Wtf? Smoke puffing from engine?

[BreakingBad]

Ok so it came to my attention that i may have had an oil leak somewhere and/or didn't put the oil filter on right because when i checked my oil it was dangerously low.

i had it freshly changed with a brand new oil filter n everything, and its been fine recently.

but here's another thing i noticed... OCCASIONALLY, and completely RANDOMLY there will be smoke "puffing" from my engine. ever see someone take a hit off a cig and blow the smoke out? i see it in front of my windshield, and i dont know where its coming from...either the sides of the hood or from near the grille.

question is, what can this smoke be? it's not consistent, and i can go days on end without seeing it. it seems as if it's been more frequent.

also when i turn the car off, it smells like something was burned..maybe the car is just burning oil and thats the smoke from the oil being burned? or could it be something more serious? (97 grand prix gt, 200amp alt, new battery, new air filter, new oil, new oil filter..)

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[revrider1 5,000+ posts]

Valve Cover Gaskets

 

[Rich B 5,000+ posts]

Sounds like a leaky valve cover gasket.

The oil will slowly drip down onto the exhaust, and you will see occasional puffs of oil smoke.

Edit: Revrider is too fast for me!

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[JLJunkieMX107 10+ year member]

Exactly what they both said. My VC gasket was leaking and it dripped onto the exhaust manifold and would cause puffs of smoke like that. They are usually only around $10 to replace. Easy fix

 

[pitbull12887 10+ year member]

lmao...ur engine smokes? I give it a year to live then it will slowly die off from cancer.

 

[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

i supposed its good to know what each fluid smells like when it burns.

Its most likely the valve cover gaskets, kinda hard to believe you would be dangerously low on oil in a 3000 mile period when youre only seeing a tiny puff of smoke every so often though. Assuming it takes 4.5-5q, leaking +/-3 quarts of oil is pretty substantial.

Look under you hood and under the car and its pretty tell tale.

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

valve cover gaskets, and you car just finished having ***.

 

[BreakingBad]

ok appreciate the advice guys..

now what should i pay for one? summit racing says around $25 minus shipping...

also, is this an easy job to do? how much time would it take a professional to do? if this is only a 15 or 20 minute job for a professional i'll have this place do it for me, they give me SWEET deals on labor for quick jobs..

i did a quick search, for a professional its around $100-150 depending on labor costs. sound about right?

also i cant afford another $100 job on my car, so is it relatively safe to ride it around but just keep an eye on the oil?

 

[FineLinePimpin 10+ year member]

Those engines are also good for leaky intake manifold gaskets. The are a huge pain in the anus to replace.

 

[Coolwazabi 10+ year member]

valve cover gaskets and or burning oil "doubtful" and or if its carbed then running rich $$ //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Silver 10+ year member]

ok appreciate the advice guys..
now what should i pay for one? summit racing says around $25 minus shipping...

also, is this an easy job to do? how much time would it take a professional to do? if this is only a 15 or 20 minute job for a professional i'll have this place do it for me, they give me SWEET deals on labor for quick jobs..

i did a quick search, for a professional its around $100-150 depending on labor costs. sound about right?

also i cant afford another $100 job on my car, so is it relatively safe to ride it around but just keep an eye on the oil?

Valve cover gaskets are a piece of cake. Pull the covers off put new gaskets on, done.

If the car is burning oil you may see bluish smoke coming from your tailpipe. This isn't always the case though. Your oil getting low like that can be caused by rings worn, valve guides, ect. Even a incorrect or bad PCV valve can cause blowby. I'd suggest changing the PCV valve when you do the Valve Cover gaskets.

 

[Ferendon 10+ year member]

PCV valve is cheap insurance. Takes 30 seconds to do, costs a couple of bucks, and you can do it without even taking the covers off. But it's not the cause of the oil burning. Which engine is in the car? Some OHC engines have problems with leaky cam seals, which is NOT for the inexperienced mechanic.