skip to main content

Lincoln was smoking

13 years ago

My daughter was driving my 1997 Lincoln Continental on a short trip, about 8 miles. Just before she reached our house, the car started smoking with a burning rubber smell. She was able to pull it into the garage without a problem, but now it will not start. The engine turns over just fine, the oil and coolant levels are both normal. My first thought was that the serpentine belt might have broken, but that seems to be fine as well.

Any ideas about what to check next would be greatly appreciated. Money is tight right now, and I'm really hoping to be able to fix this myself without having to pay for a tow and a mechanic.

Comments (5)

gary__
13 years ago
My first suggestion is not to drive a burning car into your garage.
jemdandy
13 years ago
First, you and we need to know where the smoke was coming from. Next, it helps to know the kind of smoke. oil? hot brakes? burning insulation? the acrid smell of diodes or scr? brake fluid? radiator fluid? etc.
Related Discussions
So off we go
Q
Comments (8)
Yes we got back Thursday noon. Got pictures of the botched cement slab with its very porous appearance and went to Lincoln NE and showed the people at the memorial co the shots of the job. We came to an agreement that I only would pay them $200 and the whole thing would be over. Really not very satisfactory for me because I doubt that the slab will hold up more than 20 years. Friday had a very depressing day, appointment at a neurologist and they did a nerve conduction test, was told that there was only a 20% chance that I would get back functioning nerves in my legs and get used to using a walker because thats what I will be doing from now on. I guess to cheer me up a bit, Leone bought a new plasma TV and had it installed in the living room instead of the den. Not really muchof a TV watcher but this one is nice to watch. Old one worked OK but it was at least 18 years old and took up a lot of room. Don't think this one is over 2" thick. Now I will try to design a new stand for this set that won't take up so much space, know that SIL will build it if I can design it.
...See More
OT: blooms around the garden
Q
Comments (19)
Maryl, Baby cardinals are brown and look nothing like the adults they will become, do they? I spotted the baby again this AM and thankfully, he'd moved over to the taller and safer Bloodgood Japanese maple and his parents were feeding him. There must some other cardinal babies around that area as I've heard and seen the parents frequently. The baby bluebirds are nearby and tonight I caught one peeping out of his box ( until he saw me and ducked.) They should fledge soon. There are baby robins here also. Thankfully Fluff Bunny and Richard Greyfus seem oblivious to it all. ( they are well fed)
...See More
Please Put Your Thinking Caps On...
Q
Comments (22)
I have a couple of friends who do the 'show me a piano and we'll do a sing along" thing... I might add "The Trolly song" "A guy is a Guy" "Are you sincere" "The Thing"...( Phil Harris...get out of here with that * bump de dump*) Good Morning Star Shine Yes sir That's my Baby Heart of my Hearts...I love that melody.. Cool Water Mule Train High Noon (speaking of Frankie Laine!) Matilda Peg O' my Heart Guantanamera See Ya later Alligator Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polkadot....etc And there are great "Country" sing along soneg...such as "I walk the line" and "Momma Don;t Your Sons grow up to be Cowboys"" And "Ruby don't tale your Love to Town" And of course "Daddy sang bass and Momma sang Tenor..." And a few that are not fit for polite company!! LOL!...Something about "clover"??? Linda C
...See More
Did you smoke when you were younger?
Q
Comments (26)
I'm 63 and I;ve never, ever, smoked. Married to a life-long non-smoker. Cigarettes are not allowed in our house (or farm as they can transmit tobacco mosaic virus to our crops). I loathe cigarette smoking. Was thrilled when in the mid/early '80s smoking was banned in restuarants and then all workplaces in NY state. Once dated (semi-seriously) a man who smoked, but broke it off because I realized that he would never quit and I could never live with the smoking. Nowadays I won't even go to homes where smoking is going to happen, nor ride in cars with active smoking. (And prefer not to even get in cars where smoking has occurred.) My grandmother who never smoked a cigarette either died of lung cancer (possibly radon exposure or second-hand risk). My non-smoking husband had a serious heart attack (he grew up with smokers), but my late father who did smoke for many years (though I didn't live many of them with him, thankfully, as I was in boarding school) did not die from lung disease or cancer. Go figure! Even without the disease risk, it's still gross to me. L.
...See More
jemdandy
13 years ago
Can you read the trouble codes? This could be helpful.

Since the engine cranks ok, we can rule out the battery and starter. This leaves fuel supply and ignition, but those systems include numerous items and failure modes.

Look the car over carefully to find what was burning/smoking. What was it?

From what you have said, the engine was running ok until shut down. It would not start afterward. Is this correct?
jerbear58
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes, the engine seemed to be running fine beforehand and now will not start. It is always more difficult to figure out if anything was amiss since my 18 year-old daughter was driving. I've looked things over as close as I can without finding an obvious source of the smoke. There is one wiring harness close the engine manifold which looks very cracked and perhaps melted. All of the fuses are still good so there were no obvious shorts.
jemdandy
13 years ago
Did she prechance drive the car until it ran out of gasoline and barely made it into the garage? She would not have been the first teen-ager who has done this.

Check on how much fuel you have.

Another source of smoke is liquid leaking onto the exhaust manifold. A little oil dropping onto the manifold can raise a lot of smoke, and since it gets burned away, the evidence is sometimes hard to see.

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

LIFE 6 Tips for Teaching Your Kids to Be Good Neighbors

By Alison Hodgson

Everyone wins when your children learn to respect boundaries, get help when they need it and show others they care

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES 3 Ways Native Plants Make Gardening So Much Better

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

You probably know about the lower maintenance. But native plants' other benefits go far beyond a little less watering and weeding

FUN HOUZZ How to Survive an Epidemic of Walking Dead

By Becky Harris

Tips to use around the house and garden to prep for the zombie apocalypse

FURNITURE Old Furniture: Clean, Reupholster or Replace It?

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

A veteran upholstery cleaner weighs in on the options for found, inherited and thrift store furniture

FEEL-GOOD HOME Simple Pleasures: Scent and Memory

By Laura Gaskill

Fragrant jasmine, fresh-brewed coffee, baking bread. Scents can evoke memories and bring sensory pleasure to our homes

MY HOUZZ My Houzz: Classic Black and White Design in a Chicago Condo

By Kayla Pearson

Traditional design mixed with quirky details and unexpected color gives this graphic designer’s home a dark and glamorous vibe

Houzz Call: Show Us Your Paint Makeovers

By Becky Harris

Let your newly repainted house or room do the "How d'ya like me now?" strut right here — it might just be featured in an upcoming ideabook

LIFE How to Get Along With the Neighbors — and Live Happier at Home

By Laura Gaskill

Everyone wins when neighbors treat one another with kindness, consideration and respect

GREEN BUILDING 11 Reasons to Live in a House of Straw

Don’t be fooled by the old folk tale. Straw bales are a strong, functional and good-looking building material

REMODELING GUIDES You Won't Believe What These Homeowners Found in Their Walls

By Mitchell Parker

From the banal to the downright bizarre, these uncovered artifacts may get you wondering what may be hidden in your own home

Sponsored