Smoke From Under Bonnet

[Rossi46]

I've had my 53 plate D4D T-spirit for 4 months now.

I thought i'd had enough problems with it already (intermittent VSC/ TRC OFF light, bad cold starting, intermittent multi function display off) My car had another one for me.

After finishing shopping at the Westfield centre in Derby I was in the queue for the exit in the multi-storey carpark. i had only been going for about 5 minutes and my 4 year old son said "it smells funny Dad"

I noticed it but put it down the gridlocked traffic inside a confined space and put the recirc fan on

Then I noticed the smoke seeping, then pluming out from under the bonnet. I told my wife and son to get out quick and found somewhere out of the way to stop and turned off the engine.

Luckily, I had some tools in the back (such is the confidence I have in this shed)

I took off the engine cover and a fair amount of smoke was still coming out. Despite having a torch I couldn't isolate where it was coming from but it looked like it was below the starter motor (and smelt electrical).

I drove it home with the recirc valve off in case it was somehow that which was causing the problem.

15 miles home and it's fine but now I just want rid of it. If it had gone up the results would have been horrendous in the confined space I was in.

Does anyone have any idea what could be the problem?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Adam :(

[T600]

Any chance you had a lot of clutch slip on the car park ramps? Could just be the clutch burning. Not good, but not quite as bad as an actual fire.

[Rossi46]

Could just be the clutch burning. Not good, but not quite as bad as an actual fire.

No mate, I was at a standstill on flatground .

Not a clutch smell either.

[Mitchal]

I've had my 53 plate D4D T-spirit for 4 months now.

I thought i'd had enough problems with it already (intermittent VSC/ TRC OFF light, bad cold starting, intermittent multi function display off) My car had another one for me.

After finishing shopping at the Westfield centre in Derby I was in the queue for the exit in the multi-storey carpark. i had only been going for about 5 minutes and my 4 year old son said "it smells funny Dad"

I noticed it but put it down the gridlocked traffic inside a confined space and put the recirc fan on

Then I noticed the smoke seeping, then pluming out from under the bonnet. I told my wife and son to get out quick and found somewhere out of the way to stop and turned off the engine.

Luckily, I had some tools in the back (such is the confidence I have in this shed)

I took off the engine cover and a fair amount of smoke was still coming out. Despite having a torch I couldn't isolate where it was coming from but it looked like it was below the starter motor (and smelt electrical).

I drove it home with the recirc valve off in case it was somehow that which was causing the problem.

15 miles home and it's fine but now I just want rid of it. If it had gone up the results would have been horrendous in the confined space I was in.

Does anyone have any idea what could be the problem?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Adam :(

Also happened to me some time ago when I had a Carina. A plastic shopping bag got under the car and stuck to the hot exhaust pipe under the engine. There was a fair bit of smoke and melting plastic smell. Maybe the same thing happened to you and the bag blew off on your drive home.

[Rossi46]

Also happened to me some time ago when I had a Carina. A plastic shopping bag got under the car and stuck to the hot exhaust pipe under the engine. There was a fair bit of smoke and melting plastic smell. Maybe the same thing happened to you and the bag blew off on your drive home.

Thanks for the reply. It's something I hadn't thought of really but souldn't see anything down there with a torch. Maybe I'll get under there and have a look tho in case there's any burnt plastic underneath. I've driven it to York and back yesterday (240 miles) and it was fine but now i'm paranoid.

[Rossi46]

Just had a look and couldn't see any plastic bags or debris (maybe it's all blown/ melted away)

Also underneath the engine is a plastic cover, which supposedly protects the underside.

Had a bag got in somehow it may have become trapped, until it melted or blew away I suppose:unsure: .

I've just given it a clean as it's almost back in my good books again.

[JohnYossarian]

Just had a look and couldn't see any plastic bags or debris (maybe it's all blown/ melted away)

Also underneath the engine is a plastic cover, which supposedly protects the underside.

Had a bag got in somehow it may have become trapped, until it melted or blew away I suppose:unsure: .

I've just given it a clean as it's almost back in my good books again.

Hi Adam,

I am sorry to hear about your last unpleasant experience. I had something similar several years back when I was still driving a Peugeot 405 and the thermostat valve would not open and the car overheated. I noticed smoke coming out under the bonnet as a result of the oil spilt on the engine being oxidised (the gasket must have suffered as well as afterwards the oil conusmption went up). It seems that you might have caught something plastic as suggested as you do not mention any temperatures fluctuations. Had anything electical been burned you should have noticed by now.

Wish you better experience in the new year :D

PS I had my glow plugs changed at Toyota garage a week ago and the VSC/TRC OFF light have been off since then.

[Rossi46]

It seems that you might have caught something plastic as suggested as you do not mention any temperatures fluctuations. Had anything electical been burned you should have noticed by now.

That's the baffling thing John. No difference in performance and everything seems to work still.

No fluctuation in temperature either, the car was at normal temperature.

My car hates me :(

[JohnYossarian]

It seems that you might have caught something plastic as suggested as you do not mention any temperatures fluctuations. Had anything electical been burned you should have noticed by now.

That's the baffling thing John. No difference in performance and everything seems to work still.

No fluctuation in temperature either, the car was at normal temperature.

My car hates me :(

I do not think it is the car hating you :) Simply a streak of bad luck. Hopefully the new year would bring better things.

Cheers!

John

[cmia]

whilst you had this burning smell..

did the car make any noises?