Smoke coming from tailpipe - 1993 Volvo 850

White smoke coming out of the exhaust on any gas powered vehicle is a sign that you have a blown head gasket allowing water from the cooling system to enter the cylinder, and when the piston comes up for combustion stroke and fires it turns the water to steam. This is also bad for allowing coolant to get in your oil, which anti-freeze in your oil will ruin the journals (Bearings) on the crankshaft (Major Engine Repair) costing several thousand dollars *NEW* !

Besides being a poorly worded question...
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White smoke from the tail pipe could be a blown head gasket as coolant enters your cylinders and is exhausted.

"hole in overdrive" needs clarified...

New motor or head work

Coolant leaking from a bad head gasket

Smoke oil? For what your thinking that is oil? Smoke coming from the tailpipe is not good news, but does not necessarily mean the engine needs rebuilding. First, you need to determine what color of smoke is coming from the tailpipe
* White smoke is caused by water and or antifreeze entering the cylinder, and the engine trying to burn it with the fuel. The white smoke is steam. There are special gaskets (head gaskets are the primary gaskets) that keep the antifreeze from entering the cylinder area.
* Blue smoke is caused by engine oil entering the cylinder area and being burned along with the fuel air mixture. As with the white smoke, just a small drop of oil leaking into the cylinder can produce blue smoke out the tailpipe.
* Black smoke is caused by excess fuel that has entered the cylinder area and cannot be burned completely. Another term for excess fuel is "running rich." Poor fuel mileage is also a common complaint when black smoke comes out of the tailpipe. Black smoke out the tailpipe is the least cause for alarm.


If you confirm us that is oil smoke, check and keep in mind that the car has many seals, gaskets, and O-rings that are designed to keep the engine oil from entering the cylinder, and one of them has failed. If too much oil leaks into the cylinder and fouls the spark plug, it will cause a misfire (engine miss) in that cylinder, and the spark plug will have to be replaced or cleaned of the oil. Using thicker weight engine oil or an oil additive designed to reduce oil leaks might help reduce the amount of oil leaking into the cylinder.

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Black smoke coming out of the tailpipe is a sign that your engine is flooding. Also makes it run rough.

White smoke coming out of a tailpipe indicate water. Check your oil. Is it murky looking ? Is there an oily film in your radiator ? You may have one or more problems. Blown head gasket, cracked heads or water jacket.

60,000 miles or so depending on the engine but if its blue smoke which it means its oil burning its sounds like valve guide seals.

you probably have low compression on one or two clyinders causing blow by which would be where all your blue oil smoke to be coming from

That white color is a tell tale sign of a bad head gasket, when the head gasket goes your coolant mixes with your oil and the burns off causing the white smoke. I hate to give bad news but it's not cheap or easy to replace.

Hope this helps