Smoking car!

Mrs_Optimist

Having just got back from school run yesterday the car started intermittent shreiking, a strong smell of burning started and smoke came from under the bonnet. Parked car in a panic terrified it may catch fire. DH came home from work, had a look. car started first time as always, no shrieking or burning (although he could smell inside the car that burning had taken place previously) and gave it a test drive. No probs. Same again this morning - no probs. Thing is I am terrified to drive it now. I am wondering if it is the cam belt but can't understand why the car is running normally now? Any mechanics that can reassure me please?:eek::eek:

atrixblue.-MFR-.

loud squeel? followed by smoke, could possibly be that something got caught up in the fan belt and burnt through and now has gone and all is OK again.

my pug 307 did this same thing to me, the fire reatrdant capret had dislodged from it location got caught up in the crank pully, and smoked to high heaven, result was a damaged pully after pulling the capet out from it started it up and noticed it was slightly buckled. got rid of the car after that was the final straw that broke the camels back for owning pug.

Mrs_Optimist

Yes a loud squeal but more of a "e e e e e e e " than a "eeeeeeeeeeeee" - if that makes sense. Strong smell of burning rubber and white smoke coming from under the bonnet. Just suddenly, out off the blue. It really freaked me out though - thank god I was outside the house and not on a main road somewhere! The car has run perfectly since then, not squeals or smoke or burning, but I am such a bag of nerves DH has taken it to the garage for them to check cam belt, engine etc as I won't be happy to drive it until it has the all clear.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

sounds like the fan belt or timing belt , either somthing got temporirly siezed, like a pully or tentioner or got obstructed.

maninthestreet

Does the car have air-con? Is it still working?

forgotmyname

Top secret prototype cars do this all the time.

Only buy production models.

Joe_Horner

Probably the "fan" ( nowadays alternator / auxiliary) or power steering belt. Were you turning fairly sharply when it squealed?

Cam belts don't squeal because they're running on toothed pulleys - they snap (or skip teeth) and things go bang!

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Probably the "fan" ( nowadays alternator / auxiliary) or power steering belt. Were you turning fairly sharply when it squealed?

Cam belts don't squeal because they're running on toothed pulleys - they snap (or skip teeth) and things go bang!

wrong becasue tensioners run at the rear of the belt and when seized or obstructed will squeel like a aux belt

Joe_Horner

Fair one - keep forgetting that modern cars have designed-in flaws like tensioners that seize

Mrs_Optimist

Sorry - kept forgetting to update for those that took the time to reply - for which I am grateful.

Garage had a look and could find nothing wrong - at all - very strange. The car is running fine again, although I am still worried because experience tells me that things do not start smoking and burning for a reason and I am scared it may happen again. I was turning in a cul de sac so the suggestion about the power steering belt could possibly be a cause but I don't know whether this is something I should now be concerned about or not. Does the power steering belt just "snap"? We are on a long drive on the mtorway Friday so would be very concerned if this may happen. The garage said it "could" be the clutch is on the way out - although we have had no problems with it before or since and it is driving as usual. If it does turn out to be the clutch we are looking at upwards of £500 (why are VW parts so damn expensive) in which case we would not bother and just buy a new car as it is getting to the stage where it is costing us serious money to keep it on the road. So it still a mystery....

fivetide

My friend had a Pug 306 and the power steering pump actually exploded on him.

To be fair the garage said they'd never seen anything like it but it just looked like it had 'popped' so things do go enthusiastically wrong on occasion!

Possibly worth ensuring the breakdown cover is up to date if you don't trust the car not to fail. That or time to look at a replacement as it sounds like you'll always be waiting for it to happen again.

5t.