I have 1997 Civic Ex. Recently i started smelling this smell, what i thought was tires, but i guess not. After parking the car for a few days i come home and noticed it leaked oil. It looks as is the oil is coming from around the oil pan. So i went to go pick up some food, about a 10 min drive then i look under my car and notice smoke is coming from the bottom, around the down pipe. It is isnt a thick dark smoke, but more kinda like a steam smoke.

-Time for an oil change
-Maintanence light is on
-The car has 1377xx miles
-I checked the oil cap and its all oil on it
-Oil doesnt seem too low
-Search is down right now

So can someone please help me on the smoke situation and why my car would start leaking oil when the car was just parked

 

Well, your downpipe runs under the oil pan. If the pan is leaking bad enough, oil will drip/run on to the downpipe and smoke.

Get under the car and confirm that it's the pan leaking and not oil running down from the oil filter.

Get it fixed asap.

 

okay, thanks for the quick response

 

Oil + VERY hot downpipe = Fireeeeee!! (Eventually)

 

so i checked it just a bit ago.

wiped down the oil pan and started her up, nothing. so im assuming the oil is coming from the oil filter cause i saw some drips going onto the down pipe

 

could be the filter... better pray it's not your headgasket...

 

yeah im hoping its the filter

would my head gasket just go because of wear?

 

Not really, mine went 150,000 miles before i changed it out. I didnt have any leaks or anything, i just thought after 150k it would prob need to be changed.

 

all 96-2000 civics leak around the oil pan gasket around 130 to 138k.

 

would it trip all around(towards the drain plug) of the pan?

also would it also drip down to my downpipe, it doesnt look like the downpipe is right under the oil pan, more like next to it.

 

could be your oil pan gasket.