# Brown Smoke from Engine Compartment

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/brown-smoke-from-engine-compartment/17201>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [July 25, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brown-smoke-from-engine-compartment/17201 "2008-07-25T19:06:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![farisohan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bb73d2/32.png) [@farisohan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/farisohan)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brown-smoke-from-engine-compartment/17201/1 "2008-07-25T19:06:04Z")

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After a long day at work I got into the car, 99 Toyota Camry 175K manual, and upon cranking it heard a terrible squeel and got a bunch of brown smoke from under the hood. I gave it a second crank and Im still alive so I drove it home and it was fine this AM, it usually burns a quart of oil every 4000 miles and non of the fluids are low as far as I can tell, any ideas on what caused the smoke? it was a damp day and it was 95F thanks

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**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brown-smoke-from-engine-compartment/17201/2 "2008-07-25T19:57:35Z")

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Check the condition of the serpentine belt. It may be time to replace it. If it’s the original, it was time to replace it quite a while ago.

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**Author:** ![farisohan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bb73d2/32.png) [@farisohan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/farisohan)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brown-smoke-from-engine-compartment/17201/3 "2008-07-25T20:46:36Z")

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Belt was replaced 30K ago in 06

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**Author:** ![Roadrunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@Roadrunner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Roadrunner)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brown-smoke-from-engine-compartment/17201/4 "2008-07-26T02:24:10Z")

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It’s possible the tensioner pulley is weak causing the belt to slip. (Moisture on the belt perhaps.

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**Author:** ![Shade\_Tree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Shade\_Tree](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shade_Tree)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brown-smoke-from-engine-compartment/17201/5 "2008-07-26T04:01:51Z")

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could be a bad pulley bearing and the brown smoke was “RUST DUST”