Hi All, my 2006 scion xa (160,000 miles, automatic) was "smoking" yesterday after i took it through the car wash. Its cold here in Minnesota and so I try to take it through a TOUCHLESS car wash every week to get all the ice snow and salt off the underbody. So this wash has an underbody spray. After parking my car for a few minutes, i cranked it back up and noticed "smoke" or steam coming out from under the hood. I opened the hood and it looked like it was coming from the front of the bay near the grille but not the engine itself? I'm thinking it was just steam of the water evaporating off a hot part? Wondering what it could be and if it's still safe to go through this car wash?
Steam from water on hot metal.
As far as water does not get on the sensors and electrical components in the engine bay, you are fine.
Does it have a proper splash guard underneath the car where the engine is? Water probably got somewhere on the exhaust or catalyst and started steaming.
car exhaust systems get hot enough to boil water
