...smoke from engine near alternator.? The car runs great. However, i was driving home last night and the temperature needle began to rise. Upon arriving at the gas station, the needle rose almost to the top and white smoke came out from under the hood. Upon opening the hood, i expected to locate the smoke near the radiator or front of the heads, if not the tailpipe. However, the smoke was coming from under the alternator area adjacent to the rear of the engine. I will be taking it to the mechanic later today, but anyone have an idea of what it would be? I already filled it with more coolant in the reservoir and the oil level is up to par.
I finally took it to the local repair shop. They quickly noted that it was the water pump that has failed and possibly the seals with it. It seeped a small puddle of water but the timing belt was fine. They quoted me @ $380 for the whole job; including new water pump, new timing belt and whatever works needed to get it back in shape. Does this sound reasonable? It's a local shop that has a basic 3 month warranty on parts and labor. He said it would take about 4 hours to complete.