Q: Engine smells hot on my 2000 Toyota Camry but isn't overheating

asked by on November 29, 2016

Checked the radiator and coolant and they are fine. Temperature gauge maintains normal temp. Not overheating. But there is a definite smell of something being very hot. Smoke has come from under the hood once but only that one time.

My car has 152000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hi there. Not overheating, coolant level okay, and normal operating temperature are all good things. The hot smell may be, engine oil burning. It could be, the valve cover gasket leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold. This may account for the smoke you saw the one time. I recommend having your vehicle’s hot smell be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.

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