I have high pressure steam hissing from side engine. HELP! :S

Asked by northernlights777 Aug 11, 2007 at 11:52 AM about the 1992 Mazda MX-3

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 92 Mazda Mx3 with a Millinia 2.0 L engine swap and there is High pressure steam leaking from the driverside just out of sight thru the maze of tubes. There doesnt seem to be any oil mixed with it and the engine isnt overheating. Could it just be the coolant system or could it be something worse like head gasket or engine crack?? Help!! I LOVE this car!! (sobs) :P

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dvigano answered 17 years ago

Hi northernlights777, What you need to determine first is what the steam/smoke looks and smells like in order to figure out what could be leaking. If it's actually smoke, then does it smell like gasoline, exhaust fumes or burnt oil? If it's really steam, them it's probably either coolant leakage or the condensation from your ac system leaking onto your engine/exhaust. I would then check the obvious things first. Like your radiator coolant level - is it lower than expected (make sure to check the overflow as well)? Are you burning oil - check the quantity of oil still remaining in the car. Does the engine compartment smell like gasoline? You may have to check these things more than once over a period of time in order to figure this one out. If all else fails, I would take it into your trusted mechanic and explain the issue. Good luck!

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