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 Smoke under hood

 Created by: pepperwhite19
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 Posted: Jan 17, 2020 01:58PM
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If it was a Mini it might be Lucas smoke.

 Posted: Jan 14, 2020 11:40AM
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any leaks under the hood where fluid lands on something hot will produce a burning smell and probably some light smoke. especially if it makes it way to the very hot exhaust tubing.
while it's normal for a car that age to have some build up of gunk under from normal leaks - you'll want to clean it up so you could start to see where the new leaks are coming from.

 

oil will tend to stay wet, attract dirt and road grime and be gunky mess - coolant and other fluids will just evaporate.

 

it's also normal for brake fluid level to drop as the the pads wear - be sure to check your brake pads to make sure they are still within spec for thickness. Brake fluid will tend to attack paint and other finishes, if the fluid was leaking on the car you would probably see bubbling up of paint where it leaked.

It's not uncommon for the coolant recover tank to leak, they are plastic after all.. if all the fittings are tight and it still leaks, probably has a crack and will need to be replaced.


Xavier, Sales/tech - 800-46-2642

 Posted: Jan 14, 2020 10:35AM
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My car is a 2008 Mini Cooper S R56. A couple months ago, I noticed the smell of something burning coming wafting though my drivers side window whenever I came to a stop. At some point I noticed white smoke coming from under my hood. 


I initially believed it might be my clutch/ transmission as this is my first manual car and thought it might be due to improper driving technique. As I improved the smell and smoke did not. Over time I came to realize my Brake fluid was nearly empty and there was some oil build up within my engine compartment. My analysis seemed to center on some kind of oil burning.  Today I went under the hood to put some dot 4 brake fluid I my car. While doing that I started cleaning the bay of any evidence of caked up oil/ grease so I can source the sight of the leak. When I moved the coolant tank to access deeper in the bay I realized the bottom of the reservoir leaked antifreeze profusely. When I screwed it in the leak stopped. 

The splash guard under the passenger side of the engine bay was completely gunked up with a coat of grease-like oil.

l’d like your opinion on this matter.