Why is my aerostar van 1993 letting out all the water through the tailpipe?

Answer 1

When fuel burns it changes to carbon dioxide and water vapor. When the exhaust pipe and muffler assembly is cool enough, the water vapor will condense and drip from the tailpipe. What you're seeing is normal. The condensed water, mixed with the carbon dioxide, can pool in the bottom of an exhaust system and cause the exhaust pipe failure, especially if the vehicle is only driven for short trips. If the water condenses and pools in the low part of the exhaust system, it will eventually rust through. BTW, water and carbon dioxide create carbonic acid, which will go right through your exhaust line over time. That's the real reason we must replace exhaust systems so often. ----Redbeard -------------------------------- SharkWhisperer here. It's too bad the wiki editor does not have the option of giving an alternate answer. I think Redbeard has misread the question. I've seen what he's described -- a few drops of water as a car starts up in winter. I think he thinks the questioner was exaggerating about it being all the water. But I've seen that too as no exaggeration. That quite simply is a blown head gasket. When I rebuilt it just a tiny spot had blown between the coolant and a cylinder. The car ran but it was like I was driving a steam locomotive. Lots of water and antifreeze in the oil pan, too. That cylinder wasn't hurt but weirdly it was steam cleaned. So I rebuilt the head with a nice new gasket and replaced all the fluids. The cause of this was that the car was overheating and the needle was near the top line. I was only about a mile or 2 from home and I decided to risk it. What I got was in effect a steam explosion that ruptured the gasket. I've seen this happen to one other person. I didn't speak to him but saw him pathetically trying to start his car in the college parking lot with oil leaking out of the head. I also met a middle aged couple who told me how he had blown a head gasket. The car was overheating and he was close to home so he risked another couple miles. Never drive your car even a short distance when the temperature goes above the maximum mark. Sit and wait for it to cool in the air and you can drive for a short distance. (Unless you simply get it towed.)