Smoke under the car hood

Imagine yourself traveling down the road; cheerful music is playing inside the car. You are looking down the window at the beautiful landscapes escaping under your eyes one by one. Suddenly, you see a cloud-like structure rising from under your car’s hood. What to do now? Is your car on fire? Should you stop driving immediately? Then you identify the cloud-like structure as smoke, which is not at all a good sign for your car’s health.

Let’s find out what you can do now.

Safety precautions for smoking under the hood

• Do not panic

The first thing you need to do is to control your nerves. However, the situation can be stressful, especially if you are on a crowded road. You need to stay calm and control the situation. Panic can lead to wrong decisions and might cause injury to you as well as the vehicle.

• Move to a safe place

The second thing you should do is move your car to a safe place away from moving traffic. Turn on the hazard lights and alert the other surrounding drivers.

• Turn off the engines

After you move to a safe zone, turn off the engine as well as the AC, which will prevent the car from generating excess heat.

• Avoid pooling the hood immediately

Opening the hood immediately can cause injury due to extremely hot flames or steam. You should wait for at least 15-30 minutes before touching the hood.

• Call for mechanic

It is wise to call a roadside service station or any mechanic to investigate the matter in more detail and diagnose the problem.

Indicator of smoke

Smoke under the hood can be of different colours, odours, and densities. There can be some clues about the cause of the smoke.

• • White smoke– Due to the overheating of the engine. The probable causes can be a broken fan, low coolant, failure of the thermostat, or issues with the radiator.
  • Blue and Grey smoke- Due to the leakage of oil on the hot engine. Oil may drip on the hot parts of the car engine, causing a burning smell.
  • Black smoke- Due to the burning of gasoline or a clogged air filter. This indicates that the engine is using too much oil.
  • Sharp smelling smoke- Can be caused due to a short circuit of electrical parts, melting of wires, or a faulty battery.
  • Burning debris- There can be random but harmless smoke caused by plastic or leaves stuck under the hood of the car.

Difference between Smoke and Steam

• Smoke- Caused due to overheating of the engine and usually looks like vapor of white colour.
• Steam- Smells like burning chemicals and is thicker in density.

Safety tips if you notice smoke under hood

• A small fire extinguisher must be kept inside the car.
• Do not make the mistake of pouring water on the hot engine.
• Learn to identify the basic signs and smells. Those are the languages of your car.

Conclusion

Smoke coming from under the hood of your car means your car needs help. Take it seriously and act fast to prevent hazardous events. Listen to the scream of your car to enjoy a happy and roadworthy ride.