I was driving my commodore home yesterday and had to stop at the shops, when I stopped I noticed like a burning rubber smell and then saw white smoke coming out from under the hood. I opened the hood and the smoke seemed to be coming from the front of the engine just above where the fan belt is. The car was not over heating and had oil, coolant etc. In the past 3 months I've had a new radiator, new fan belt and all new brakes. I got a friend to pick up my car with a car trailer as I was too worried to drive it further. Though it was driving fine and still started when we took it off the trailer.
White smoke is generally burning oil as unleaded fuels burn black.. Overfilled oil? Oil spilt while filling the car?
No, I didn't put any oil in the car, I'd been driving it for about an hour before it happened, the only thing I had done to the car that day is fill up with petrol.
Belt rubbing on something? Could be almost anything. Maybe a new oil leak? Rocker cover onto the exhaust?
Would it be anything really serious though? I've spent so much on the car in the last few months, I'm dreading something wrong with the engine.
Engines will blow white smoke when the internals start crumbling as oil gets everywhere.. However it doesn't drive 'normally' at all.. First point of call where exactly is the white smoke coming from? Number two check your dipstick and see how full the oil is. Then remove the engine cover and try to locate and leaks.. There is many things it could be.. You'd really be best to get a mechanic to have a quick look at it..
My guess is one of the pulleys has seized and the belt still spinning on it was the cause of the smoke and rubber smell.
The radiator hose had split where it goes into the engine, thankfully the car hadn't registered as over heated on the dial and had remained the same, so the mechanic said it must have happened pretty much around when I stopped the car. So looks like no damage to my engine from it.
