Steam Rising From Bonnet Area

[Hendry]

I'm hoping this is normal but want you guys opinion.

 

So, just finished work, driving home, its about 17 miles, 12/13 of which is motorway, its bucketing down with rain and the roads are like a swimming pool, anyway, get about 15 miles, stop for fuel, drive the remaining 2 miles home, park in our "canopy" it's like a brick garage which can fit 6 cars in it, with metal poles at the front between each space, I reverse in, put my interior light on to get my phone, work bag etc and the light lit up steam rising from the bonnet area, not thick clouds, just thin steam like what you get if you breath out on a cold morning, so I popped the bonnet and the steam appeared to be coming from the coolant reservoir, so I put my finger on the top of reservoir expecting it to be roasting hot and for me to burn my finger but although warm I could keep my finger there without it getting too hot, looked at the coolant temp gauge on the dash and it was just in the middle, so not near the red or anything, car had been running maybe 25 mins then off for 5 mins for fuel then on another 10 getting home and parking up, is this normal?

[EssDeeWon]

Yeah can be just steam from the warm bonnet in the cold wet air? Temp gauge was ok so should be alright, I've had that before on various cars. What car is it?

[Micrashed]

Mk 2 Fiesta used to do that all the time in cold weather.

Be reet.

[Jim Bell]

Sunny does it too. Can only tell in the dark and rain through the headlight haze.

[Vince70]

My Car does this all the time in cold weather/ Rain and I think it's a mixture of my car missing the plastic engine cover and no under bonnet insulation...

I wouldn't worry to much

[Hendry]

Yeah can be just steam from the warm bonnet in the cold wet air? Temp gauge was ok so should be alright, I've had that before on various cars. What car is it?

Modernshite, a 2009 "59" plate Clio 1.2 16v with 43K on it.

 

When I popped the bonnet, the steam was definitely rising from the coolant reservoir even although the reservoir itself wasnt much warmer than lukewarm to the touch

[mercrocker]

Merc does it sometimes, it seems all to be do with relative temperature values of the different materials and how they warm and cool against the outside temp....Of course I could be absolutely wrong but I have always ignored it to no ill effect.

[Split_Pin]

Is the lid on tight? You can sometimes lose a bit of coolant via evaporation if it's needing another 1/4 turn or so. As said, if the temp gauge is fine, it's driving normally and not losing water I'd just carry on.

[londonm]

I've had this, it was just steam like when you breathe out on a cold day except it was coming off the bonnet. I wouldn't worry about it.

[stuboy]

my polonez always did it

[vulgalour]

My old Polo would do this.  Seems to be a feature of cars with very flat bonnets if the posts above are anything to go by.

[derskine]

My 18 does it and my old mk2 Polo did it.

[beko1987]

XM emits worrying steam sometimes if I've trashed it through a puddle then stop, the water hits everything hot under the bonnet and plumes up.

 

Also had it sat in traffic but when the car infronts moved forwards I saw it was coming from his twin exhausts, rather than my radiator...

[RoadworkUK]

My KV6 does it all the time.

 

Er......

[Rusty Pelican]

My beemer does this but only since the foam sound deadening fell of the bonnet and all over the engine