Smoke billowing from under the bonnet can be a scary sight!

It doesn’t matter how old your car is, or what its model – in the hot summer months it can be common for cars to overheat and result in smoke coming from under the bonnet.

If smoke is coming from the engine compartment then you are likely leaking coolant from a radiator, hose or gasket, which is causing your car to overheat.

What to do if smoke is coming from your bonnet:

• Check your temperature gauge.
• If it is overheating then turn off the air con and turn on the cars heater and open all the windows. This helps to draw a little heat away from the engine.
• Pull over when it is safe to do so and turn off your engine.
• When the engine is completely cool, check the levels and top your coolant up if it is low or showing obvious signs of leaking.
• Contact a mechanic or roadside assist for assistance.

Ideally the car should not be driven, but in a lot of cases a coolant leak will be the problem and a mechanic may advise you to top up the coolant so that you can make it to a garage.

Any sign that your vehicle isn’t running normally or is overheating should be addressed immediately to hopefully avoid getting to the scary point of billowing smoke to reduce the risk of doing further damage to the engine.

Overheating is just one cause for smoke billowing from under the hood. Even if topping up the coolant seems to temporarily do the trick, you should have a qualified mechanic check the vehicle immediately for any leaks or underlying issues before continuing to use the car.