Smoke comming from my engine compartment

[mcano]

After driving my car (97 with 115,000 miles on the clock) to get gas today, I notice smoke coming from the engine compartment when I reached the gas station. I opened the engine hatch and could not see any oil on any of the engine parts. I also noticed that my oil pressure gauge was reading higher than normal, around 6+.

After the smoke cleared, I took the car out again, this time there was no smoke.

What could be the cause of the original smoke episode, and why there was no smoke the second time?

 

[shawn110975]

the second time you drove it, was it the same amount of time as in the previous?
before you noticed the smoke were you redlining the car?
what did this smoke smell like? burn oil or a sweet smell?

if you were redlining it then it may be your valve cover seals, something is dripping on the cats possibly coolant or oil,
if it smelled sweet then its coolant
if it smelled like oil then prob valave cover seals,

check under car see if there is anything wet like oil pan or anything then report back

 

[mcano]

the second time you drove it, was it the same amount of time as in the previous?
before you noticed the smoke were you redlining the car?
what did this smoke smell like? burn oil or a sweet smell?

if you were redlining it then it may be your valve cover seals, something is dripping on the cats possibly coolant or oil,
if it smelled sweet then its coolant
if it smelled like oil then prob valave cover seals,

check under car see if there is anything wet like oil pan or anything then report back

It smells like burning oil, not sweet. The first time I drove the car, it was at an easy pace 3 -4 RPM on surface streets.

The second time I drove the car it was for a greater distance including freeway driving and higher RPM but not above 6,000 RPM.

I notice a small sheen of oil on the side of the oil pan, very small amount, no dripping.

Thank you,

 

[Blackhorse06]

I had the same symptoms on my 94 about 8 months ago. Mine turned out to be a leaky Cam Plug on the rear bank. Never had any visible oil anywhere just a wisp of smoke now and again.

 

[Supra TT]

if its leaking on the exhaust end itll burn off before you can really notice it

 

[shawn110975]

well then could be your valve cover seals ( rear bank ) or vtec solenoid dripping during and under load, see if your vtecs have oil under them both sides.

 

[kookoo4nsx]

I would recommend gently pressure washing with detergent all around the bottom of your motor and near the vtec solenoids. A clean engine will make it easier to see exactly where the leak is coming from. As others have said, the rear valve cover seal is probably your most likely culprit and vtec solenoid next.

A flashlight will do wonders when looking at the vtec solenoid. If you have 115k on your car the vtec solenoid gaskets are probably on the way out anyhow. They are a mostly simple job once you get a few things out of the way. As for the rear valve cover, it may be easier to have your dealer do it. Its a pain to get the cover off, the gasket lined up and back on without pinching the gasket.

 

[shern]

Check:
1) valve cover gaskets
2) spool valve gaskets
3) cam plugs

And my journey:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/169196-Pesky-oil-leak-rear-bank

 

[chrisbailey13]

I had the same symptoms a couple of years ago...it was the Cam Plugs. it resulted in intermittent smoking and the smell of burning oil, but never enough to drip on the ground.

 

[mcano]

Thanks guys,

I'll have the various seals checked out for leaks.

 

[Big_D]

Thanks guys,

I'll have the various seals checked out for leaks.

Paging Ramon.... :O)

 

[DAYTA]

bumping this thread...

I'm having the same intermittent white smoke issue (whisping from the rear bank). I had the VTEC solenoid gaskets replaced back in March and the problem went away until a few days ago.

I doubt it's the VC gasket because I had that replaced 2 years ago when I had the TB/WP + valve adjustment done. I'm guessing the cam plugs are next to check?

 

[Blackhorse06]

Cam plugs seem to be the big culprit for this. Replace mine and no issues.

 

[DAYTA]

Could this issue cause major damage down the road, or is this simply an inconvenience? Just want to know if I have to address this ASAP.

 

[clutch1]

I had the same issue just under a year after engine rebuild. I could see a slightly wet (with oil) spot on the cat, and followed it up to the head on the rear bank. It was very, very difficult to see, but I had an allen key plug that was seeping oil. The entire length of the valve cover gasket was dry, and the bottom corner of the head was wet, and until I got in really, really deep to get a good look it almost looked like an external head gasket leak.
So yea, keep an eye out for oil seeping out of the allen key plugs on the head, too.

Once you get it in the air it's usually pretty easy to dig deep with a little flashlight and track the source down.

For the record if it is an allen key plug back there, it's not fun to remove and reinstall. Requires some very interesting body contortions while standing/kneeling/laying on top of the engine. But fixing the leak is simply a matter of remove it, clean the threads, reapply thread sealant, and reinstall.

 

[nikey22]

I had the same issue just under a year after engine rebuild. I could see a slightly wet (with oil) spot on the cat, and followed it up to the head on the rear bank. It was very, very difficult to see, but I had an allen key plug that was seeping oil. The entire length of the valve cover gasket was dry, and the bottom corner of the head was wet, and until I got in really, really deep to get a good look it almost looked like an external head gasket leak.
So yea, keep an eye out for oil seeping out of the allen key plugs on the head, too.

Once you get it in the air it's usually pretty easy to dig deep with a little flashlight and track the source down.

For the record if it is an allen key plug back there, it's not fun to remove and reinstall. Requires some very interesting body contortions while standing/kneeling/laying on top of the engine. But fixing the leak is simply a matter of remove it, clean the threads, reapply thread sealant, and reinstall.

I believe there are 8 of them all together, sealing screws.
Thank you to 'shern' for letting us know about these.

 

[ektyperhatch]

I believe there are 8 of them all together, sealing screws.
Thank you to 'shern' for letting us know about these.

Sealing screw got me a couple months ago! I made a post a while back but check those!

 

[DAYTA]

Can anyone confirm the severity of this issue?

I received a quote from my mechanic for the cam plugs and sealing screws - it sounds like a fairly in-depth process. If it's not an immediate threat to my engine's longevity, I would prefer to wait a little longer in order to combine the process with a TB/WP replacement and valve adjustment which were done 2 years ago.

To confirm, I don't ever track the car or drive it exceptionally hard. Not sure if that will affect the urgency of this fix.

 

[Blackhorse06]

I would say losing oil is never a good thing, but as to imminent threat to your engine I would say say not so much. I did mine right away because it bothered me seeing oil smoke. I had the TB/WP done recently and all hoses so I did not need that done, but had the valves adjusted and new spark plugs put in while the engine was out. The only thing I wish I had done at the time was replace the LMA's!

 

[Sportsmind4me]

+1. Mine was doing the same thing for a while after I first bought it. It was kind of embarrassing when coming to a stop, but I made sure to check the oil level before every drive and kept an eye on the oil pressure. Turns out my valve cover gaskets started leaking only appx. 700mi. after the TB/WP was done at my local Acura dealer in addition to the cam plugs. Those jackasses would not warranty the work b/c the service had been done slightly over a year earlier which was not covered due to time not mileage, even though I brought in evidence that they had improperly applied honda bond all the way around the VCG's and not just in each corner, which was the proper procedure. Sorry for the rant, I get angry every time I think about that experience. Needless to say, I had another shop perform the work properly and have been fine since.

 

[clutch1]

I'm always sketched out having oil dripping onto a hot exhaust manifold. Will a slow drip catch fire? I think it's doubtful. But I'd hate to be the unlucky guy who gets the one in a million bum hand.

If you or your're mechanic are willing, take a look to verify exactly where it's coming from. If it's just a a sealing screw the cost is a tube of thread sealant and an hour or so to pull it and reinstall. Lots of cuss words, too, from my experience. It may be a simple weekend project like mine was, sometimes luck is on your side!