Technical Smoke and burning smell

[DanyMBI]

Hello. I hope someone checks this topic and can give me a usefull advice .

Here is the problem.

I have a '94, 1.2 Fiat Punto and after about a month or two of sitting in the parking lot I decided to put it in the garage. It was sitting on grass and some weeds were growing under it. No prob. I said, put the key in the ignition, started the engine, put it in reverse to get out of the place it was parked. At first try the engine died, try 2, put it in reverse, reved the engine a little and after about 5 seconds a cloud of dense white smoke with a burn smell came out from under the bonnet. Stoped the car and the smoke cleared after about 30 seconds. I towed it to the garage and after 3 days i tried to start it, it started but the alternator belt snaped (the belt looked like crap, like it was burned, plastic like). I replaced the belt about two days ago, started the engine, the alternator is charging well, engine seems to run OK but there is a little burn like smell comming from under the plastic engine cover.
Questions:
1. What could be the cause of the white smoke?
2. What should I check so I can use the car safe without staying with an extinguisher next to me ?
3. What is the cause of the burn smell comming from under the engine cover? Could it be some smell left from the white smoke?
4. Can an old alternator belt be the cause of the white smoke?
5. How concerned should I be?

Please excuse my english, I am not from the UK
Thank you.

 

[fingers99]

Re: core plug and head gasket

Best bet, run the engine outside (hard surface) with the bonnet up. Check for white smoke. It might be nothing more than the odd piece of vegetation on the exhaust manifold. (Smell of burning grass?)

 

[DanyMBI]

Re: core plug and head gasket

Not really burning grass, more like burning rubber or plastic (from my experience when the starter motor went up in flames on my other car, a 2000 Passat B5, first white smoke and then a flame when I opened the bonnet). In the Punto's case, the smell was similar but no flame.

 

[fingers99]

Re: core plug and head gasket

Could have been the belt. Keep an eye/nose on it.

 

[DanyMBI]

Re: core plug and head gasket

The belt is brand new, I replaced it two days ago and the alternator is charging fine. The old belt looked like it was burned. Some wannabe mechanic told me that some wires from under the car or from under the dashboard might be burned but then. I think something wouldn't work properly and the smoke would be present again. I checked the wires under the dash on the driver side (left hand drive), they are ok, wires from under the hood are ok, starter motor is ok because the engine starts without any delay. A friend told me, like you did that it could have been the alternator belt, being old, it heated up and allmost burned up. Is it possible?

 

[s and b]

Re: core plug and head gasket

alternators seize if left standing
thats why your belt went
you've confirmed alternator charging but not if it has a rough spot
remove belt and spin by hand to check
replace if notchy
white smoke who knows condensation probably

 

[flisko]

Re: core plug and head gasket

alternators seize if left standing
thats why your belt went
you've confirmed alternator charging but not if it has a rough spot
remove belt and spin by hand to check
replace if notchy
white smoke who knows condensation probably

you mean if you leave them standing in a car outside all the time

 

[DanyMBI]

Re: core plug and head gasket

I will check that, thank you.

 

[DanyMBI]

Re: core plug and head gasket

I will come back later with some pics of the old alternator belt so you guys can give an opinion on it.

 

[DanyMBI]

Re: core plug and head gasket

And here they are. What do you think?

 

[flisko]

Re: core plug and head gasket

this belt is destroyed, but was car still working normally?

 

[DanyMBI]

Re: core plug and head gasket

Yes, the car was working normaly but it was working only with the battery when the belt snapped. My question is, why is there a little bit of burn smell comming from under the engine plastic cover?
Coult it be some of the smell from the white smoke left?

 

[fingers99]

Re: core plug and head gasket

Not even sure which plastic cover. Remove it and check?

 

[DanyMBI]

Re: core plug and head gasket

This is the plastic cover I was talking about. From under it, in the front I can sense a little burn smell when the engine runs.

And another question. Can I use the car without the belt plastic cover? I saw a lot of punto's that don't have it.

 

[fingers99]

Re: core plug and head gasket

Not really. That box holds the air filter. Run without an air filter and you risk your engine sucking in stones, mice and small children, none of which will do it any good. People who remove the stock ait filter and box usually fit some sort of induction kit which incorporates a filter.

Still, you can run the engine, for short periods, without it.

You can run without the cam belt cover. It's not recommended, but seldom does any harm.

Looks like you have a big oil leak from the rocker cover gasket. As that's running onto the exhaust, it might account for the white smoke and burning smell.

 

[flisko]

Re: core plug and head gasket

Not really. That box holds the air filter. Run without an air filter and you risk your engine sucking in stones, mice and small children, none of which will do it any good. People who remove the stock ait filter and box usually fit some sort of induction kit which incorporates a filter.

Still, you can run the engine, for short periods, without it.

You can run without the cam belt cover. It's not recommended, but seldom does any harm.

Looks like you have a big oil leak from the rocker cover gasket. As that's running onto the exhaust, it might account for the white smoke and burning smell.

haha

 

[DanyMBI]

Re: core plug and head gasket

Oh no, that is not my car, the pics were randomly taken of the internet to show the plastic cover (air filter box) and the plastic cover of the cam belt. Still, I can take some pics of my car and post them so you can tell if there are any leaks and what I can do/check.

Thaks for the replies and advice so far

 

[blu73]

Re: core plug and head gasket

you can take the belt cover off and 99% of the time it will be fine, my cinq runs without but recently my belt has got a slash in it from some foreign body that has made its way through the engine bay... I can see what your thinking though, that a belt or pulley is touching it and making the hot plastic smell.

Well no harm in removing it and running engine to see if it makes any difference, if not then you can put it back on.