Smoke Smoke + More Smoke!!!!

[sleepy2lazy]

Damnit!
So i'm on my way to a random beach with my sisters, hoping to cool off. On the drive there, I heard 1 funky sound from my car. I figure its nothing as everything else was going fine. I get to some lake off 694 on Victoria. I park the car and we all get out. Something smells fishy inside my car. I figure its nothing, maybe just the smell of the lake. We walk to the lake, and find that its just tons of people bbq / picnic whatever, so we walk back. Something smells REALLY Fishy, like Coolant Fishy. I back up the car and right where I parked, is a shit load of coolant from the left side of the car. I merely drive to the off ramp for 694-E and my water temp gauge is beyond the maximum high level! I get on 35E going south and exit of Little canada road waiting for the damn red light to turn green and I can see smoke coming out of my car. I basically coast to my house, get everyone out, open the hood, and BAM!!!!
It just wouldn't stop smoking / sizzling. It was coming from below / behind the alternator. Confused and dazed, hoping my car won't get on fire or something, I'm thinking it can't be the alternator. Still sizzlin won't stop, i get the hose and gently spray it. Less Smoke, still sizzlin..

I'm thinkin its the Stupid Water Pump..........Would this be an easy fix?

Man,,,,I had plans tonight too.....Now i'm truly a member of the dsm world. Busted 2g sittin on my driveway.

[Matt D.]

Is it smoke (something burning) or steam (water boiling)...? There is a difference.

[sleepy2lazy]

Now that you mention it, it seems more like steam than smoke. Didn't smell like smoke.

[scheides]

You probably just blew a coolant hose somewhere. Check your coolant level, it's probably way low. Fill your system back up with water and see where it starts leaking from. If it doesn't leak, then start it up and watch for leaks. Replace the hose that's leaking and do it again. While you're at it, take the time & replace as many old-ish hoses as you can.

In the first 5 months that I had my 2g, I had a coolant hose burst on three seperate occasions. It is not fun, especially when it is something so silly as a little hose!

[xveganxcowboyx]

Same here. I've had at least 2 or 3 coolant hoses bust or spring leaks. As they get old it just happens. It's easy and cheap to fix, but can be harder to find, because the coolant will spray making the point or origin tough to find.

[92EvilTalon]

Right by your Alt...well thats the waterpump. And thats no hose. Its a pipe that has an oring on it. Check that area first. The pipe runs next to the block under the exhuast mani...and it connects to the waterpump right there. As for replacing a pump its kinda easy. You might as well do a timing belt too if you up for it. All you do is unbolt the driver side motormount and slowly lower the engine. There is a plastic panel in the driver side wheel well that unbolts and there ya go. You have some room to work at it. Good luck I say. I hope its just that oring on the pipe.

[curt_gendron]

Yeah, sounds like a waterpump to me. When was it replaced last? If your answer is "I don't know", then start ordering all your parts for a 60k service.

later,
Curt

[JET]

Don't forget about the small hose that goes to the oil cooler. That can spray up in that area too. Stupid little 50 cent hose cost me an engine once.

[sleepy2lazy]

Ahh.....Thanks for the input guys. Well, we took our yard hose and sprayed in the radiator. Appears that it is just a stupid hose. Its that hose right behind / by, the alternator. Simple little fix for a stupid big problem.

[JET]

Yep, oil cooler hose. They get quite a bit of heat and die pretty often.