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  #1  
Old 01-07-2002, 03:21 PM
moedip
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Question 1989 560sel -help!!

Just started - when car started from cold - no problem - as soon as temp guage hits 85C - small plumes of white smoke come from under hood on passenger side. Most noticable when sitting at a red light. Upon lifting hood - you can smell burnt engine oil and it appears to be burning off the exhaust manifold on passenger side BEHIND the head. It is behind the engine head near fire wall. Problem gets worse on right hand turns. What we can see of exhaust manifold is dry -no sign of oil so it is behind the head where the leak is. Everything else is normal. My mechanic said it was a leaking valve cover gasket. Replaced it with a new one - no difference - when car is cold no oil smoke - as soon as it hits temp (85C) it starts burning oil off the back of passenger side exhaust manifold behind head. I thought maybe head gasket but my mechanic says it is below exhaust manifold and cannot be the problem. Any thoughts before we start looking??? Can the valve cover warp? - bolts are torqued properly. Gasket installed properly. When engine is not yet at temp. and exhaust is hot - no smoke!

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Old 01-07-2002, 03:23 PM
moedip
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SORRY - MISTAKE IN PREVIOUS POST

SORRY - MEANT TO SAY "ONE LEFT HAND TURN" NOT "RIGHT HAND TURN" RIGHT HAND TURN ACTUALLY MAKES IT LESS NOTICABLE FOR A MINUTE OR SO.
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  #3  
Old 01-08-2002, 11:46 AM
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Look lower on the exhaust pipe, about where it is below the passenger's seat. If your transmission is leaking fluid, it ends up there and can give you some smoke. You will see a stain on the pipe where the fluid has spattered and cooked onto the hot pipe. Trans fluid will also give white smoke. Mine has started dripping recently and it gave me some smoke once. Not clouds, but enough to make me pull out of the bumper to bumper traffic I was sitting in and stick my head under the car. It still drips there, but a quick trip to the car wash and a spray of the wash hose cleaned the crud off and no more smoke.

Good luck!
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1989 560SEL (172k)
1989 325IC (122K)
2004 Suzuki Volusia LE (3500 miles)
2005 Yamaha Road Star (20 K miles)
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Old 01-08-2002, 01:38 PM
moedip
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thanks

will let you know
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  #5  
Old 01-09-2002, 08:28 AM
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Location: Sunny Florida
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I learned more last night replacing my monovalve to fix my heat: This is exactly what happened when I spilled the coolant opening the monovalve. White smoke, burning off the exhaust. Mine went away after a minute, as it was only ther residue from what I spilled. Maybe one of those small coolant lines near the monovalve is drooling? Look on the firewall, just inside from the battery. You will see a switch mounted on a diagnostic port. Look under it. The little square guy with four screws and a round cylinder in the center is the monovalve. Above it is a hose, about 1/2 inch diameter with coolant. Look for wet around there, with the car running and warm.

Good luck, keep us posted.
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1989 560SEL (172k)
1989 325IC (122K)
2004 Suzuki Volusia LE (3500 miles)
2005 Yamaha Road Star (20 K miles)
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  #6  
Old 05-03-2002, 09:33 AM
moedip
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Got my 560 out of winter storage and drove it to get the rear window replaced as planned. The same smell of oil came into the cabin and lifting the hood the smoke of burning oil on the exhaust was back. Got a halogen spotlight and using a mirror looked at the back of the passenger side head - sure enough - it was leaking from the valve cover gasket! The old gasket did it and so is the new one. Ticked off, I removed the valve cover again and wiped the back area clean and checked it - nothing. Cleaned the oil off the the sealing surface of the head and inspected with a bright light - nothing. As a last resort - when I reinstalled the valve cover I noticed that it had some wiggle room with bolts started but not tightened. I pushed the valve cover closer to the intake manifold and forward to get the gasket at the rear to sit higher up on the head sealing surface as far as the wiggle room on the valve cover bolt holes would allow - and tightened to specs. After the oil that ran down onto the exhaust from removing the valve cover burned off (about 1/2 hour) NO MORE DRIP!! I let the engine cool and started it again - it reached temp. and no more smoke! I guess the sealing surface on the back of the valve cover is very tight and if the valve cover is not installed with the slight extra grab by moving it upwards and forward the gasket will not have enough bite on the sealing surface and as the engine warms up - metal expands - and the drip started. Chalk another one up to stupidly simple when diagnosed. Thanks to all for your input! Hope this helps someone else if they get the same problem.
Next step - engine temp. Have to wait for it to get warm to check. at temps under 80F outside - gauge never climbs over 90C. While I'm waiting for the weather - I guess I will give her a good wash and polish coming out of storage:p :p :p
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  #7  
Old 08-14-2002, 01:07 PM
moedip
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Well - after numerous hours and 3 valve cover gaskets later - I gave up. I knew it was coming from the back top of the motor but could not find where it was leaking but strongly suspected the valve cover gasket even though new. I sprayed the side and back of the engine with degreaser and rinsed the engine clean. I then drove it to Mercedes Dealership and told them to find the d#$n leak. One hour later they are pretty sure that the valve cover was warped at the rear sealing edge. they gave me two options - without prices - Have my cover planed flat or a new one. So now this stupid little problem is almost resolved. Need suggestions - have cover planed or a new one? Which way to go? Fast lane has a new one for $171.00. What do you guys suggest? Will the planed one be OK or will it continue to warp?
Thanks for any suggestions.
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  #8  
Old 08-14-2002, 09:07 PM
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Valve cover warped -- solution

The best solution is to clean everything off real well --all the sealing surfaces with brake cleaner on shop towels. Then use black RTV on the head and valve cover gasket surfaces and put the two together. It won't leak again.

Infiniti doesn't use gaskets they use RTV everywher and they do not leak oil.

Lots of auto manufacturere asr using RTV's in lots of places now rather than gaskets.

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