Hey all,

So the 240 DL I bought a week ago just got a new filter, some new transmission hose to stop a few leaks, and a new tranny pan gasket. Stopped the transmission fluid leaks. After I filled the transmission up with new fluid and started the car to warm it up, I noticed that the engine compartment started to get a little smokey after 4-5 minutes after I started the car! The engine wasn't running as smoothly as it was when I first started the car either.

The car's thermometer has never worked, so I don't know if the car was getting too hot, or what. Would it be out of the question to have the car overheat after a few minutes of running at idle, no coolant was spilling anywhere though.

I just remembered that I haven't checked the flame trap on this car since buying it. If it's clogged, where would oil be leaking out and getting onto the engine? that's what it smelled like, burning oil.

Any ideas on how to diagnose this would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Did you spill any transmission fluid on the exhaust pipe when you fixed the leak? Even if you wiped it off it would still burn and smell until it is all gone. The other area would be to change the thermostat but I would get a temperature sensing gun to see if you have a hot spot.

 

Bingo. Let it burn off this morning when I could see that the smoke was coming off the exhaust.

How vital is a thermostat to everything? Will it hurt anything if I don't replace it? I don't even know if that's what's broken. Just know the thermometer on the dash doesn't rise much more than 8 oclock, usually at 7 or not even registering anything.

 

You should check the temperature gage to see what the problem is. You need to go into the engine and find the temperature gage sending unit. Check the web for it's location on your engine. Next unplug the wire and with the ignition switch on (have someone in the car watching the gage) just touch the wire to ground on the engine for a second. If the gage starts moving to the max temp then the gage is OK and it might be the sending unit that you unplugged the wire from. The thermostat is located in the housing that the upper radiator hose goes to. It is there to allow the water to reach operating temperature (160-195*) so that the engine runs most efficiently. Your temperature gage should be running in the middle of the dial. If the thermostat is stuck open the motor will never get hot. If it is stuck closed the temperature will max out and you may damage the engine. Check the gage 1st and go from there.

 

a long time ago when I first started working on car fluid burning off freaked me out too.

 

Yeah, I had a small freak out moment, but it was because it was night and I had no idea where it was burning. With some light, it was pretty easy to see that it was burning right where I had been working. No biggie.