Smoke from the hood of a car?
Are you going to work, on a trip or to a meeting and suddenly realize that smoke is coming from under the hood of your car? Do not panic. See what is worth remembering in such a situation and how to get out of it safe and sound.
The smoky interior of a car can give even the most experienced driver a heart attack. It's comforting that 
rising smoke does not necessarily mean a fire. You just need to know what to look for and how to diagnose the source of trouble in advance.
stop, evaluate
The first and most important rule: if smoke comes out from under the hood, pull over to the side of the road, stop the car, turn off the engine, turn on the hazard warning lights, put up a warning triangle and look for a fire. fire extinguisher. At this point, it is also worth calling for technical assistance on the road (if we have purchased such insurance). Professional help is indispensable, but before it comes, you can try to assess the situation yourself. “Smoke rising from under the hood does not have to be a sign of a fire, but water vapor that has formed as a result of an engine overheating,” says Artur Zavorsky, a Starter technical specialist. - Water vapor must not be ignored - this may be due to damage to the cooling system element or gaskets, i.e. just depressurization of the system, - warns A. Zavorsky. Do not continue driving and do not unscrew the cap of the coolant reservoir - boiling liquid can splash directly on us, which can cause severe burns. How to distinguish a couple about smoke? Water vapor is odorless and less noticeable. The smoke is usually darker in color and has a characteristic burning smell.
What is the mask hiding?
Oil is another common reason for smoking. If the filler cap is not tightened after filling the oil, or if oil gets on very hot parts of the engine, such as the exhaust manifold, this can cause all the confusion. It is also worth remembering that even a dipstick showing the oil level (if for some reason it crawled out) can cause trouble. Connoisseurs of the problem note that burnt oil has an odor similar to burnt french fries. If you are sure that the rising fumes are smoke (and not water vapor) and decide to start extinguishing the fire yourself, then you can try to open the hood of the car. However, be careful! Flames may explode when the hood is opened. Therefore, be extremely careful and keep a fire extinguisher ready. In this case, the driver opening the hood of the car must position himself so that at any time he can move to a safe distance from the car. If you find that there is a flame under the hood, proceed to put out the fire. In the event that we are sure that we have a fire under the hood, first open the hood slightly, then insert the fire extinguisher nozzle and try to extinguish the flame. The fire extinguisher should be held vertically with the handle up. If the flames are large and the fire cannot be extinguished with a car fire extinguisher, take care of your own safety and move to a safe distance, remembering to call the fire department.
Electrical culprit
Another culprit for the "incendiary situation" may be a malfunction in the power supply system. Important Tip - If the insulation melts, you will smell a very strong smell in the air and see white or gray smoke. The most common causes of electrical system failures are those vehicle components that do not have proper fuse protection. In principle, every system should be equipped with a fuse that cuts off power when a short circuit occurs, but there are situations where this protection is not set correctly. Often, additional elements are installed in vehicles that take a lot of energy from the vehicle's on-board network, so you should make sure that a specialized workshop is engaged in the modifications of the vehicle's equipment. After the smoldering insulation of the wires goes out, you need to turn off the power supply, the easiest way is to disconnect the battery. This will eliminate the possible cause of a new fire.
