Accidently left parking lights on overnight, next day it started a little sluggish but okay. Drove a couple of miles to the store, came out and it started again but even more sluggish. After a few minutes the warning lights started coming thick and fast and it went into limp mode, but made it home. Checked the battery and it was dead (couple of hours on charge got it up to 11.3v but it wouldn't hold). Okay, pay stupid tax and buy new battery. Old battery out of car for a day, installed new battery and got immediate electrical smoke from front right engine area underneath coolant hoses. Smoke and noticeable heat coming from area indicated by blue arrow.

Any ideas as to what down there could be burning, and why changing a battery would cause it?


Somewhere down under here.

 

Fried alternator.

 

Yes get under the car and look? It should be obvious if there was smoke. Possible alternator as posted above.
Here is the belt routing and it does show the Alternator (Generator in the diagram- I don't know why they don't call it an Alternator?) on that side of the engine.




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Yeah, pretty dumb question now that I think about it.
Thanks everyone for not pointing that out.

 

The car has an oddity about their alternators. The engine mount has to be removed to let the alternator out. Some garages don't want to leave the car like that until the replacement is in hand. A new engine mount can be reasonably priced, if you are interested.

 

Do the engine mounts, all pulleys, belt while you're there...