SMOKE FROM UNDER THE ENGINE AREA

[Salvador Alasco]

My car is a 1993, 3.5L, Dodge Intrepid. I had been having this trouble with what appears to be “white smoke” coming from under the left and right side of the engine. It appears when the engine is already warmed up (without the A/C running), and at times with the A/C running. The smoke used to appear from the driver’s side only. Now it comes from the passenger side too.
The engine oil is okay and there is no evident of coolant mixing with it. The coolant level does not go down either. Power steering fluid lines also seem to be okay. I have jacked the car up several times and every time I do, I see no evidence of any leaks under the engine.

There is also this slight concern about accelerating from a complete stop after the car had sat overnight. I have to really push a little harder on the gas pedal to have the car move. When it does, the car lurches forward like it was hurled from a slingshot.

Lastly, the car also exhibits hesitation specially at low speeds and while executing either a left or right turn. IT is like it is being rattled back and forth for a very short second but goes on smoothly as it speeds up.

I would appreciate very much all the advise that you could share with me regarding these problems.

Thanks,

Sal

Topic

[Andrew Phillips]

Have you checked your transmission fluid?

[Ryan Wofford]

be VERY careful, if you are leaking tranny fluid and it is smoking from contact with a hot surface, fix it immediately!!! ATF, although not as flammable as gasoline, still catches on fire easily. if you are leaking iATF but it isn’t what is causing the smoke, still fix it but it isn’t near as urgent

[Salvador Alasco]

I just checked my tranny fluid and my “HOT” fluid indicator was on the right level. I ran the car for about 20 minutes without the A/C and everything looked normal. However, when I switched on the A/C, there it went again. Even before I raised the hood, I could already smell “burnt something” coming from the engine area and the usual whitish smoke, though not as much smoke as I would have expected.
Then the smoke disappeared. I ran the car again and there was no smoke this time. After a few miles around, I checked it again but this time there was very minimal smoke. And after a few more minutes, the smoke and burnt smell was gone with the engine and A/C still running.
I am at my wits’ end trying to figure out what is causing this concern. I guess I”ll just have to jack up the car again for the “nth” time and look for leaks.

[Andrew Phillips]

Hi Sal, Does this smoke only happen in some combination with running the A/C? In other words, if you don’t turn the A/C on at all, the smoke never appears? I ask, because, perhaps the smoke and smell is coming from A/C compressor clutch. Does your drivability issue (car lurching from stop) happen when the A/C is off? Also consider that the drivability issue could be unrelated to the smoke and just coincidental.

[Salvador Alasco]

1) I must say, yes, the smoke appears when I switch on the A/C. But it builds up gradually. The smoke does not appear readily until the engine is really warmed up.
2) No, the lurching motion happens even without the A/C on. But I noticed that this only happens after it has sat the whole night. When the engine is already warm, the car responds to the usual amount of pressure I put on the gas pedal. Unless something else is making the car behave that way when it has sat for a long period of time.
I am inclined to believe that the driveability issue is not related to the smoke emitted. But then I am not an authority on the subject.

[Salvador Alasco]

I forgot to mention, the A/C runs fine and the clutch engages and disengages when it should. I get very cold air from the vents.

[Lorrin Barth]

Maybe the belt is slipping and getting hot.

[Author]

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