the car seems to be dripping a lot of water out the end of the tailpipe. is this a symptom of some engine problem? its an '89 Festiva with a feedback carburetor. thank you.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------ William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network homepage:
Water out the exhaust is normal when the temperatures are cool and the car has not warmed up. The combustion of gasoline creates a fair amount of water (and C02). In farm weather this leaves the tail pipe as water vapor. In cooler weather the water can condense in the muffler - at least until the muffler is warmed up. I suppose in really cold climates, the muffler may never warm up enough to keep at least come of the water from condensing.
Ed
"William R. Watt" wrote:
It could be, but as the weather gets colder, the "problem" becomes more pronounced. The exhaust system is colder and will condense more water vapor until it gets heated up. It's a normal winter time thing.
As others have said, if happens only when cold -- No problem. Hydrocarbon fuel (Hydrogen H and Carbon C) produce water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned.
If water drips with muffler hot and you are constantly adding coolant to radiator, then problem.
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Maybe he's just starting to notice it now that the weather is colder. And with an 89' Festiva you keep your eyes open for pending problems. I hope that's all it is, but watch that coolant level. I have noticed over the years that I see more water for some reason from Ford Motor products, generally full size and SUV's, when cold. This is purely subjective and I can't think of any reason for it.
Large cars burn more fuel, which creates more water. Large cars have larger, longer exhaust systems which take longer to heat up, so water condenses for a longer period of times. Somme cars have muffler designs which tend to trap the water (like my Saturn), so you never see it. Eventually the muffler heats up and the "stored" water evaporates. Some cars have crummy exhaust systems which develop rust holes, so the water leaks out before the tail pipe.
Ed
cars have crummy exhaust
Not if you drill a small hole at the bottom edge of the back of the muffler (no larger than 1/8"; it does change the exhaust sound a little if that matters to you)
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