Random Unexplainable Smoke?

[dunndarryn]

Hey guys. I was just now going to get lunch and I was at a red light. I saw this brush of smoke come across the front of my car. I thought it may have came from a car that passed me on the left but a few moments later, I began seeing smoke come from the driver side of my car. It didn't appear to be coming from the engine, but I'm not really sure. When I got to my destination, I checked under the car and under the hood to see if I saw smoke coming from anything. I even looked from all different angles, and nothing? I also sniffed around, and didn't smell that "overheat" smell? The water in the radiator wasn't boiling like it previously has when I had an over heat and my temp. gauge didn't move?

Anyone know what this could be? I have a 2000 LS. Thank you!

 

[LS4me]

Hey guys. I was just now going to get lunch and I was at a red light. I saw this brush of smoke come across the front of my car. I thought it may have came from a car that passed me on the left but a few moments later, I began seeing smoke come from the driver side of my car. It didn't appear to be coming from the engine, but I'm not really sure. When I got to my destination, I checked under the car and under the hood to see if I saw smoke coming from anything. I even looked from all different angles, and nothing? I also sniffed around, and didn't smell that "overheat" smell? The water in the radiator wasn't boiling like it previously has when I had an over heat and my temp. gauge didn't move?

Anyone know what this could be? I have a 2000 LS. Thank you!

Have you sprayed any cleaner or detailer type liquid under the hood lately?

 

[dunndarryn]

Have you sprayed any cleaner or detailer type liquid under the hood lately?

No, I haven't. It was really strange. I was at a red light and I saw smoke fly across the front of my car (but down low, like maybe where the lower grill is or a little higher) and then I saw it on the driver side coming from what appeared to maybe be the under carriage, but then it stopped. Last time I had a similar issue, power steering was leaking onto my (cavalier?) converter. But I checked to see if smoke was coming from that, and it wasn't. Just normal heat waves. No funky smell or anything.

 

[joegr]

I've heard of this with the V6, but not the V8.

 

[dunndarryn]

I've heard of this with the V6, but not the V8.

Yeah I have a V8, what is usually the cause on the V6? I know when the car had an overheating problem in the past, it would smell, the meter would rise up, you'd hear the radiator water boiling, and when you stop you'd hear it pouring out. I didn't get any of those symptoms. Just the smoke, and that was it. I'm so confused but nervous

 

[SteveSC]

Did you check your brakes to make sure the left front caliper isn't seized? If it came from the driver's side of the car both times and you came to a stop at a red light it could be coming from the brakes.

 

[dunndarryn]

Did you check your brakes to make sure the left front caliper isn't seized? If it came from the driver's side of the car both times and you came to a stop at a red light it could be coming from the brakes.

How do I check if they're seized and what does it mean if they are? It is coming from the driver side but it was a white smoke even after I was completely stopped.

 

[G-RELL]

How do I check if they're seized and what does it mean if they are? It is coming from the driver side but it was a white smoke even after I was completely stopped.

drive it an check for smoking... then CAREFULLY see it any wheel is hotter than another....

Smoke could also be a Valve cover leak or oil fill tube leak... Mine did both and had smoke come from the front of the car.


Didn't you buy this car from someone in your family??? seems like a lot of problems with it

 

[dunndarryn]

drive it an check for smoking... then CAREFULLY see it any wheel is hotter than another....

Smoke could also be a Valve cover leak or oil fill tube leak... Mine did both and had smoke come from the front of the car.


Didn't you buy this car from someone in your family??? seems like a lot of problems with it

Okay I'll try that Rell. It could have oil leaking somewhere but why would this be the first time, and so random? I'm scared to drive it, lol.

Yes, I got it from my mom, she gave it to me but at the time it needed about $1,000 in work. So I kinda paid $1,000 for it. She stopped taking care of it yearsss ago how it should of been taken care of, but I depend on it to get me to and from work until I can get a new car.

 

[G-RELL]

fair enough... any car will have problems... hopefully you can get this one under control...(i've been trying for 5 years...still working on it lol)

 

[joegr]

Yeah I have a V8, what is usually the cause on the V6? I know when the car had an overheating problem in the past, it would smell, the meter would rise up, you'd hear the radiator water boiling, and when you stop you'd hear it pouring out. I didn't get any of those symptoms. Just the smoke, and that was it. I'm so confused but nervous

It has to do with a part the V8 doesn't have at all, so it's not that.

You might pull the coil covers and look for oil in the plug wells. Maybe one is filling up and sloshing over sometimes?

 

[SteveSC]

Does the car pull under braking? If it does that is a good sign a caliper is seized. Drive it and come to a stop. Use a decent amount of speed and pedal pressure. Do not touch the rim or brakes but place your hand next to the wheel and see if the left side is hotter then the right. Move quickly to the other side then check the rears as well. Is there any discolouration of the brake disc? Any differences between any of the discs? Side to side is more important than front to rear.

 

[dunndarryn]

It has to do with a part the V8 doesn't have at all, so it's not that.

You might pull the coil covers and look for oil in the plug wells. Maybe one is filling up and sloshing over sometimes?

I'll attempt to try that. I just got all the plugs & 2 coils switched out maybe a month ago. I'm not sure, just a little nervous to drive because I don't know if it's serious.. Thanks for the help guys! When I get off (3:30PM EST) I'll be driving about 5 miles to my girlfriends house. I'll keep a close eye on it and update you guys on if anything happened.

 

[G-RELL]

any oil on the boots of the COP's

 

[dunndarryn]

Does the car pull under braking? If it does that is a good sign a caliper is seized. Drive it and come to a stop. Use a decent amount of speed and pedal pressure. Do not touch the rim or brakes but place your hand next to the wheel and see if the left side is hotter then the right. Move quickly to the other side then check the rears as well. Is there any discolouration of the brake disc? Any differences between any of the discs? Side to side is more important than front to rear.

What do you mean by pull? They squeak a little bit, I believe I need new breaks but never have they smoked and I didn't slam my breaks approaching this particular red lights. With crappy old drivers in Florida, I slam them much harder on a regular basis than I did at this particular time.

 

[SteveSC]

Driving down the road at some speed, 30mph or so, does the car drive straight without you steering it? If you take your hands off the wheel and use your fingertips to steer does it need a correction to continue straight? If it drives straight and then you apply the brakes does it then pull to one side more than when you were coasting? Do this carefully on a road that is as level and smooth as you can find.

 

[dunndarryn]

Driving down the road at some speed, 30mph or so, does the car drive straight without you steering it? If you take your hands off the wheel and use your fingertips to steer does it need a correction to continue straight? If it drives straight and then you apply the brakes does it then pull to one side more than when you were coasting? Do this carefully on a road that is as level and smooth as you can find.

Okay, I'll give that a shot! I do need an alignment though, so it pulls a little bit while driving but I'll see if there's an unusual pull. Also, I'm not sure if this crappy iPhone photo will help, but this is my break.

 

[SteveSC]

Does the other side have as much brake dust? If one wheel gets much more dust than the other that is also a good sign you have an issue with the caliper. Alignment issues can mask brake pull.

 

[LS4me]

Didn't you say there was no smell? Brake pads will have an acidic smell, coolant a sweet smell and oil a pungent smell.

 

[SteveSC]

If the brake is just sticking a little it may not be enough to smell. Some pads also have less smell than others.

 

[dunndarryn]

Didn't you say there was no smell? Brake pads will have an acidic smell, coolant a sweet smell and oil a pungent smell.

If the brake is just sticking a little it may not be enough to smell. Some pads also have less smell than others.

I searched for a smell and didn't find one. I'll sniff around again when I drive again in about 30 minutes. No unusual sounds or anything. Just a swift breeze of smoke and then smoke coming from just the driver side at the red light. My destination was right across the light and while making my way through the parking lot, no smoke. On my way back to my office, no smoke. When I got to my office, no smoke, no smell.

 

[G-RELL]

I'd bet it's a small oil leak... look around the block...above the exhaust manifold

 

[LS4me]

I searched for a smell and didn't find one. I'll sniff around again when I drive again in about 30 minutes. No unusual sounds or anything. Just a swift breeze of smoke and then smoke coming from just the driver side at the red light. My destination was right across the light and while making my way through the parking lot, no smoke. On my way back to my office, no smoke. When I got to my office, no smoke, no smell.

Could it have been a passing car? Did you drive over something recently? Any road construction where you may have picked up some oil?

 

[dunndarryn]

I'd bet it's a small oil leak... look around the block...above the exhaust manifold

Rell, if it's coming from an oil leak, how would it be explained only coming from one side? Is that normal? Sorry for all the questions, just want to make sure I don't cause anything else bad to happen.

 

[dunndarryn]

Could it have been a passing car?

It could have very well been, that's what I originally thought because how fast the smoke flew by the front of my car until I saw it on the driver side. That's what began the concern. If it was from a passing car, why would it have lingered near by my car for a few seconds?