Help, engine smoking and burning

Evening all, Having a run of bad luck with issues on all my cars at the moment (Cluthes; radiators; air bags, the list goes on). Anyway my 996 4S the engine warning light came on - thought it was the exhaust as I knew it needed doing and was waiting for Topgear to restock. But today, got home from a 50 mile journey, smoke pouring out of the engine hood, smell of burning and clattering noise. Give me hope it's not an engine rebuild?!

Check your coolant lvl . Waterpump .

I think you're right!!

Garage can't see it for 2 weeks, obviously I won't be driving it in the meantime. Not sure how long I've been driving with the fault. Worried it could be significant damage. Lots of smoke and a tapping noise. Welcome anyone's thoughts...

Doesn't sound good to be honest. Water pump failure doesn't make the car smoke or knock. You'll just see some steam from the rear deck and a pool of water under the rear. Could be AOS - hilarious amounts of smoke when mine went pop, but no knocking noise. Hope it's not terminal.

Fingers crossed it's heavy steam and not smoke, knocking noise might be the pump (I hope), maybe more of a rattle?

Its the waterpump .

This doesn't look good....

now pull the dipstick out .. if you have the same on that then yup its pretty bad .. if not its the waterpump.

Quite normal to have some gloop. Condensation forming in the fill tube.

Thanks, it's not as yellow

Ok to prove its the pump .. remove the air box , remove the drive belt .. take it all the way off .. youll need a 24mm spanner . Then start the car ... no noise .... and its the water pump Or you can just wiggle it .. it will be hanging off so should be obvious . Oil is normal .. as is the filler kneck .. wipe it out with a rag if you want .. its just condensation as mentioned .. oil / water mix due to the temp differences there .

Your image explained .. 1 / Water dripping off the waterpump pully .. 2 / You have green antifreeze and a fairly big coolant leak ... 3 / Evidence of a leak thats been there for a while .. that white staining is antifreeze residue ... 4 / The exhaust .. it gets hot .. very hot .. the Cat which is to one side is about 300 degrees .. imagine what happens when water gets onto a metal surface thats over 100 .. it turns to steam . The white deposits again look like antifreeze residue .. coolant has got onto it . So from that picture along with the description logically means the bearing in the water pump has failed , it will move side to side and rub on the caseing causeing a noise . The seal in the pump will no longer work and coolant will leak out and over some very hot surfaces . Hence my conclusion .. its a water pump. Ok .. the uncertainty .. the impellar will have broken up .. the coolant wont have been pumped around the engine so we have a possible engine over heat which isnt good ... But you said nothing about overheating , no warning lights no high temp readings .. So ... im sticking with my original diagnosis with the evidence i have .. Its the waterpump and nothing else. Eml is a seperate fault and i expect a lambda fault due to a blowing exhaust . You also have a very rusty rear anti roll bar and a damp IMS .. but only a minor leak there and not worth worrying about . The car also had an oil / filter change approx 3k miles ago.

Do not doubt the DeMort The DeMort is wise :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Thanks DeMort, I really appreciate your time in posting. You're spot on with the oil and filter change - which was 2.5k miles ago, how did you know that?! I am aware there is a blowing exhaust - waiting on Topgear to restock. Looking back now, it probably was a lot of steam rather than smoke. I'd probably travelled 60 miles before noticing the over heat (no warning). Then stopped with all the coolant pouring out a few second later. What's the likely damage from an over heat? Car booked in for 10 days time (will leave standing until then - and tow the car in). I'll get the pump replaced, anything else you think I should consider when this is being done? Thermostat and I'll get another oil and filter change. Once again I appreciate your time in posting, people like you really make a forum :thumb: