Occasional smoke coming out from under rear of hood near driver. Ideas?
 

Hi! We've got a 2001 and a 2002 T&C Ltd. Both occasionally send smoke out of from under the rear of the hood near the driver. It's usually at idle at stop lights. We can also smell burned fluid in the garage. No obvious signs of leaks from what you can see above or below the transmission. I top off fluids occasionally, but not like there is a major leak in any of them. Can't duplicate at the dealer, not smoking at that particular time, and too many car smells to detect it there. They said it was probably some "residual". I agree, but don't think it something spilled, I think it's a small leak somewhere. I found a thread in another forum saying transmission fluid coming out the dip stick. Saw something else about a slow drip out of the brake fluid reservoir. So that's the type of thing I think we have on ours, an occasional or slow drip from somewhere onto the hot transmission on the driver side of the vans. Since both our vans do it, it must me somewhat common? Have any of you all had this problem and solved it? Thanks!

RE: Occasional smoke coming out from under rear of hood near driver. Ideas?
 

I didn't have a van but my 91 5th Ave. did the same kind of thing after changing the oil. It had a slow leak around the head in the rear against the firewall. To fix it the whole top of the motor had to be torn off. I put up with the smell till the level dropped enough that it didn't leak and kept on trucking. I just got rid of it and purchased a new 300C.

RE: Occasional smoke coming out from under rear of hood near driver. Ideas?
 

It is not normal for any smoke to come from hood.
Have you spilled any oil on engine?
Check the power steering hoses on that model year, they have a recall on them.
They leak, then they burst, van catches on fire and van is toast.
If you had a brake fluid leak, you wouldn't have any brakes, pedal would be VERY hard to press on.