1998 ford contour smoking from underneath the car?
I was getting ready to go to taco bell so I got in my car and turned the key to start it. It didn't start. I wasn't worried though its cold outside and the car had a few inches of snow on it. So I turned it again and I hear I loud bang noise. So I stop trying to start the car. I try again in a few min and the car starts but is now super loud. It idles very loud. I haven't moved it out of park in fear the car is going to fall apart (lol). However, smoke is coming from underneath the car from this thing that looks like a muffler but its in the middle/near the front of the car. I don't know cars well but is it possibly the catalytic converter? I remember hearing a car that didn't have a catalytic converter and it sounds the same in my opinion. But is it possible for it to smoke?
Now yesterday I was heading to a place and this lady was directing me where to go with her hands, well she kind of screwed up and had me go over a parking lot divider that I couldn't see because of snow. It couldn't have been higher than a few inches but it did scrape something. There was no smoke that day (that I noticed).
Im afraid to drive it so I don't no how I can get it to the mechanic