Car, oil, smoke under hood

Riboflavin

I have an 18 year old car. It is obviously paid for which is the best part of the car.
I have developed an oil leak. (Not a surprise)
It is not too bad right now. I don't have to put a full quart of oil in between oil changes.

However, it is leaking on a (presumably) hot pipe and making it smoke terribly. When I stop it looks like my car is overheating and smoke comes from under the hood.
Do any of you car folks know of anything I can put over the pipe to keep it from dripping there or to change the flow of the drip? I don't think the drip is stopping without an engine rebuild but its an18 year old car. Ford Explorer if you're wondering.

BlindZenDriver

Riboflavin wrote: »

I have an 18 year old car. It is obviously paid for which is the best part of the car.
I have developed an oil leak. (Not a surprise)
It is not too bad right now. I don't have to put a full quart of oil in between oil changes.

However, it is leaking on a (presumably) hot pipe and making it smoke terribly. When I stop it looks like my car is overheating and smoke comes from under the hood.
Do any of you car folks know of anything I can put over the pipe to keep it from dripping there or to change the flow of the drip? I don't think the drip is stopping without an engine rebuild but its an18 year old car. Ford Explorer if you're wondering.

You need to locate the leak as it will not fix itself on its own and there is a risk it getting worse, even for it to become something terminal.
Does it leak when parked or is it only when driving? Is the leak bad enough that it leaves oil on the ground where you parked, or is it only at the level where it is cooked away by the hot engine?
Also how about the coolant, if you look when the car is cold is there traces of oil in the coolant?

This may help: https://youtube.com/watch?v=zEwbWcNDV5E

Jokerman

Going to guess this is a third Gen Ford Explorer (Also known as a Ford Exploder due to their tendencies to roll over). If it is, then I'm going to wager a second guess and say everything on this car is terminal.

If it's using less then a quart between oil changes I wouldn't worry too much about it. Is it the V6 or the V8? If it's the V8 you can hammer nails with it all day and it'll still start fresh as a daisy. They used the same Modular V8 in the Crown Vic and there are HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS of them in Junkyards pull a part lots.

If it's the V6, your long term prognosis is not as good. They're famous for getting what they call a "Death Rattle" around 100-125k. The design of the block has two timing chains, and while they are supposed to last the life of the engine, they're known to break.

BlindZenDriver is right to recommend looking at the coolant. If it's cloudy like a milkshake, you have a head gasket problem. I do however disagree that it's a problem if the engine block is leaking less then a quart between changes. You should be checking the oil once a week anyways.

If you're well and truly concerned, put the car on stands and get a bag of shop towels and a bottle of simple green. After you've wiped all that crud off, start the car and see where it's coming out of. But I can almost guarantee it's not going to be worth the effort.

Jokerman

My Exploder, circa 2019

Riboflavin

It's the v8. I have 185,000 miles on it. It still runs well except for the leak of course. I'm not trying to fix the issue just trying to delay the inevitable and get a couple more years out of it. I don't smell coolant and my coolant is not low. I can see where it is dripping. I am wondering if I get a small piece of corrugated pipe like for drainage, cut it in half can I rig some sort of "hat" for the hot pipe so it drips around it.

I want to stop the smoke. I've given up on the drip. Goal: 2 more years out of it, no smoke.

Jokerman

Embrace the smoke, my friend. Better it smoke a little oil here and there then end up having the pipe come off going over a speedbump and lodging in you differential.

Or catching on fire.

Hey if you live in a place where the salt the roads, the oil is a value ad.

Skeith

If it's smoking like that I'd guess it's leaking on the exhaust manifold or something. If that's the case I don't think you'd be able to jerry rig something safely.

Riboflavin

Not that interesting of an update:

It got really bad in the following weeks. I drove it awhile looking like a reverse spy hunter smoke screen.

It's in the shop now and I am told, Valve covers, Valve cover gasket, Plenum gasket. (Which I have never heard of before)

$700, I told them to fix it. Hopefully it is fixed.

mRahmani

I didn’t see this until now but absolutely do not drive a car with oil dripping on the hot exhaust. It is a matter of when, not if, before it catches fire, and it has the potential to burst into flames even after you shut it off and walk away until the exhaust cools.

webguy20

So I also have a modular v8 Crown vic from the same era, dollars to donuts that its just the valve cover gasket leaking. Mine did the same thing. If you're mechanically inclined its like a couple hour job, if not a mechanical can knock it out without too much trouble. Its a very common problem. Check your oil, and check your coolant. If neither of them are contaminated by the other, then its the valve cover gasket and that's a super simple fix.

Riboflavin

Its been great since I got it fixed. I build computers but a car is beyond me. I know enough to get into trouble but taking stuff apart terrifies me. I did change the thermostat ages ago but it was pretty simple.
I don't know if 700 was high or low but I'm glad its fixed. Maybe I can get 2 more years out of it. :-)

bwanie

7 hundo for what i'd guess is an out of bay (maybe not needed if the car is big enough), half engine rebuild sounds like a steal.

webguy20

bwanie wrote: »

7 hundo for what i'd guess is an out of bay (maybe not needed if the car is big enough), half engine rebuild sounds like a steal.

Nah, All that stuff is an easy fix. I'd say its maybe a bit on the high side, but its mostly labor taking stuff off the top of the engine then putting it back on after the fact.

Happy to hear everything is running well now though!

bwanie

Yeah over here there's almost no cars that allow engine work in bay, but having a huge american Ford will probably help.

Riboflavin

Ding Dong the Witch is dead. My transmission died. I can drive it like 30 mph without redlining. I was quoted 2500-3000 to replace. I called a place that rebuilds and they quoted me 2k. The car has no heat and marginal AC.

I want to fix it because I have had it so long I have some irrational emotional attachment but I'm afraid it has become the money pit. I don't have a ton of discretionary cash and hate signing a loan. I keep telling myself 2-3k is cheaper than a new car but I feel I will be foolish to repair it. Anyway, in all likely hood RIP explorer, I will miss you. Unless I get crazy and decide to get it fixed.....

spool32

Don't get it fiiiiixed!

You can buy a $5000 beater that will run for more years than you'll get out of the repair, have nicer features, and a cheap car payment for a very short time.

Hevach

No heat suggests more than just the transmission - heater core, radiator, head gasket - something else in the cooling loop. Fair chance the engines fucked too, or will fuck itself shortly if you fix the transmission.

mRahmani

Don't fix it. The transmission repair means it's effectively totaled. Put the $3000 toward a newer, nicer ride.