Somethings BURNING! HELP

started this morning heading out to get a cup of coffee got one mile from my house noticed an acrid burning smell while waiting at a light. thought it was coming from out side..anyway 1/2 mile later i park and realize its ME open the hood SMOKE coming from the front end of the motor can't tell where exactly..shut it down..Battery light ON.. had a cel light for what was told was low def and sensors last week they cleared it came back on went away..stayed off for a week..came back for a da, day before last ..doubtful this is related.. a 2010 170ex crew 60K miles.. stranded but at least with coffee

CSF&C,
Does it smell like fuel burning......oil burning.......or wiring/insulation burning.
Acrid smell sounds more like insulation......maybe?
If insulation, pull the battery disconnect down by the throttle pedal in the driver's side foot well.....quickly!
If oil or fuel, wait until it cools down and look for a leaking hose or gasket.
How much smoke......what color smoke (if it's a lot of smoke).
Roger

yeah I would say an electrical smell and perhaps was coming from the alternator I shut it down..let it cool had a coffee.. smoke was white-ish ..Battery light came on

perhaps Y-cable shorted and burned insulation off?

CSF&C,
Very possibly the alternator.
Was the smoke more from the RH side of the engine (where I believe the alternator is positioned).
If so, check for burnt insulation on the larger wire/cable the comes off the larger terminal on the alternator.
Not sure how you can limp to a dealer or shop without it burning some more.
Might be best to put it on a rollback unless you have a VOM and can go point to point to determine what is
shorting out.
Roger
Good luck

Yeah coming from the general vicinity of alternator..I'll put it on a flat bed and bring it to a shop in town, luckily don't really need it for a week. and luckily happened while in my home town and not on the road. if luck has anything to do with it..

yes indeed it was the alternator, as a re-start produced lots of white stinky smoke coming straight out of it..the old one was a Valeo with a Mercedes emblem I assume the original though I dont have much history on the van..but with 60k miles on it seems a little young to give up the ghost?

If you learn the cause of this premature failure, please let us know.

It is certainly not a known weakness AFAIK.

CSF&C said:

yes indeed it was the alternator, as a re-start produced lots of white stinky smoke coming straight out of it..the old one was a Valeo with a Mercedes emblem I assume the original though I dont have much history on the van..but with 60k miles on it seems a little young to give up the ghost?

Click to expand...

Oil soaked alternator from spilled oil during a engine oil change, or transmission tube lock is not installed; Alternator resides below both.
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26559&highlight=Alternator+smoking

Hmm, I did have the oil changed but it was Three weeks prior to it burning up.

I have changed 6 alternators in the last year or so. Two were oil soaked from the dipstick left up, two actually had small flames coming out of them, one smoked bad and the other one just quit.

SIX!? I assume not all in the same van?

Do tell us all!--I bet you are buying them from Amazondotbum!
Dennis