Grand Caravan '96 smoking...

Hi,

I've experienced some problem today with my Dodge Grand Caravan SE 1996 with over 105k miles. On the way home I stopped by at some mall and when I started my car again I could smell some "burning" stuff. After ca.10 secs I've noticed smoke coming out from the hood. I've turned off the engine imediately and opened the hood - nothing was on fire, but the smell was very strong and I could still see some smoke. With the hood being open I've started my car again, and noticed that this smoke is coming out somewhere from below the engine.

I'm not a mechanic, however for me it looks like some fumes and smoke that supposed to go to the exhaust system somehow is coming out at the engine - it may be some hole, or some valve.

Does anybody know what may be the problem that I'm experiencing?
Recently I've spent $1000 on fuel pump and brakes and I don't want to spend some big money on this car. Where should I start my checking, and what should I check?

Thanks in advance for any advise.

cheers,
Yatzek

Does the smoke smell like burning oil or rubber (wire insulation)? Could be oil spraying on the exhaust manifold from a defective or loose oil filter.

For me this smoke smells like the smoke from the pipe at the back of the car. It may be oil, since I've noticed some oil spots on the floor of my garage. However, the smoke I can notice is visible few seconds after I start the engine, so everything is cold in the block engine - it this case I don't think it may be oil.

I'm not sure if it's some insulation either. I wasn't able to take a closer look yet, since it's happend yestarday, and I really didn't have time to get into engine. Just by opening the hood I wasn't really able to see anything. It may be some rubber burning, since this smoke appears quite fast.

For sometime before yestarday I could also hear some squeaking noise at the front. I thought it's just either breakes or something in the suspension, however after yesterday I started getting an idea that it could be some loose belt - not a timing belt in the engine, but some other external belt. Do you know wheter there may be some belt in the engine block that once is gone I get some smoke at the front of car instead of the end? Like some pump's belt or something like this? I was still able to somehow drive this car home (but the smell inside was terrible), so looks like everything is fine with the engine.

Check to see if any of the fluids are low like the oil power steering or brake fluid. Is there more smoke when you turn the steering wheel back and forth? Or when you press down on the brake? :2cents:

I think you should get to a muffler shop as soon as you can. If this is an exhaust leak under the hood or under the van you are exposing yourself to carbon monoxide and other nasties normally found in exhaust. And by the way, your car shouldn't normally have visible smoke coming from the pipe out the back or anywhere else. Is this "smoke" normally just seen when you first start up on a cold day? If so, it is mostly water vapor and is normal until the exhaust system gets up to operating temperature.

If your van is a 3.0L you could possibly have blown either the head or a water port. Check your oil and see if it is milky white and foamy. If it is then you have a blown head gasket and possibly a warped head. If the oil is clear then you may just have an exhaust leak in either the 'Y' pipe or the exhaust manifold whch corrected by replacing the bad component.

I also just experianced this problem, short drive, smell of burning rubber, visable smoke from under hood. I traced it to the drive belt but it has 10 pulleys and 1 long serpintine belt, so I dont know if somethingins locked or the belt is shot. how did you fix it? what was the actual diagnosis? Does any one knoe if the replacement job is e-z or impossible? The Haynes manuel diagram makes it look ez but it sure is tight on that side of the van. FYI had to replace tranny at 189k, after two previous adjustments that my sister,previous owner did.
Have a good one.