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What oil leak has similar symptoms as a valve cover gasket leak?

I am having an extremely hard time finding an oil leak, been trying to find it for a while now. My engine smokes like crazy from the engine bay. It smells awful, definitely smells like burning oil, or something similar. You can smell it when the car is stopped at a light or stop sign. When stopped, you can sometimes notice the smoke, sometimes you can't. When I turn on the A/C, the smoke gets inside the cabin of the vehicle, and the smell worsens.

I have recently replaced: Valve Cover Gaskets (both sides on a V6) and all grommets, Oil cooler (as it started leaking and oil was getting into my coolant), PCV system entirely except oil trap, and oil pressure switch. I can't see the source of where the smoke is coming from, but most of it appears from underneath a heat shield by the valve cover gasket (towards front of the vehicle). Probably dripping onto exhaust, but can't tell for sure.

I have a 2000 Saab 9-5 SE 3.0L V6. I use fully synthetic Mobil 1 5w30 oil, last changed with filter less than 100 miles ago. When I changed valve cover gaskets, the camshaft area was immaculately clean (change oil every 3k miles).

I have no idea what else it could be. I also have a coolant leak that empties reservoir within 20 miles. Obviously my coolant system has oil remains from when my oil cooler leaked. But I doubt that there is enough oil in the cooling system to cause this much of a smell and smoke. By the way, my coolant system is currently only water and flush. Trying to flush the oil out.

Thanks for any advice. I have been trying to figure this out forever. My question is simply: What kind of oil leak can share symptoms as valve cover gasket leak?

Update:

My brake and ps fluids are fine. I believe the coolant is leaking from a heater core bypass valve, which cooincidentally is directly over an exhaust pipe. But once again, not sure.

The smoke is coming from below the headgasket, and bad headgaskets are rare on my engine, but cracked head/block is a fear of mine. Not sure how to check if this is the case, though.

1 Answer

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  • Jon
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    head gasket leak. or cracked head or block. doesn't have to be oil. How are your brake and power steering fluid levels?

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