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My GF has a 1999 Miata & it smokes some times but the tempture guage doesn't go up. Tonight she was driving it & she thought she hit something or had a flat. She heard a hissing noise but wasn't able to tell where it was coming from. It's done one time in the past but we can't find the problem, any ideas??
Accoding to the temp gauge it's not running hot. Unless the guage isn't working she did notice some hissing tonight after she hit something tonight. I'm 8 hours away so I'm not able to see what the problem is.She said the car is driving good but a bit of a shimmy at 60 I think she knocked the right front tire out of balance. She made it home OK with no problems I told her to let the car cool & then check the coolent level. I hope all it is is a hose that busted.
1. where does it smoke?
2. if the temp sensor is bad, gauge will not show proper temp on display. Though, newer cars have 2 redundant tem sensors - one in radiator and one in, normally, engine block or t-stat housing.
Have someone look at it. Someone technical. She'll boil the engine.
If the white/gray smoke is coming out of the exhaust pipe, then it sounds like the head gasket is starting to go. If that's the case, the temp gauge may not creep up until it's lost more coolant.
If it's not overheating and smokes "sometimes" from the engine bay, I'd say it is either a leak from a hose/spraying onto engine or maybe even the coolant reservoir. Out of the tail pipe, then head gasket. But I have a hunch that its not a HG, they are pretty tough in Miatas; I don't see it going out hitting "something."
Check engine for coolant spray/puddles, check the coolant level, check around the radiator, check the tail pipe. Smell around for coolant.
Then I'd check the rest of the belts, hoses, then take it in just for some piece of mind, or to fix that wheel wobble.
Thanks everyone! I told her that when she backs the car up in the morning to check if anything looks like it's leaking in the carport. I wondered myself if it was a busted hose some where. She is going to take it in tomorrow & have someone look at it with the suggestions you mentioned!
Thanks again!
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