Why does smoke come from radiator after raining?
I have a 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback with 106,534 miles on it, deal. Well last week it rained pretty hard here in Chicago for a few days. I started the car and drove around for about 15 minutes before I noticed smoke coming from the hood sides and front. I pulled over and didn't turn off the car to see what was going on and I saw smoke coming from the top right (viewed from the driver seat) corner of the radiator. I took it to my mechanic and he looked at it and said it could either be the water evaporating or a super tiny leak in the radiator but that I could still drive it pretty much until the radiator breaks. I had called another well trusted mechanic and he told me not to worry about it as long as I didn't see anything leaking then it was definitely just water evaporating. It is raining right now and smoke is coming out again, is it really just water evaporating? Last weekend (3 days ago) I drove from Chicago to Blue Mound, WI, about 270 miles altogether to get there and back. It was raining during the drive back but I didn't notice any smoke coming out then. I wouldn't say that I personally beat the car up, I've only had it for 3 weeks. I had a 1999 Ford Ranger before I got this and the Ranger had the whole bottom radiator exposed since I didn't have a front bumper on it but it never smoked. I have never owned a car before and I don't know if this only happens to Subarus. It's raining right now and there's smoke coming out again, it rained hard all morning too.
Have the coolant system pressure checked. That will indicate whether or not you have any leaks.
The coolant exiting the engine can get over 200 degrees, which can heat to top of the radiator and easily evaporate the rain.
Sounds like rain water hitting the hot radiator.
Your second mechanic is most likely the correct one - its not smoke its steam
Duh.
It isn't smoke. It's steam. Water hitting hot pipes makes steam.
Steam not smoke, get it right dummy
There's a difference between steam and smoke, dumbass, so learn it. Once you're sure its steam and not smoke come back and ask an intelligent question.
"… But that I could still drive it pretty much until the radiator breaks."
is the statement of an idiot, not a mechanic!
If I was you, I'd be checking my coolant reservoir regularly, to see if any coolant is disappearing.
Check the water temperature manual
or use a laser spot temp.Test
- Smoke coming from exhaust after 15-20 mins of driving? I have a 1976 ford ltd 7.5l. It drives fine but after maybe 15-20 minutes smoke starts to come from the exhaust pipes. I checked the oil and radiator and it looks fine. Oil and radiator fluid is not mixing.
- My Ford Ranger keeps sliding (its been raining lately), do I just add on more weight in the bed? I went to turn left and ended up drifting 180 to the left and then 90 to the right bc I turned the opposite direction but then I safely proceeded straight, then I was getting back from a concert, and I was stopped at a stop light.so when it turned green I went to go and I was kinda stuck In place and my tire was just spinning but I believe I was in a little hole at that moment.
- Just had new heads and gaskets installed on Ford Ranger 4.0, along with thermostat and radiator cap. After reaching operating temp, upper? Radiator hose swells to full capacity as if it can't handle more pressure. After engine cools off, hose returns to normal size. Should this be happening?
- Ford 300 starts smoking from oil cap after 1 minute of runtime and radiator smells like a wet fire pit? It was running fine then it started acting hard to start off and smoking a little so I figured oil. Put some more in and it straightened up for a mile or so then started acting up worse. It began to have a knocking noise like an old diesel tractor. I don't understand what it is because it starts up just fine but won't run for more than a minute before it starts pudding and knocking. Also there are tiny pieces of rust chunks in the radiator and it smells like a wet fire pit.