[darrko]

While I am driving it I have never seen any visible exhaust fumes from my car's rear (in the rear view mirror) but the other day when I drove up into my driveway someone pointed out to me that there were visible fumes. Now this guy is present almost every time I drive into my house so he has a point of reference. I stepped out of the car and asked him to rev the engine a bit and it was just like he said. The fumes were light grey, not dark or black but were still visible esp against the dark car paint. Is that normal? Also every time I stand behind my car while the engine is running the smell is quite weird, not like the typical fuel or diesel smell but slightly pungent and almost chemical. Again, is that normal?

One more Q: I wash the car every Sunday and while doing the rear with the pressure washer the water that enters the exhaust always comes out black. I understand the carbon deposits would cause that but then how do I clean it properly? Should I refrain from allowing the pressured water to enter the exhaust? Should I keep doing it until the water is no longer black? I am a little confused.