cash459

Okay, the car is a 95 coupe, & I noticed on the way home today, that there was some clear/white smoke coming from the front driver's side of my engine area...not a lot, but enough to notice if you look carefully...anyways, i couldnt figure it out and it smelled like something was burning lightly.....i jacked the car up when i got home and found what looks like oil all over the bottom of my header, some on the back of my cat, down the sides of the pan, half of the tranny, and even on part of the frame or a-arm that is on the driver side. It looks like the ilter is on straight, snd not leaking from there, so i dont know if it is the pan or something else...any other suggestions on what it could be?? Im going to drop it off at the dealer tomorrow morning, cuz i dont want anything worse to happen to it...i would appreciate it if anyone can give me some advice on what it might be & how much it might run...thanks....my worst fear is that it f-ed up something internal and the motor is dead or dying...


[Modified by cash459, 11:55 PM 4/3/2003]

SaltyHatch

could be a seal that is bad....it shouldnt be alot to fix mayb 100-200 depending on where it is done...I hope the motor isnt fucked....Then it is money....Good Luck dude..........

cash459

thanks...i just replaced the pan gasket about 4 or 5 months ago when i replace my clutch, so im thinking i might have not tightened it down enough or maybe even too much...could that be the problem??...if it did mess up the motor, then i am going to try and finally get my GSR...

Noe Kozz

could be your head gasket, cam/valve seal.

cash459

if it was one of those, would there be oil leaking down the head or around there?? cuz if so, i didnt see any there.... im so confused and pissed off all at the same time...

DSeriesBeeKilla

It's comin' from the front driver's side? It could be a number of things....1st and easiest to replace would be the valve cover....2nd could be the cam seal....3rd a possible head gasket leak....4th rear main seal...and last but not least...5th the oil pan gasket....but since it's looks like it's coming from under the header then you can rule out the first two and there are ways that you can find out exactly where it is coming from...I know here around the Nashville area there a Napa Car Care centers that can do a dye test as to where they put some dye in your oil and tell you to drive around for a while and when you come back they put these cool glasses on and a flourescent light and see the origin of the dye....I'm sure someone does this near you and it only costs $20...let me know what happens.....

Noe Kozz

Is it on the right side of the valve cover, by the cam gears? If so, could be your rings also. I've had a similar problem, it could be a number of things.


[Modified by Noe Kozz, 8:37 PM 4/2/2003]

cash459

well, theres no leak anywhere that i can see on the head or anywhere near the cam, so im thinking it is the pan, because everywhere that the oil has sprayed, is on the bottom of the motor....and it looks like it doent go any higher than the oil filter....i think i might go ahead and try that dye thing...im going to give napa a call right now...do they do that at all napa centers??

DSeriesBeeKilla

yeah at the actual car care centers....i'm pretty sure....

cash459

ok cool ....going to call right now!

JDMH22HATCH

iTrader: (6)

Just remember that wind while driving puts oil all over the place. Check and see if the oil filter is on tight, because when loosened a little they drip or leak and the air will blow it all over the place looking like a huge oil leak when it really isn't. Could be your rear main seal, so take off your flywheel cover and check if oil is leaking inside the clutch housing behind the flywheel. Try to clean off what mess is there and add some oil and start the car. Get underneath the car and see where the leak is originating. It could be just as simple as retightening the oil pan bolts or just tightening the filter. Good luck.

cash459

could there be a leak form the oil pan gasket from tightening the bolts too much?? im afraid thats what i may have done... so does anyone else know anything about that dye test thing, and anywhere else i can get it, or if it works. thanks

cash459

TTT....anyone...please...i dont want to spend more money than i have to

cash459

well guys & gals, i took my car to the dealer today, and had them look at it and tell me what it was so i could be sure what was wrong, and they told me it was just the oil pan gasket.....whew!....i thought it was going to be a main seal or something and end up having to pay out the *** for it....so i am going to replace tomorrow and hopefully everything will turn out okay.....i'll make updates as i go along....

thanks to all those who gave advice and help...