Steam in cold weather..

[X5UK88]

I've noticed since the weather has been 0c to -1.5c where I live today, my X5 would steam from the exhaust when we pulled up at traffic lights etc, even when it was up to temperature and been driven 15 miles.

The steam doesn't smell but was noticeable when we pull up.

It hasn't done this in the slightly warmer weather, just in the cold.

Is this normal?

[wpoll]

There is a quite a lot of water vapour in the exhaust gases from a petrol vehicle, so it's certainly likely that some of this water vapour will become visible as steam once it hits the cold air outside the car, and colder it gets the more visible this will be.

As long as you aren't smelling (and loosing) coolant and don't have an excessive build up of moisture in the oil systems, I'd say it was normal.

[OrangeFurious]

Agreed. Mine does the same thing.

[X5UK88]

Ha, I clearly have a lot to learn with owning a petrol V8.

Thanks guys

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by X5UK88

Ha, I clearly have a lot to learn with owning a petrol V8.

Thanks guys

Were the other cars on the road also emitting steam from their exhaust???

Do you not emit steam from your mouth when you are walking in the cold???

Did you just move from a tropical island to the UK???

[X5UK88]

Originally Posted by upallnight

Were the other cars on the road also emitting steam from their exhaust???

Do you not emit steam from your mouth when you are walking in the cold???

Did you just move from a tropical island to the UK???

I don't really pay attention to others and I had a diesel E60 for the last 4 years and never saw it steam really.

[Joshdub]

2 C8H18 + 25 O2 → 16 CO2 + 18 H2O

Water is a product of gasoline combustion. Totally normal.

[OrangeFurious]

Originally Posted by Joshdub

2 C8H18 + 25 O2 → 16 CO2 + 18 H2O

Water is a product of gasoline combustion. Totally normal.

Science....? BURN THE WITCH!!!

[StephenVA]

I think the ratio is 10 gal of fuel creates one gal of water. Now in the UK I have no idea of what that would be in Imperial liters.

[V8 00USH]

Nothing to worry about mines the same.

Infact sometimes if I nail the throttle my back window gets steamed up as a result.