# Smoke emitting beneath hood **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** smoke, saturn, engines\ **Created:** [June 13, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smoke-emitting-beneath-hood/65414 "2011-06-13T17:04:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Keith-Al](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@Keith-Al](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Keith-Al)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smoke-emitting-beneath-hood/65414/1 "2011-06-13T17:04:30Z")
My ‘95 Saturn has a little bit of smoke coming out the sides of its hood. I’ve never cleaned the engine and was wondering if there were any good engine cleaners on the market? (I’m assuming it should clean hoses and whatever else - belts, I guess I’ll leave them alone for now as I don’t hear any noise indicating slippage.) The car _is_ driveable but with summer coming up I don’t want to be stranded with an engine on fire. Any other ideas are welcome on this slightly-smokin’ topic. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smoke-emitting-beneath-hood/65414/2 "2011-06-13T17:13:30Z")
I use Gunk engine cleaner…Works great…Read the directions. Make sure you do it with a COLD engine. ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smoke-emitting-beneath-hood/65414/3 "2011-06-13T17:41:09Z")
Gunk works for me too, but many auto parts stores sell their own engine cleaner under various brand names. However, they are all the same product and they all work equally well. ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smoke-emitting-beneath-hood/65414/4 "2011-06-13T17:55:04Z")
What does the smoke smell like, acrid or sweet. Acrid is an oil leak. Sweet is antifreeze. I would find the leak. It could cause a fire. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smoke-emitting-beneath-hood/65414/5 "2011-06-13T18:13:04Z")
Smoke coming out from under the hood is a sign that something is dripping or sepping onto the hot exhaust manifold. Cleaning the engine will do not good unless the source of the smoke is addressed. Have you made any attempts to find out where the seepage is coming from? Often it’s the valvecover gasket(s). ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smoke-emitting-beneath-hood/65414/6 "2011-06-13T18:35:06Z")
Cleaning the engine is a good way to find out WHERE the leak is coming from. I had the hardest time finding the oil leak on my 84 S-15…Cleaned the engine…and voila…Found the leaking valve cover gasket. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smoke-emitting-beneath-hood/65414/7 "2011-06-13T23:50:59Z")
Good point Mike. To the OP, there also exists UV sensitive dye that you can add, use in the oil, and then light up with a blacklight to see the leak path(s). ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smoke-emitting-beneath-hood/65414/8 "2011-06-14T00:25:14Z")
Did you actually open the hood and look before you rushed to the pc ?