fresnodave

I recently replaced fuel injectors and knock sensor. now I fear I may have a blown head gasket.


The car is running well, none of the typical symptoms of a blown head gasket: no overheating, smoking or signs if water in oil.


I started the car the other day and it sounds like a tractor, obvious exhaust leak. the noise seems to be coming from the rear of the engine. The first thing I thought was someone stole my cat, checked the exhaust system, everything seems to be intact and in good condition. then I noticed an oil leak coming from the rear passenger side, it leaks in a steady drip when the engine is running, no leaking when it just sitting. I put some cardboard under the leak, and the oil seems king of rusty looking and contaminated. Just changed the oil, so it should look good. The oil at the dipstick looks clean, the anti-freeze at the radiator cap appears clean and green.


I'd love to finds out I'm wrong, but unless the oil leak and exhaust leak are unrelated I'm afraid it is a blown head gasket.


My next step is to get a compression gauge and test.

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

Why did you replace the fuel injectors?

Have you driven the car, does the engine feel like it has all of it's power?

Is the oil leak coming from the oil pressure sensor?

Violator

try looking under the car when you give it gas to see if you can see a leak,had a leak in the ypipe/header area on my last car and i could see exhaust coming out.

Your oil sending unit/pressure switch might be the cause of your oil leak like he said^^

fresnodave

for the whole story about my fuel injectors, see my previous post
"Gas Pouring Out Of Tailpipe" 5 out of 6 were bad.


I haven't driven the car, but I've warmed it up to operating temp twice in the driveway to see if it will throw a code, no codes so far. It seems to run good, though, except for the noise.


I haven't been able to figure out exactly where the oil is leaking from, but will check the oil sender. I'd love to find out I'm wrong on this one, and I am wrong most of the time anyway, just ask my wife.

JvG

Why have you decided that the head gasket might be blown?

Because it leaks aND has a hast noise?

These symptoms might make sense ifthis were an air cooled engine.

You can have two seperate issues occuring, but the head gasket is probably ok.

fresnodave

I'm thinking head gasket because the exhaust leak and oil leak occurred at the same time, so they may be from the same source.


I just located the leak. jacked up the front end, put it on jack stands, removed the right front wheel and splash guard, crawled under there and looked for a while with the engine running. Oil is seeping from around the outer most exhaust stud on the passenger side.

vqmaxman

If the oil didn't look milk chocolate and the exhaust is not blowing out white smoke, you shouldn't have a blown head gasket. Loosing coolant that would also indicate a blown head gasket, you would have a sputtering misfire and a white smoke coming out the tailpipe with a sweet smell of coolant and coolant fluid. The oil dipstick would have a smell also with chocolate color or a dirty green brown color. The issue as of now you should check the oil leak. I think it could be the rear valve covers. Check with a towel wipe the back of the manifold and engine towards the firewall side for oil leaks. The exhaust leak could be a blown headers or warped heads, if the car did over heat a bite.

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

If you had that much extra fuel leaving the engine your cats are most likely ruined now. They will clog the exhaust causing all sorts of issues.

93SCMax

iTrader: (3)

+1 on the VC leakage. This is a standard failure but not something that everyone corrects due to the cost (paying someone else) or the effort (if you tackle yourself). If the car keeps running w/o noise or overheating, it's not the head gasket.
Good for you!

fresnodave

As I said, I've located the oil leak coming from around the exhaust stud on the outermost passenger side observed with the engine running. Seems like an odd place for oil to be leaking from, I assume the exhaust leak is coming from the same spot

Violator

right above the exhaust manifolds are your valve covers, and when they start leaking, which they do, it's 99% of the time from the sharp corners on the passenger side

fresnodave

video of leak

fresnodave

the video is too large, here is a photo, the perspective is sideways because I had to hold my phone that way to get a picture, but you can tell which way is up from the way the oil is flowing

vqmaxman

It's possible that this leak is so bad that the rear valve covers leaking over the powersteering pump. I am wondering if your also leaking ps fluid. If the ps fluid is not leaking or it's not being topped of than as i have stated it's the rear valve covers.

Violator

i just did my valve covers and headers and in my case it was leaking all over the power steering pump, actually down the whole passenger side of the car

fresnodave

Now I'm thinking it might be the power steering leaking, and not an oil leak at all. I had noticed that the power steering fluid was a little low. I put a mark on the reservoir with a sharpie, I'll run it a while and see if it gets lower. I had also noticed before that the oil leaking out looked kind of reddish or rusty, power steering fluid?


The exhaust leak seems to be from the rear manifold, I'll try posting the video again, it looks like it should be small enough 125mb or so, but it wouldn't post last night.

JoshG

That's funny, I have a leak currently similar to yours, oil or power steering fluid on the passenger side. Was told

Power steering pump and hoses leaking
Rear valve covers leaking
Passenger cv boot is torn (probably because of the leak)
And rear main seal (leaks more in the center not the passenger)

So we are dealing with similar leaks.