Q: Engine smoked and had unpleasant odor on 2013 Toyota Prius V

asked by on August 15, 2016

I heard a loud bang and thought it came from the tires. But it wasn’t from the tires - it was from the engine which had smoke coming from it. When I opened the hood of my car, there was both an odor and the smoke billowing from the engine. I got back in the car and turned the engine off and the smoke stopped. Then I turned the car back on. Everything seemed normal again so I started driving. But the engine light came on after driving around 5 miles. Fortunately I was near a gas station and I pulled over thinking it was probably a leak of water. I checked and it had enough water, but I put some more anyway. The engine light stayed on. I headed home and then would go to the dealership tomorrow. However, during my way home the car turned itself off. It wouldn’t start again. What caused this and what will solve the problem?

Hey there thanks for writing in about your 2013 Toyota Prius V. It sounds like you had a coolant leak and caused the engine or electrical motor to overheat and shut down. If you would like to have this looked at, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the smell and smoke in order to make the correct repairs.

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