my car has about 190,000 miles on it and it's leaking oil pretty bad. I guesstimate about 1 qt per 1500 miles. The tranny oil disappears rather abruptly as well. On a few occasions after a long drive, the cat converter begins to smoke. I probably already know the reason but need confirmation... what's wrong with my car? thanks

 

The cat is gone south also the oil leak should be from the seals. Check the crankshaft area.

 

okay thanks, the cat is probably collecting the oil and clogging..

 

is this 'internal' or 'external' leaking? If it's leaking internally (i.e. burning lots of oil, then maybe your cat is clogged)

If you're just leaking oil, maybe it's leaining down onto the cat and smoking off. Get under the car and wipe off any oil buildup. Then run the car for a while and get back under there to see where it's leaking from (i.e. seals, VC gasket, oil pan).