el3vate

I lifted up my car last weekend to find an oil leak and figure out why a horrid burning smell at stop lights emits inside my car. I found that I had oil dripping around my filter, and the oil cooler area. Knowing that, I picked up an oil cooler gasket/oring that I will replace soon.

Is it possible for this leak to burn enough oil to create the odor getting inside my car? I already checked my valve cover gasket, and it doesn't seem to be coming from there, or anywhere else that I know of.

I also brought my car to a mechanic to get another diagonostic. He also showed me the oil leaking from the oil cooler. However, he also said the two coolant lines going into the oil cooler were leaking. I haven't really seen any coolant leaking on my garage floor, so I wonder if they really do need to be replaced. Is replacing these coolant lines really hard to do? There seems to be a lot of things in the way, and the lack of tools I currently have may prevent me from doing it.

He proposed $80 labor to replace the 2 coolant lines, oil pressure switch, and o-ring.

The o-ring I know I can do myself, as it doesn't sound that much harder then changing oil. Any advice appreciated as I really need to get rid of the oil smell..




Modified by el3vate at 5:49 PM 2/12/2005

crdcz03

the oil cooler gasket is harder than it looks. its not "hard" per se... its just hard to keep the gasket in the right spot while you position the oil cooler back in place.

el3vate

Yeah, I assumed that's the hardest part and will probably have someone hold the cooler up for me while I lube the ring and place it in. How about replacing coolant lines, and is it necessary if it's slightly leaking?

SKDRCR

I'm gonna bet that the smell was coming from oil dripping
on your downpipe/header.

It should go away eventually if that is the case

Speedra500

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by el3vate &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yeah, I assumed that's the hardest part and will probably have someone hold the cooler up for me while I lube the ring and place it in. How about replacing coolant lines, and is it necessary if it's slightly leaking?
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its necessary unless you want to fill up your coolant all the time, if you're going to change the gasket in the oil cooler you might as well do the coolant lines too while you're in there

5200BB6

what year car? i ask because i have a 97 and im loseing oil some how...after i have a oil change my collector off the manafold is always smoking, is there any way the oil could be droping on the collector and not hiting the ground? i add a qt every 1000 miles. but i never see it on the ground..really weird.

el3vate

I was hoping it would go away eventually, but its been 2 months or so now, and its still there. If I drive the car slightly hard, I can smell it more.

As for the 2 coolant lines, is it hard to replace? The mechanic I brought it to said he would have to take something out to get to it, but not sure if he was just lying to make it sound like a harder job then it is.

1992BlueSi

i know on my h23 there is a plug right below the oil filter that looks like its leaking. Leaks right on my Megan downpipe. Dont know if its the plug or the oil filter.

el3vate

My car is a 92 Si.. My car is definitely leaking oil from that area. I probably lose a quart every 1000 miles also. My main concern is if this is what is causing the burning smell. Everybody who rides in my car can smell it, and its annoying as hell. I plan to sell this car soon also, and want to get rid of it before someone smells it during a test drive.

Turbo-GSR1287

iTrader: (1)

OMG.......i have been searching forever to find somebody else with this problem. Not to long after my last oil change i was noticing a burning oil smell while stopped at traffic lights and after driving the car hard etc. so i at first thought it was a bad filter or something so i changed the oil again and come to find out it is still leaking. Whenever i get under the car and look there is this plug located under the oil filter taht is covered with oil......this loooks to be the center of the leak....and my downpipe has residue of burnt oil so i know that is where the smell is coming from. But i am sort of a Noob...and was wondering what this plug is and if anyone knows what the hell is leaking.....i am kind of skeptical to take it in for fear of cost etc......i am just curious to know what the problem is? how serious it is?...how much and exactly what needs to be fixed/replaced?....anyone with information on this PLEASE HELPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!

Jagan'92

You're probably looking at the oil pressure sending unit. It sits directly below the oil cooler (where the filter plugs in)
That sending unit may be leaking, but I'd suspect the o-ring of the oil cooler first, and that is leaking onto the top of the "plug" as you call it, which then drips onto the exhaust.

This is view from below looking up at the plug and cooler above it. If you slide that rubber piece back you'll see that the wire screws onto the sending unit. I broke mine off by accident in this picture.

el3vate

Yep, that's where it looks like my leak is coming from. This mechanic quoted me for $80 to replace the ring, 2 coolant lines that go into the oil cooler, and oil pressure switch. I wonder if its just the ring that needs to be replaced, and not the coolant lines since I don't see any coolant leak on my garage floor.

The burning oil smell is bad as soon as I come up to a stop also, so hopefully after these things are replaced, it fixes the problem.

Is this job worth $80 labor? How hard is it to replace the coolant lines, etc? I brought my car to a smaller shop, and the price didn't sound too bad. However, if it isn't a relatively hard task, I'd rather get a friend, and do it myself. I'll admit I am a noob too, but if it doesn't take the use of too many tools, I may be able to manage.

Jagan'92

If your coolant is not leaking, then I wouldn't sweat it, but if you'd rather be safe then do it.
That o-ring for the cooler is about 3$ from the dealer (#33). drain the oil and remove that center nut from the cooler (#19). you can then pry out the o-ring and put the new one in. It took me 30 minutes to do.


Drain the coolant and then pull off those two hoses(#9, 10). Take them to advance or something and get new ones - I'd expect 10$ at most. Get 4 new hose clamps too(#4).



Why replace the pressure switch? Do you have a problem with it?

Prelude-TeCh

Funny, i that just happened to my car, bad oil smell i could smeel from inside my car. But the other day all the oil spit out of my car, and it was my oil filter adapter o ring is what the shop said because i just change my oil that day. he quoted me 100 for the part and labor which is gay i think. i was just going to do it my self by i live in cold washington and its all snowing right now so it would been a pain in the *** for me cuz i dont have a shop.

I say you buy the part and do it yourself, i believe it is perrety easy, but iam a noob to. i just asked this question on this site about a day ago and some guy gave me the part number for the oil filter adapter o ring. i think he said you could get it at a car quest.look at carquest.com to see if they have a location in your area. but look in this thread and the part number is there, but ask the guy that sent me the part number some questions, he seem really helpful to me. https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1121361

hoped i helped.

Turbo-GSR1287

iTrader: (1)

Thanks alot that makes sense because in your picture you have the same drop on the bottom of the oil cooler that i have on the bottom of my filter...so it may be the o-ring. Like i said i am a very big noob and was wondering......how exactly do i put the new one on........i cant tell from the picture exactly where it sits on there. So if you could just tell me how to put it on there when i buy a new one.........and also is this something they would just carry at Discount Auto or something?

Prolink

Replacing the o-ring is not that hard, just use a little bearing grease to keep the new o-ring in place. For the coolant, make sure it is not coming from the other hoses above, or the heater control valve.

el3vate

Yeah, I searched and it seems like getting the o-ring to stay is commonly the hardest part. I was thinking of just lubing it with oil so it would stick. I haven't noticed any coolant leaking on the ground, but I'll lift and check the hoses. I'll probably replace them anyway if all I have to do is remove the clamps and replace them with new ones. Doesn't sound too hard.

I don't believe anything is wrong with my oil pressure switch, so it doesn't look like replacing that is necessary.

95LudeSi, if you can go to dealership, pick the o-ring up there. I just got one for $2.00

Turbo-GSR1287

iTrader: (1)

Yeah thanks alot....cuz this **** is getting annoying.......but yeah i only smell oil and there is no coolant leaking onto the ground....so im assuming my hoses are ok and its just the oil (knock on wood)........but ill replace the o-ring and get back to you guys...........the dealership is kinda far from me.........will they carry it at Discount auto......like what is the size and what not for a 4th gen 95 SI?

Jagan'92

I didn't find the o-ring at all difficult to put in, there's a groove it fits into. Below is a picture of the ring in it's groove, and you can see the split in the ring that caused the leak. I just lubed it with ordinary oil first. I doubt you can get it from a general auto parts store, I went to the dealership for mine. And they did say it's a common problem when it gets cold.



On a side note - the diagrams in the previous post are from slhondaparts.com

Turbo-GSR1287

iTrader: (1)

Thanks alot.......to put on the new o-ring did you have to take off the threaded peice (the part that the oil filter screws onto off the oil cooler)?

el3vate

I'm replacing the o-ring right now and I'm having trouble getting the o-ring to stay in place.... Damn lubed the ring with oil and it still doesnt want to stay on.


Modified by el3vate at 7:49 PM 2/12/2005

Jagan'92

The O-ring should fit flush inside of the groove on the cooler. That's weird that yours won't stay in there, because I remember it being easy as pie.

el3vate

Comparing the old ring with the new one I notice the old one is a little wider, and is stiffer so it wont bend as easily. It looks like this is the reason why it would stay in easier.

This is pissing me the hell off b/c it isn't complicated at all. If I put "side 1" on the groove, then try to do "side 2", "side 1" will come off.. There's just not enough space to hold the ring and oil cooler together... Sound glue or liquid gasket sounds like a good idea. But ****.. its late, dark, and cold outside. My car's on ramps halfway in my garage, so I don't feel like callin it a night.. gotta finish this ****.

specialedition

I had similar problem but mine turned out to be a slight coolant line leak from the oil cooler itself. I took the line off and reclamped it and the leak has kinda just went away. It is a royal pain in the *** to try and work in that space I would recommend draining your coolant before you work on it or coolant will go everywhere.

Jagan'92

Did you finish it?