HOw do you know if your car is burning oil or it is water vapor coming out of you exhaust. it has happened the?

last two cold days in florida after the car has been sitting for 8 or so hours and only right when i start it. It runs fine when I am driving it, I just have never noticed anything come out of my exhaust before. HOw do you know if your car is burning oil or it is water vapor coming out of you exhaust. it has happened the?
Dip the oil level every day for a week.


Check the water level every day for a week.





If the oil is low that's your answer


and like wise the water





if both are OK it's probably due to possibly colder air as we usually get in winter.


Is it winter there yet?HOw do you know if your car is burning oil or it is water vapor coming out of you exhaust. it has happened the?
It's just coughing out sediment or compensation.





The old time indicator is...If it's white smoke or vapor, it's water related. If it's blue or dark, it's an oil problem.





Chevrolet is notorious for this after a few years use...not to worry.
there is always a bit of water vapor commin out of your exhaust (byproduct of combustion)


if it was burning oil your oil level will drop and there would be white to blue smoke out the exhaust


If it is water from the engine ( blown head gasget etc.)your water level would keep going down



its cool out the tail pipe is hot (steam). not from your car
its normal, kinda like when you see your breath in the cold air
steam will go away fast and smoke will linger in the air.
It is very common for water vapor to come out the exhaust on a cold day. Water vapor is a byproduct from your catalytic converter.





Is your car using oil? Do you need to add oil between oil changes.





If you need to add more than one quart of oil between oil changes, you are burning or leaking oil. If you are not adding oil, it is a safe bet that you are only seeing water vapor.



If it lingers, it's probably oil





If it dissipates, it's probably water.





Something I learned here.
Could be a damaged piston or cylinder head gasket is damaged. Get it to your mechanic asap. Driving on can cause expensive damage.Good luck.