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My engine started smoking....

Y

yobarman

Lifer
I ran to the store for some creamer and on my way back there was this awful smell in my car. I couldn't tell if it was burnt rubber or plastic... or something electrical, but it was something that i have never smelled before.

Anyways, I get home and i see smoke coming from my engine. Great. I pop the hood and it eventually goes away. About an hour later me and my roommate come back to check fluids and such and everything checks out. Temp is fine and reving up the car produces no smoke.

We've come to two conclusions:
a) something got caught under the car near the exhaust and lit up
b) a wire or tube came loose near the exhause and heated up.

like i said i'd recognize burnt rubber or electrical things, but this was different. I'm hoping that it was an animal that got caught under there cause the last thing i need is a car malfunction. Any idea what else it could be?

Stats:
1995 maxima with 131K miles
Recently changed oil and coolant
No known electrical or engine problems, except for the fact that my check engine light comes on all the time halfway thru the 330 mile trip from roch to philly. I've never gotten that checked out cause it turns off about a week or two later usually.
 
Originally posted by: yobarman
I ran to the store for some creamer and on my way back there was this awful smell in my car. I couldn't tell if it was burnt rubber or plastic... or something electrical, but it was something that i have never smelled before.

Anyways, I get home and i see smoke coming from my engine. Great. I pop the hood and it eventually goes away. About an hour later me and my roommate come back to check fluids and such and everything checks out. Temp is fine and reving up the car produces no smoke.

We've come to two conclusions:
a) something got caught under the car near the exhaust and lit up
b) a wire or tube came loose near the exhause and heated up.

like i said i'd recognize burnt rubber or electrical things, but this was different. I'm hoping that it was an animal that got caught under there cause the last thing i need is a car malfunction. Any idea what else it could be?

Stats:
1995 maxima with 131K miles
Recently changed oil and coolant
No known electrical or engine problems, except for the fact that my check engine light comes on all the time halfway thru the 330 mile trip from roch to philly. I've never gotten that checked out cause it turns off about a week or two later usually.
Click to expand...
did it smell caramel-like?
 
Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
be lucky it wasnt the turbo that went byebye 🙁
Click to expand...

lol, no turbo on my car.

and no, it didnt smell like caramel. I can't put my finger on what it really smelled like, but its gonna haunt me all day. it was weird.

Screw this... im gonna jack the car up and see if anything is under it .
 
Originally posted by: yobarman
Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
be lucky it wasnt the turbo that went byebye 🙁
Click to expand...

lol, no turbo on my car.

and no, it didnt smell like caramel. I can't put my finger on what it really smelled like, but its gonna haunt me all day. it was weird.

Screw this... im gonna jack the car up and see if anything is under it .
Click to expand...
if you find oil... ut-oh :Q

 
Maybe some oil found its way to the exhaust manifold or came in contact with the catalytic converter. Doesn't take much at all to create some smoke. Also, if you were running the A/C when it happened, the clutch on the compressor could have been malfunctioning... That can cause smoke and create a nasty smell.
 
check your codes, even if the light goes out. is anything dripping under the car when it's parked? (other than AC water)
 
Originally posted by: LandRover
Maybe some oil found its way to the exhaust manifold or came in contact with the catalytic converter. Doesn't take much at all to create some smoke. Also, if you were running the A/C when it happened, the clutch on the compressor could have been malfunctioning... That can cause smoke and create a nasty smell.
Click to expand...

Its possible, but i theres no leaks that i know of . I don't think i had the AC running but i have been using it a lot lately.

I jacked up the car and found nothing really. There was this string hanging by the catalytic converter, and some blue crap on it but i think that was some sort of glue.

For now im just gonna ride normally... if it happens again i'll give ya'll some updates. And pics if its a dead animal. A pigeon perhaps.
 
Pshh, happens to my car nearly every time I drive it. The only cause I can think of is oil is spilling onto something hot...because I also need to refill my oil every week or so.

I sure do get funny looks going down the road with smoke coming out of my car though 🙂
 
That check engine light that comes and goes........99% that its your 02 sensor. Those are important because they help with fuel economy.

But anyway, if you take your car into AutoZone, Murrays....or any of those parts stores they can scan for the error code and see what it is.
 
Originally posted by: Auryg
Pshh, happens to my car nearly every time I drive it. The only cause I can think of is oil is spilling onto something hot...because I also need to refill my oil every week or so.

I sure do get funny looks going down the road with smoke coming out of my car though 🙂
Click to expand...

Engine fires can start that way too..
 
Originally posted by: LandRover
Originally posted by: Auryg
Pshh, happens to my car nearly every time I drive it. The only cause I can think of is oil is spilling onto something hot...because I also need to refill my oil every week or so.

I sure do get funny looks going down the road with smoke coming out of my car though 🙂
Click to expand...

Engine fires can start that way too..
Click to expand...

Eh, the car was 400 dollars. If it starts on fire it starts on fire, no biggie.

 
Probably just some spilled oil from when you changed it. It has a tendency to dribble into places without being noticed.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: Auryg
Originally posted by: LandRover
Originally posted by: Auryg
Pshh, happens to my car nearly every time I drive it. The only cause I can think of is oil is spilling onto something hot...because I also need to refill my oil every week or so.

I sure do get funny looks going down the road with smoke coming out of my car though 🙂
Click to expand...

Engine fires can start that way too..
Click to expand...

Eh, the car was 400 dollars. If it starts on fire it starts on fire, no biggie.
Click to expand...

If the fire reaches a fuel line, it could be a "biggie". 😛
 
Originally posted by: LandRover
Originally posted by: Auryg
Originally posted by: LandRover
Originally posted by: Auryg
Pshh, happens to my car nearly every time I drive it. The only cause I can think of is oil is spilling onto something hot...because I also need to refill my oil every week or so.

I sure do get funny looks going down the road with smoke coming out of my car though 🙂
Click to expand...

Engine fires can start that way too..
Click to expand...

Eh, the car was 400 dollars. If it starts on fire it starts on fire, no biggie.
Click to expand...

If the fire reaches a fuel line, it could be a "biggie". 😛
Click to expand...

Lol, I'll be sure to back off if I think it's on fire now 😀

 
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