oil smell

[seebold]

Need more help....

I replaced the cam covers on my 2000 DTS but still have a burned oil smell with a small amont of smoke comming from the back portion of the engine compartment, driver,s side. Does any one know were the oil sending unit is located. Or any ideas as to were the smoke,smell could be comming from ?

SEEBOLD

[BodybyFisher]

You might try adding some dye to your oil, see this:

http://www.tracerline.com/dyesforfluids.html

[Ranger]

I think the oil pressure switch is by the oil filter adapter.

[growe3]

A common source of the oil smell/smoke is small amounts of oil blown back on the exhaust cross-under pipe, and blown back onto the catalytic converter.

This is most apparent after freeway speeds, when the engine is thoroughly warmed up, and under the car drafts pulls the oil drops onto very hot surfaces. It only takes a very small amount of oil to make a big smell.

The main problem is that the cowl, that supplies fresh air for your heater and AC system, is right above the engine compartment and the oil vapor is pulled right in to the car.

Solutions are to carefully clean and tighten the oil pan bolts, and look for any other sources of oil leaks (dipstick tube to block, ignition sensors, oil level indicator to oil pan, etc.).

Oil leaking from bolt threads can be stopped by careful cleaning and replacing with some thread sealer applied to the bolt.

A small shield made from thin aluminum sheet metal (available at most hardware stores), can be screw clamped to the exhaust pipe just in front of the catalytic converter, and it will block the oil from hitting that hot surface. A little “hokey” but it will work.

-George

[BodybyFisher]

In this photo you can see the level sensor (brown on the left of the pan) and the oil pressure switch on the oil filter adapter partially covered by a rag