I drove my car today and smelled like somthing was burning so I lifted up my hood and saw some smoke. Any one have any ideas? Here is the video of it. thanx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agpXUQjvMlc

 

from the looks it could be oil or power steering fluid . CHeck your valve covers to see if they are wet in the rear.

 

whats your mileage and your mant. record?

 

I had an issue where my car started smoking as well. The check engine light turned on but the engine temperature wasn't excessively hot or anything...

 

Most of the time smoke from the engine is because some sort of liquid (oil) is getting on the hot components of the engine. Check for leaks.

 

your rear valve cover gasket leaks oil onto the exhaust manifold and that smokes. 100% sure on that one

 

Good possibility listed above, the valve cover's right on top of the EM.
Check your belts for damage, any liquid.
You really need to get under the car to inspect if you are unable to see anything from the top (which you likely won't)
As well, does it smell like oil burning, or exhaust? It's possible that is just an exhaust leak.
Smell will tell you the urgency of the problem, but you've gotta get under it to find out for sure either way

 

In the past month or two, I have been having alot of isues with my car.
first my car stalled out at light and would not start.
then it did it again.
then 3 days ago my car wouldnt start period.
so recently I have
1. Change fuel filter
2. Changed oil
3. Changed fuel filter
4. Cleaned throttle body and IACV
5. Cleaned MAF sensor
6. Grounded my starter
7. Changed starter.

Next is change the belt and the spark plugs. I have 142,000 miles.
Before I changed my oil my self, I took it somewhere and they said that there was to much oil and they couldn't change it.

So how should I go about fixing the smoke? and if i have an oil leak, how can i find it?

 

What does it smell like? Does it have a sweet odor to it? It could be a coolant line that has sprung a leak; you have a couple of lines back there going into & out of the firewall to the heater core. If it smells more like burnt oil, it could be dripping from your rear valve cover as has been posted.

 

you might want to go somewhere else for an oil change. I've never heard of anyone saying that they can't change your oil because you had too much oil in it. Either the oil cans were full that day, or they're ust plain retarded.

 

I'll go with the retarded one.

Its not a sweet smell. I think it is burnt oil but am not sure. How can I determine where the oil is coming from?

 

If you can jack up the front end and look underneath where the exhaust manifold is check if you have any oil on the head where the valve cover mates. If its oily or if you see any hoses touching the manifold or engine that can indicate where the smoke is coming from. Although its likely to be the valve covers. I had the same problem with the smoke from my engine. I changed the valve covers myself about a month ago and it never smoked again.

 

if it doesnt have a sweet smell then its not coolant from your radiator. turn it on. lift the hood and see if you see a leak.

 

Maybe there is a reason you listed #1. twice.
How recently did you change the filter? How much fuel did you lose/spill around the car.

This should've been included in your Original Post, for future reference. Recent repairs, especially if completed by yourself, should be listed with any problem you report, even when they seem unrelated.

When you were messing around in there (by the firewall, TB, fuel filter etc.) is there a chance that you accidentally knocked loose or disconnected a line, wire or anything else?

 

not trying to be a *** but you have to do less typing and more wrenching jack up the car and look for the leak

 

thats def oil related.

 

Def. Oil Related, i have a burning oder sometimes as well, mines only at WOT though which is odd... theres a thread open for it atm but it could be my valve cover as well... but hey look at the bright side guys at least hes asking questions rather than going and getting himself into more trouble, all we need is another "umm where does this hose/sensor/wire/belt/bolt/part go?" thread.

 

I have the same problem. Don't thing I am savy enough to change the valve covers, how much am I looking at to do this. I am not taking it to the dealership but to another foreign car mechanic.

 

I have the same problem. However I am not taking it to the Nissan dealership. I am taking it to a foreign car mechanic who was referred to me. How much would I be looking at to change the valve covers?

 

Same thing happend to me and it was my water pump..changed it engine light went off and smoking stoped..

 

your engine rolled up a good one

 

what can i do to tune up my 95 maxima

 

put an 03 motor in there instead

 

Well for the seals and gaskets your going to need a valve cover gasket for each valve cover, grommets for your bolts, and tube seals for spark plugs. For the set it should cost around $50-60.Also a upper manifold plenum gasket that should be less than $10. Also you might need new rubber hoses if they are cracked or get cut in the removal process. However I don't know how much that mechanic is going to charge for labor. If you have the tools you should do it yourself its not complicated.

 

How did you pay for everything? Gaskets seals everything? if you remember

 

I mean " How much did you pay?" heh

 

Ha, never heard of that one b4

 

Pause that video at about 0:34 second mark or so. It looks like your radiator cap is not fully tight. Or may be I'm just seeing things.

Edit: Disregard my post. I didn't realize this thread was started over 2 weeks ago. I would imagine he would've tightened the rad cap by now.

 

hummmm good call on this one

 

I payed a total of $93.98. Thats with a valve cover gasket set intake gasket and pcv valve also retaing clips for wires, new grommet for pcv valve, rtv sealent and 1' of rubber hose.

 

I am having the same problem with my 97 maxima. I just replaced my rear an front valve cover gaskets. I don't know what the problem is???

 

Did you look around for any more leaks? Did you clean up the oil that already got on the exhaust manifolds? If not, it'll still smoke...

 

Yea I got all of that off, but when I crank the car I can see coolant dripping.

 

I checked all of the hose clamps that i could see

 

Well, where exactly is it dripping from? There's your problem...

 

Had the same problem this week. It was a leaky rear valve cover. Thanks all you guys for your help.