Depending on how old the car is I.E mileage. It may be a head gasket issue. Right around 100000 miles the head gaskets "go"
I have a 95 spirit and noticed after a VERY short amount of time/driving (quicker in hot weather or faster speeds) the temp gauge would skyrocket and my check engine light was coming on.
Well my head gasket was in bad shape causing me to lose oil and the engine getting too hot. Pricey repair too.
Could be a bad thermosat. The smoke could be from where you dripped oil onto the engine.
rad. cap
Would suggest checking the ignition timing as this can cause overheating if not set correctly
If a flask is heated up with a burner for ten minutes, the temperature of the liquid inside the flask will increase. This increase in temperature can lead to changes in the properties of the liquid, such as expansion, evaporation, or chemical reactions, depending on the type of liquid and the temperature reached. It is important to monitor the temperature carefully to prevent overheating or boiling over.
The cat convertors get quite hot. You might try installing another heat shield above it.
Possibly overheating? Check all your computer's fans are working correctly and use HWmonitor (http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php) to check the temperature.
That would be the thermostat.
You have to disconnect the battery for couple minutes.
34 miles driving at 70mph requires 29.1 minutes.
30 minutes
MapQuest estimates the driving time as 3 hours and 28 minutes.
Is it plugged in correctly? Could also be overheating.