HELP: White Smoke from under the Hood
Pankaj Kohli
Folks:
I would really appreciate a feedback on this one.
Yesterday, I drove my Fox 87 (134,000 miles) for about 50 miles. Just
as when I was pulling into my parking lot, I saw a lot of smoke
coming from under the hood. I stopped immediately and opened the
hood. As it was dark, I could not see the source of the smoke. After
waiting for a while, I was able to start the car again and drive it to
my parking spot. The smoke continued toas I drove to the spot. .
Interestingly, while this happened, my temperature gauge light did not
come on.
Today morning, I checked that the coolant and oil levels; they were
fine. The fan belt was intact. The radiator hoses were dry. I did not
see any leakages around the radiator. And I would say this is too
sudden a development for the water pump to go kaput.
I test drove the car again. No problem in driving it. But after I
drove for about 5 to 8 minutes, I stopped and opened the hood. I saw
the white fumes starting to form from around or below the engine
mount.
After waiting for a while, I let the car idle with intermittent
acceleration. Again, the white fumes.
I did see an oil puddle around the engine head. I am not sure if it
has been there for a while.
I would really appreciate a feedback here. Can the white fumes be due to a
short circuit. Whatever happened, it happened suddenly.
Thanks in advance,
Pankaj
Ryan Rahim
Pankaj Kohli (ko...@andromeda.rutgers.edu) wrote:
: Folks:
: I would really appreciate a feedback here. Can the white fumes be due to a
: short circuit. Whatever happened, it happened suddenly.
You have an oil leak from one of your gaskets, perhaps the valve cover
gasket, causing oil to drip on hot engine parts causing it to burn. If
you don't take care of this, it could possibly lead to an engine fire.
Good luck.
Ryan
: Thanks in advance,
: Pankaj
--
Speeding never killed anyone. . .stopping did.
James P. Meyer
On 3 Feb 1997, Pankaj Kohli wrote:
> After waiting for a while, I let the car idle with intermittent
> acceleration. Again, the white fumes.
>
> I did see an oil puddle around the engine head. I am not sure if it
> has been there for a while.
The last time that happened to me, it was because I had left the
oil filler cap off after I had added some oil to the engine. The
camshaft threw a spray of oil out and it got onto the exhaust pipe and
smoked.
Jim
Charles
It could be oil leaking onto the engine and got evaporated by the hot
engine or coolant leaking on the rediator or on the engine. You should
check engine oil level and also coolant level in the radiator, not just in
the expansion tank. BTW, what was the smell of the smoke? The smell of
coolant should be easy to tell.It was unlikely an electric short-circuit,
because you would got some burnt fuses if it was doing this.
Charles
On 3 Feb 1997, Pankaj Kohli wrote:
> Folks:
>
> I would really appreciate a feedback on this one.
>
> Yesterday, I drove my Fox 87 (134,000 miles) for about 50 miles. Just
> as when I was pulling into my parking lot, I saw a lot of smoke
> coming from under the hood. I stopped immediately and opened the
> hood. As it was dark, I could not see the source of the smoke. After
> waiting for a while, I was able to start the car again and drive it to
> my parking spot. The smoke continued toas I drove to the spot. .
>
> Interestingly, while this happened, my temperature gauge light did not
> come on.
>
> Today morning, I checked that the coolant and oil levels; they were
> fine. The fan belt was intact. The radiator hoses were dry. I did not
> see any leakages around the radiator. And I would say this is too
> sudden a development for the water pump to go kaput.
>
> I test drove the car again. No problem in driving it. But after I
> drove for about 5 to 8 minutes, I stopped and opened the hood. I saw
> the white fumes starting to form from around or below the engine
> mount.
>
> After waiting for a while, I let the car idle with intermittent
> acceleration. Again, the white fumes.
>
> I did see an oil puddle around the engine head. I am not sure if it
> has been there for a while.
>
> I would really appreciate a feedback here. Can the white fumes be due to a
> short circuit. Whatever happened, it happened suddenly.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Pankaj
Kirby Nesbitt
...does it smell like meat?
Likely one of those pesky hood weasels made a nest on or around your exhaust
manifold.
Look for turds in your airbox.
Pankaj Kohli <ko...@andromeda.rutgers.edu> wrote in article
<5d4sp1$l...@andromeda.rutgers.edu>...
bd...@axionet.com
On 3 Feb 1997 09:29:53 -0500, ko...@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Pankaj
Kohli) wrote:
>Folks:
>
>I would really appreciate a feedback on this one.
>
[Snip problem]
[Snip everything a-ok]
>I test drove the car again. No problem in driving it. But after I
>drove for about 5 to 8 minutes, I stopped and opened the hood. I saw
>the white fumes starting to form from around or below the engine
>mount.
>
>After waiting for a while, I let the car idle with intermittent
>acceleration. Again, the white fumes.
>I did see an oil puddle around the engine head. I am not sure if it
>has been there for a while.
>I would really appreciate a feedback here. Can the white fumes be due to a
>short circuit. Whatever happened, it happened suddenly.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Pankaj
Sounds like a blown head gasket to me, but could someone else back me
up on this? And was the smoke under the hood accompanied by strange
smoke in the exhaust? And did the 'fumes' smell?
Ben
---------
bd...@axionet.com
- '88 VW Fox, 132,000 Kilometres
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/5449/index.html
Kevin Mouton
Pankaj Kohli wrote:
>
> Folks:
>
> I would really appreciate a feedback on this one.
>
> as when I was pulling into my parking lot, I saw a lot of smoke
> coming from under the hood. I stopped immediately and opened the
> hood. As it was dark, I could not see the source of the smoke. After
> waiting for a while, I was able to start the car again and drive it to
> my parking spot. The smoke continued toas I drove to the spot. .
>
> Interestingly, while this happened, my temperature gauge light did not
> come on.
>
> Today morning, I checked that the coolant and oil levels; they were
> fine. The fan belt was intact. The radiator hoses were dry. I did not
> see any leakages around the radiator. And I would say this is too
> sudden a development for the water pump to go kaput.
>
> drove for about 5 to 8 minutes, I stopped and opened the hood. I saw
> the white fumes starting to form from around or below the engine
> mount.
>
> After waiting for a while, I let the car idle with intermittent
> acceleration. Again, the white fumes.
>
> I did see an oil puddle around the engine head. I am not sure if it
> has been there for a while.
>
> I would really appreciate a feedback here. Can the white fumes be due to a
> short circuit. Whatever happened, it happened suddenly.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Pankaj
we can't do by e-mail, but here are some examples.:
sweet smell .......coolant leak
burnt oil smell...oil leak
burnt flesh smell..small creature
no smell...........A/C pop off valve releasing freon due to over
pressure.
check to make sure the radiator cooling fan comes on when you turn on
the a/c or defroster.
hope this helps...good luck
Kev
--
************************************************
Kevin Mouton - Automotive Technology Instructor
************************************************
"If women don't find you handsome they
should at least find you handy!"
Red Green of Possum Lodge
************************************************
D C
Check the wiring to the starter and alternator. I had the same problem
with a 1986 Jetta diesel. The alternator wire was shorting out on the
engine mount.
DC
In article <5d4sp1$l...@andromeda.rutgers.edu>,
ko...@andromeda.rutgers.edu says...
B0B
Pankaj Kohli wrote:
>
> Folks:
>
> I would really appreciate a feedback on this one.
Well, you're being rather vague on this smoke...does it smell like oil
burning, like radiator steam, or an electrical fire...or something
else..?????
If you could be a little more specific...you'll probably answer your own
question!!
GL,
B0B
Rick Duncan
whats happening is you have oil leaking down on to
your exhaust manifold. could be coming from any where
in the area of the smoke...good luck.....