2003 GLX Engine Smoke. Help needed

561 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Msujav, Feb 8, 2021

Msujav

Discussion Starter · Feb 7, 2021

Hello from freezing cold Minnesota,
above you can find the link for a video of the problem I currently have. Actually, it’s been going on for about a year now. After I start the car, there’s smoke coming out of the Engine. Do you know what that could be ? Is it dangerous ? The car drives well but when I turn the car off, there’s a burnt smell coming from under the hood. When the ac is running I sometimes get waves of burned smell thrown at me.

thank you for your help in advance

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KSEADUB

· #2 · Feb 7, 2021

Yeah. Likely your cam seals are leaking oil, which falls down on the hot exhaust.

You’ll need to reseal the top end of the motor to fix the issue. Valve covers, cam seals, tensioner gaskets.

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Msujav

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 7, 2021

KSEADUB said:
Yeah. Likely your cam seals are leaking oil, which falls down on the hot exhaust.

You’ll need to reseal the top end of the motor to fix the issue. Valve covers, cam seals, tensioner gaskets.

is that something a mechanic has to do or can I do that myself ?

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KSEADUB

· #4 · Feb 7, 2021

Not knowing you or your mechanical skill set, I can’t say.

You’ll have to pull the valve covers, and depending on how you approach the job, might need to remove a camshaft from each head to get the tensioner gasket out and replaced.

I wouldn’t recommend this job if this will be your first time turning wrenches on your car.

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AndreasPassat

· #5 · Feb 7, 2021

KSEADUB said:
Not knowing you or your mechanical skill set, I can’t say.

You’ll have to pull the valve covers, and depending on how you approach the job, might need to remove a camshaft from each head to get the tensioner gasket out and replaced.

I wouldn’t recommend this job if this will be your first time turning wrenches on your car.

Agreed.
Pulling apart the top side of the cylinder head is relatively easy, but it's putting everything back together and getting the static cam timing set correctly that can be somewhat challenging for some.
If this is your daily driver, I would strongly advise against doing it first time out. This job cannot be rushed.

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AndreasPassat

· #6 · Feb 7, 2021

After watching the video, it sure seems to mimic leaking cam seals.
That engine doesn't sound very healthy either. A lot of clacking going on. What's your oil level at?

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PZ

· #7 · Feb 7, 2021

I had a rodent start a nest in that area after the car had been parked for several months. It actually started a small fire on the test drive when I was selling the car. If it smells like oil smoke, the VCG and cam caps are pretty easy to replace. The CCT seal is a bit tougher and the CCT plastic shoes are more difficult, but the CCT seal and shoes requires the valve cover to be removed, so if you can't do them, leave it all for a mechanic.

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Msujav

Discussion Starter · #8 · Feb 8, 2021

AndreasPassat said:
After watching the video, it sure seems to mimic leaking cam seals.
That engine doesn't sound very healthy either. A lot of clacking going on. What's your oil level at?

i need to check. I will call my mechanic tomorrow and schedule an appointment.
I wanted to get an oil change this month anyways.
these freezing temperatures currently here are also very frustrating. Car barely starts after standing outside for a night.

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