What does it mean when a car has water in the exhaust and can it be fixed?

Answer 1

Water in the exhaust is a sign of a bad headgasket... but sometimes if the car has been sitting for a while, lets say a week, there can be some condensation, when you start it, it will have water... but does the exhuast have a sweet smell to it when started and running, if so its probably the headgasket... but replacing the headgasket urself would require you to re-time the engine and u have to have a torque wrench to be able to torque the bolts correctly... Hope that I have helped Heres Instructions for HeadGasket Replacement. Parts Exhaust flange nuts and bolts Head Gasket (preferably OEM) Ten head bolts Two valve cover end seals Tube of RTV silicone

Disassembly Disconnect the battery negative terminal Drain the cooling system Raise the front of the vehicle and support it with jack stands . Remove the two 13mm exhaust bolts holding the exhaust pipe to the exhaust manifold , lower the vehicle Remove the air cleaner assembly Remove the upper radiator hose Loosen the 13mm nut holding the dipstick tube bracket to the thermostat housing and remove the coil (if it is attached to the thermostat housing) and unplug the coolant temperature sensor Remove the spark plug wires from the plugs , remove the distributor water shield and the distributor cap . (this step is so you don't damage the distributor cap) Remove the two uppermost 15mm-head bolts from the top of the a/c , alternator bracket where it attaches to the head and unplug the single wire temperature sending unit Remove the upper half of the timing belt cover Remove the valve cover Disconnect the wiring harness connector that is just to the right of the throttle body Disconnect the throttle cables from the throttle body and remove the two 10mm head bolts holding the bracket Disconnect the vacuum lines from the throttle body Disconnect the fuel lines - NOTE : The fuel lines may be under pressure , use extreme care when removing them Disconnect the throttle position sensor connector and the EGR valve connector (if equipped) Carefully lift up the throttle body wiring harness , the fuel lines , and the vacuum lines together and use a bungee cord to hold them out of the way Remove the ground strap that is attached to the intake manifold from the fire wall Remove the 15mm-head bolt holding the battery ground cable to the engine Disconnect the vacuum hose from the power brake booster and the heater hose from the intake manifold left side Use two plastic tie straps to secure the timing belt to the camshaft pulley and remove the pulley . Hold upward tension on the pulley and secure it with a bungee cord to the right hood hinge - NOTE: be sure to hold the upward tension with the bungee cord so the timing belt doesn't jump a tooth on the lower pulleysRemove the head bolts and lift the head off the engine block . (I suggest having an assistant help to lift off the head) With the head removed , carefully check the head casting for signs of cracks . Also use a straight edge to check the head casting for warpage (maximum allowable warpage is .00 Clean all the head gasket mating surfaces and wipe clean with a little brake cleaner on a rag . Use a round plastic bristled brush to clean out the head bolt holes in the engine block and blow them out with compressed air .

Reassembly After the gasket surfaces are prepared , set the new head gasket in place and CAREFULLY place the head into position , take extreme care not to place the head on the head gasket until it is in the proper position . With the head in place , install the head bolts . You will need to tighten the head bolts in a circular pattern starting from the center and working your way out . I recommend hand tightening all the bolts before beginning the torque sequence . Head bolt torque:

For older style 10mm head bolts : 35 - 45 - 45 - and a 1/4 turn

For newer style 11mm head bolts : 45 - 65 - 65 - and a 1/4 turn Use the two rubber valve cover end seals and a bead of RTV silicone to reseal the valve cover . Do Not let the silicone skin-over before setting the valve cover into place and tightening the bolts, also be sure that both mating surfaces of the valve cover are clean and oil free .

After the head is reassembled you will need to reset the base timing to specs. You will also want to double check the timing belt position . Use a variable timing light and set the timing mark on zero degrees . Save the setting on the timing light and shine it through the inspection hole in the top of the upper timing belt cover . If the belt timing is correct , you will see the oblong hole in the camshaft sprocket centered in the inspection hole .