Engine smoking, heavy steering, expansion tank bubbling

JIMMY MAZY

MEMBER
2000 FORD FOCUS
1.8L
MANUAL
118,000 MILES

Hi! Went to drive my car this morning and got a little way down the road and my engine started smoking and my steering became heavy and the water in the expansion tank was bubbling like a boiled kettle. Had a burning smell from the smoke. Any advice on the problem would be much appreciated. Thank you.

1 Reply

PATENTED_REPAIR_PRO

MECHANIC
1,853 POSTS

If the coolant level was already low, that might be the reason the engine overheated. If is, once the engine cools down for two hours, top off the coolant level, then check for a leak so the level stays up.
If the level was or is fine, perhaps the thermostat has failed causing the engine to overheat. If so, replace the thermostat, then make sure that the cooling fan if electric does run when the engine gets hot and no white smoke comes out the tailpipe to rule out a blown head gasket.