I have a 202 Hyundai Elantra 90,000 miles
I recently started smelling like my car is overheating, but the temp gauge does not register it. It goes up to half way and then stops. using a little more water than usual, once a week adding a cup full. whats up not driving bad , just smells not leak
Sounds like your temp gauge is working properly, so I doubt the car is overheating. The bad smell may be from a loose belt that’s rubbing, from oil spilled on the exhaust manifold, or from a plastic bag melting somewhere on the exhaust system. If the engine is burning coolant, you may be able to tell by checking the condition of the spark plugs to see if one or more of them looks “steam cleaned.” Another telltale sign of burning coolant is white smoke from the exhaust when you first start the engine. If the engine is burning coolant, it’s not necessarily overheating, but it is a problem.
Find out where the coolant is going. That’s probably the source of the odor.
I hope you’re adding coolant, and not plain water.
Okay, cars don’t consume water from the cooling system. If you are adding water, then you do have a cooling system leak. You should get it fixed. You may be smelling that, or you may be smelling an oil (or other) leak that has just started.