Smoke from Engine Bay - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

penguin0123 · 10-18-2009, 10:36 AM

After the car gets warmed up, some smoke (or steam) would rise from the engine bay. After I shut the engine off, the smoke would get pretty intense for awhile until the entire engine cools down.

The smoke is odorless (as far as I can smell anyway), and looks like steam from a kettle. I've never seen the "blue smoke" that comes from burning oil, so I can't really tell.

It is coming from the engine side closer to the firewall, underneath the intake manifold.

I checked the fluids, and it wasn't loosing any significant amount. Its a 250k car, so I wasn't too surprised that it burns oil. The caveat is that I do have to top off the coolant every so often. The stuff inside the radiator (from looking down the cap) is always full. The only thing I top off is the overflow tank. And it isn't a heavy leak at any rate.

What do you guys think?

Bitter · 10-18-2009, 11:00 AM

you need to get your face back there and see whats going on. it could be something dripping onto the exhaust and that could cause a fire.

penguin0123 · 10-18-2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bitter

you need to get your face back there and see whats going on.

Not being made of gelatinous material or have a lift, its kinda hard to stick my face in there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bitter

it could be something dripping onto the exhaust and that could cause a fire.

Figured that much. What hoses runs back there? Power steering?

Bitter · 10-18-2009, 12:04 PM

use the spare tire jack to lift one corner of the car and slide under there to look.

power steering lines run there, oil could be dripping off the engine, it could be a freeze plug leaking hot coolant, etc.

retiredat44 · 10-19-2009, 12:45 AM

there is sa water pipe and hose under the intake manifold on the carbed model... that hose can leak, and it's a real pain in the ass to do it,,

also the hose is pre-formed. An after market hose can be cut and fitted... and will work.

if that hose is not the problem, and it' is not an oil leak from a seal, then the only other thing could be a head gasket..

kevmac · 10-19-2009, 09:07 AM

Quote:

The caveat is that I do have to top off the coolant every so often.

What is "every so often"? every 3 days?, every 3 months?
Does the smoke/ steam smell like antifreeze?
Oil buring on the exhaust would smell nasty and toxic. Look for condensation on the ceiling of the hood after the smoke/ steam is gone to see if it is from water if not sure.

penguin0123 · 10-19-2009, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredat44

there is sa water pipe and hose under the intake manifold on the carbed model... that hose can leak, and it's a real pain in the ass to do it,,

also the hose is pre-formed. An after market hose can be cut and fitted... and will work.

if that hose is not the problem, and it' is not an oil leak from a seal, then the only other thing could be a head gasket..

Mine is a 97 Corolla, so its fuel injection.

penguin0123 · 10-19-2009, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevmac

What is "every so often"? every 3 days?, every 3 months?
Does the smoke/ steam smell like antifreeze?
Oil buring on the exhaust would smell nasty and toxic. Look for condensation on the ceiling of the hood after the smoke/ steam is gone to see if it is from water if not sure.

Every month or so. I do live in the high deserts of Calif.

The smell from the engine is one of exhaust (I have a cracked header). I'll look for condensation, will update after I take a drive.

penguin0123 · 10-19-2009, 07:16 PM

Hmm... found two separate issues. This car has a leaking tranny/torque-converter, cracked header, and now a leaking power steering and leaking radiator. I'm already looking for a new car and am hoping to find quick / cheap fixes to keep this car alive long enough for me to find a new one. Ideas?

1) The burning smoke turns out to be power steering fluid (ATF). I shouldn't be leaking any, and I just checked and saw that I lost a measurable amount.

2) The coolant isn't leaking from hoses, it is from a crack in the radiator. I have no idea how I missed this.

gold94corolla · 10-19-2009, 08:06 PM

THAT will do it lol.

kevmac · 10-19-2009, 08:31 PM

Everything you said sounds minor except the transmission issue. Check that to see if it is worth fixing. You might be able to take the radiator to a shop to weld pretty easily. If not perfectly maintained, that radiator could easily boil over driving the hills between LA and Palmdale daily in 105F summer heat if that's the case.

Bitter · 10-19-2009, 08:57 PM

replace the radiator, plastic like that will not hold a patch.

penguin0123 · 10-19-2009, 09:37 PM

The shop quoted me 2k for transmission. That's probably more than the car is worth. I've been checking ATF religiously to make sure it didn't drop too much.

How much would a new radiator cost? Is it DIY-able?