Hi Guys: Just picked up car from heated storage today......Had oil changed just prior to storage. Drove it home today and noticed a bit of blue smoke and smell being me. Pulled over found some oil underneath filler cap...thinking it was loose. It wasn't so i wiped all i could reach and noticed more dripping around the belt area and down to floor. Any idea where it may be coming from? Checked level and seems normal, and still dripping. Wondering if its a seal....but afraid which one?
Smoke/mess on first drive after an oil change could mean it was overfilled. You said the level was ok... was it checked using the owner's manual procedure? (Warm engine, 15 minutes after shutting off...)
cam drive? Was it in my case with similar symptoms. Also after a longer winter storage. Best Regards Martin
Mine did not leak that much, but odor and some smoke wafting out the right engine cover vent was from (1) improperly installed front bank cam cover seals, and (2) worn main oil seal. Drips in that area can land on the exhaust manifold causing the smoke. If not run for 4-5 months maybe the main seal dried and "stuck" to the crank and was damaged upon restarting? Remove fender liner and you probably can spot the issue.
Luba, just to make sure, the blue smoke you saw is not coming from the exhaust while the engine is running, rather, it’s coming from the engine bay, correct?
Hi Guys - thanks again Oil not coming from exhaust but do see something dripping from behind the belts on the exhaust - if it’s a can seal or main seal - is that an engine out repair?
Please check the oil level as mentioned above it could be overfilled especially if the oil change is done by no expert of this type car who might have swiched the sumps of gearbox and motor. The logic choice for no experts is to remove the plug from the gearbox. This would mean the gearbox is out of oil!
Cam seals are not an engine out procedure but also not a procedure that is viable as a stand alone, meaning you'd have to seriously consider valve clearances, belts and tensioner bearings while you are in there. It's not a matter of just popping the covers off, there are four seals up front plus the four o-rings for the seal carriers and three seals at the back end. There is also a fiddly bit of sealant required where the split cover gaskets abut to the carrier seal o-rings. You have to weigh all of those factors in deciding how much of an oil leak you are willing to live with at least for an interim but, as noted, first determine just exactly what the source is. This in itself can be a task, UV dye is very good at aiding with it. You don't have to clean anything up prior just add it to the oil, run the engine and watch with the light where it appears.
Not at all. Engine in. And, if you're due for timing belts, take care of these seals and check on the water pump while in that area of the motor.
Thanks - Will do......Just not sure I'm ready for the news...Just got the car last year and was all checked fine and good!
Are the belts wet on the inner toothed side? Can you see the belts or does your car have cam cover back covers? One of mine was dripping wet, when one of my cam drive seals failed. And I mean cam-drive seals not cam seals. Want to say, the lower ones for the drive pulleys right and left next to the main seal. What year is your car? There are different cam drive designs regarding seal and bearing layout. The earlier design was more prone to failing bearings, which also contributed to leaking seals. A seal in front of a wiggling bearing can't seal any more. A leaking cam seal (the upper) should be easy to diagnose. Best from Germany Martin
Thanks Martin....Yes it has rocker covers. From what I can see it is wet in behind there on the belts. So I am assuming it has to be one of those seals. I hope I can drive 100km to get it to my guy to look at it. Oil level seems ok - not over filled and in between dipstick lines
I think after 23 years of ownership I got less paranoid about my car. Nevertheless I would not drive 100kms, because you told, that your problem creates smoke coming from the engine compartment. If it is actually a cam drive seal leaking so bad, that it drips, it creates a spray of oil all over the engine compartment... and the exhaust. To make a long story short. My workshop was 160kms distant and I had my car flatbeded. It was 20 years ago, but would do it again that way. But please don't rely solely on my theory. It's just based on my experience, which showed very similar symptoms though. Maybe it's still a different leak source. But smoke from the engine compartment means oil spraying or dripping onto the exhaust and would prevent me from driving longer distances. Best from Germany Martin
Thanks for this addition Brian. I actually thought, it wouldn't be necessary to mention it. Best Martin
