heater core, engine problem, smoke plz help

[f33n0m]

Hey,
So I have a 92 Jetta GL with around 150,000 miles on it. The other day my temp light kept coming on, so I filled it with coolant. The light came on again the next day, and coolant was low. I also noticed a little smoke under the hood, and smoke kept coming in through my vents. Brought it in, and they said the heater core was bad, so, they disconected the cables or whatever to the heater core and said that would fix the problem, however, I would have no heat. Whatever, I live in the South, no biggie. However, when I drove it back, after about two miles, I smelled something like burning, and a little smoke was coming underneath the hood. Just wondering if anybody has any ideas what the problem might be or any suggestions.

[Davez69gto]

Did the temp on the dash go high? Was it smoke or steam?