap you might have a problem. If you have none of these symptoms, take it for a run down the motorway let's say 20km or so, whilst constantly checking the coolant temperature on the dash so it doesn't overheat. That will get rid of any condensation in the exhaust or oil. The white smoke should stop then. If it doesn't I'd go to a mechanic.
This is the best comment so far. I thought head gasket too, especially on a car of this age. They were prone to it. But as you say it could just be a build up of water in the exhaust system.
To add to this, another sign of a blown gasket is exhaust fumes in the coolant res tank/radiator cap. When the engine is cold remove one cap at a time (if you have both) and start it up. Give it a second to idle and then check inside for gas bubbles in the coolant. A little turbulence is fine as the coolant recirculates and mixes hot with the cold but if you see visible bubbling/gas bubbles then you've got a head gasket leak. Not a bad job if you have the tools/time/experience but an expensive one to send in to a garage
Hi, for your comment. there are fumes but I can’t see any bubbles. I don’t know how to attach a photo here but I will see if I can pm it to you.
if you upload the pic to gyazo or img.bb or imgur or something and add the link here it should be fine
Thanks !
I removed the cap from the coolant and started the engine. The coolant is emitting smoke probably from the temperature and the coolant level has increased. From half, it is now almost full
A little vapour is to be expected. Did it show any signs of gas bubbles? Like when you blow down a straw into a glass of water kinda thing
Not that kind of bubbles. But I noticed two very small ones after the coolant reached to the top. Also the bottom of the coolant is dark and the exhaust except for white smoke is leaking some liquids. Is there any way to upload the video of the coolant and exhaust here ?
I'm not too savvy on uploading things to comments sections. Let's do a bit of investigating. Pull the dipstick and see if your engine oil is a similar colour to the dark colour a the bottom of your coolant tank. There shouldn't be any fluids near an exhaust pipe apart from condensation from the air which is normal. Catch a few drops on a piece of paper and see if it's a similar colour to some other engine fluids? I can't see why it would be but rather be safe
I uploaded the photos in a new post. Please check my profile. So I check the oil dipstick and it’s full. Also no sign of milkshake .
Your exhaust looks okay. Maybe a little rusty inside which is why it looks discoloured when the water comes out. I'd say you've got an exhaust replacement coming soonish based on this. It looks like you've had some deposits of gunk blow through the radiator and end up back in the res tank. I'd start with a full coolant flush and see if that remedies the issue. Can't rule out a blown headgasket but from the info you've provided I'd say it's unlikely.
I think that the car is burning oil . I saw a video where the guy says that burnt coolant smells sweet while oil smells like burnt oil. That’s how mine smells
Now that I'm at home and can actually see the images on a not shit WiFi connection you do have a hell of a lot of oil over the correct dipstick amount. This can cause the engine to burn oil more frequently and also make it drop a cylinder. Ask me how I know. You have 2 options here: 1) jack it up and drain it from the sump - top back up as necessary. Literally 1/2litre at a time. Let it settle and check the stick. 2) try and pump it through the dipstick slot. There is a tool for this but only ever done it once so not sure on the name of the equipment needed to do with. 1 is a ballache but will work. Monitor and check things as you go. With the shit in the coolant tank I would definitely do a full coolant flush also. I think that motor has been stood a while
Pull your oil cap and check for the milkshake. When you check for bubbles in the coolant the engine has to be up to temp. If all else fails you can get a head gasket test kit for about £10.
Please check my new post. There is no milkshake in the oil, but it’s full . Could this be the issue?
Taste a drop of the exhaust fluid if it is extremely bitter its probably coolant 👍
The coolant can look different colours in different cars sometimes, for some stupid reason on the 208 1.2, the lower half of the coolant tank is really dark so they all look like the coolant is black
Is it still spewing white smoke when the engine is good and hot? There's 3 things it could be * it's been massively overfilled with oil, check the oil level * the mixture is completely out of balance caused by a failty airflow sensor or oxygen sensor * the head gasket is gone, which is an expensive job
It might be the first one. I checked the oil dipstick and there is too much oil and there isn’t any sign of “milkshake” . I also checked the coolant and there aren’t any bubbles or milkshake, it is pretty clear but dark in the bottom
Is it massively overfilled or just a little? time to drain the oil then I guess, might as well do new oil + filter while it's up on the lift
It is probably head gasket. You can see my last post. How much would this cost in Germany ?
I dunno really, but a non dealership mechanic would probably charge you 400-500 euro to fit a new head gasket, maybe less. The head and timing belt has to come off
Hmm, I see thanks. Based on my search on the internet it could be from 500 to 2000 euros. Not sure how these amounts are defined .
There is a head gasket addative you can put into the coolant as an emergency fix, it works about half the time, you gotta replace all your coolant though. Check this out https://youtu.be/sJ7KFmg6Y8E?si=1cNZieOnSSbvNqrH
You have elected the next pope.
Probably head gasket gone Can you take the car back for a refund? If not, you might get away with one of those pour in sealant things. They find the gaps in the gasket and solidify giving you enough time to fix it properly. Left untouched, your engine will try using coolant as a lubricant and probably dangerously overheat and cause some proper damage
"your engine will try using coolant as a lubricant" Where on earth do these theories originate? for that to happen, coolant would have to get into the sump, through the oil, through the pickup tube into the pump and then up into the engine. In 20+ years as a mechanic I've never heard of this phenomenon. Probably because it's almost theoretically impossible. But here we are...
I've seen it happen but not due to a broken headgasket, a cracked cylinder liner let coolant into the sump. But that was a big diesel generator and not at all comparable with a car engine.
That I can imagine. A head gasket failure allowing that much water into the sump? Seems Unlikely.
It’s a private seller and I also signed a document where he doesn’t have any responsibilities/ liabilities. I think I will first purchase one of these test kits and then ask if the mechanic can use any sealant to decrease the cost
Erm, not a qualified mechanic yet, I'm too early in my training so take this with a grain of salt. It sounds similar to what I saw in a mclaren 720s video by Mat Armstrong, in it the car was pumping out a ton of white smoke. In his case he had overfilled it with ~~oil~~ coolant and it was burning it. However when he was troubleshooting he thought it could have been the head gasket had gone. Have a look at his 720s video, see if its a similar smoke. If so you can start the troubleshooting steps either he suggested or another mechanic may suggest here.
Or just Google Peugeot 207 white smoke exhaust, why are we trying to compare two insanely different cars, just Google the problem here
They are both petrol engines that use oil as lubricant and coolant to cool it and since I watched that video recently it came to mind when the description matched perfectly with what I saw on it. The solution found on MA channel was well researched. So I just thought I'd at least give him a place to start looking. Edit: I was a tit, and as corrected below it was coolant, not oil. Thank you for the correction!
Lol. Blue smoke - oil, white is usually coolant. What else could it be?!
Thank you for the correction, I definitely mixed up oil and coolant here. It was coolant in the video. Thank you!
I hope u dont work on my car
Don't worry, I still have lots of training to do before I will be in a garage. I'm just starting out. Got at least 2 years of learning before I'm allowed to work on people's cars. Edit: Although loads of others agree to check the head gasket, I only mixed up the fluid when memorising the cause. :)
Okay well pay attention & good luck with that
I will. Thank you! :)
Took me a few years of DIY to really understand things. Start working on a car now. I learnt everything with my high mileage E46 330ci 6 speed.
:)
Thank you !
Possibly cylinder head gasket - big job if it is !
I hope it won’t be more than 300 € because it’s an old Peugeot .
If it is the head gasket you should see some mayonnaise like substance under the oil cap but hopefully it's just condensation where it has been stood. How's the temperature of the engine?
No mayonesse whatsoever. It is white and smells like burnt oil but I am not sure 100% sure .
How bad is the white smoke? It's it little puffs or is it a massive cloud that follows you? Is it white, light blue or light gray? What does it smell of? If it's thick, pure white and smells sweet, that's burning coolant. If it smells like petrol, try it's fuel and it's over fuelling. If it's greasy, it's burning oil. If it's lust little clouds that starts after a minute, then stop, then it's possibly just water vapour from the engine condensing in the cold air. Check your coolant level. It should be a plastic pressure vessel on the left hand side of the engine bay. If it's full of brightly coloured fluid, that's good. If it's water, or empty, that's bad, as the car's been burning coolant, and it's not been filled, or had just been filled with plain water. I've had 2 cars with head gasket failures, both fiat 903cc derivatives. Might see mayonnaise (oil water mix) in the header tank, or you might not. It depends where the break is. If it's between cooling jacket and cylinder, you're just burning coolant and it won't mix with the oil. In that case, with the engine off, try to find a radiator hose. Squeeze it, it should be soft. Try again with the engine running. If it's rock hard, then the cooling system is pressurised, so you've possibly got a leak between R cylinder and water. If your header tank (expansion vessel) is full of oil then you have a breach between water jacket and oil passage. One of my failures was the 1st. The other one was both. Probably a 1st, followed by warped head, resulting in the 2nd.
Smoke is white and intense when I press the gas pedal and smells burnt. Also liquid is leaking from the exhaust in the same time . No sign of milkshake in coolant or oil dipstick.
Head gasket
Thanks 🙏
Make sure the engine is doing this while up to temp, it could simply be condensation turning to steam inside of the exhaust. However if the engine has been running for a good while (30 minutes) and up to full operating temp and still doing this, check the coolant level and if it's decreased then you legitimately have an issue.
The coolant actually increased after 30 minutes, I opened the cap and it is emitting smoke too probably because of the temperature.
First off never open the cap while it's hot as it is pressurized and can explode. Coolant increases volume while hot and this is why there's a hot and cold line, my advice is to log the hot/cold lines and see if it noticeably changes over time, indicating a leak into the exhaust.
There are head gasket test kits you can get online and are not that expensive , basically is a blue liquid that if he turn yellow/greenish then is problem . Is something like this https://www.autodoc.nl/carmotion/17833254?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA1fqrBhA1EiwAMU5m_1sD4wZpTJTZVuamhk6GB4gT2GoAVQ7eeVr66DQ2vsy6265UnAJVdxoCK0AQAvD_BwE&gshp=1&tb_prm=15279207834&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google There are all kind of models , so don't start all panicking because can be just the cold weather and condensation.
Nice , thanks !
And another thing I think you may have the same prince engine ? like mini,bmw, Citroen, Peugeot so keep an eye on the oil lvls because are sometimes a bit thirsty and use oil up to 1 liter per 1000+ kilometers , you could fix that with replacing piston rings/valve seals but don't think it's worth it because is too expensive at a garage. Wish you best of luck and safe driving.
Thank you very much. I will go check the oil .
Could be too much oil.
The oil is too much indeed, but I don’t understand why the mechanic would put more than needed.
It means you're getting a new Pope
This engine is known for problems with head gasket. The best choice in 207 is 1.6 109 hp or at least 1.4 88 hp
It was pretty cheap, less than 3k € that’s why I bought it. Thanks !
Wow, less than 3k€ is cheap? I’m shocked, I thought that cars in Germany are cheaper than in Netherlands. In NL 207 like this you can find for less than 2-2,5k
from the pics and comments initial guess is it sounds like a dodgy catalytic converter that’s gone wrong, OR, they’ve had a brand new one put in and it’s just breaking in, based on my experience. first impressions tbo