losing oil..

[zaueugen]

the car is dripping oil from somewhere, it has been doing this for years and i once went to a mechanic who told me he would have to open the (box that holds the belts) because it seems the oil is leaking from there somewhere, he told me it would cost over 1000 because he would change the belts too to make sure they dont break... didnt help much, i never did anything about it, and add a little oil every 3 weeks depending on how much i burn... when i put the pedal down and drive it agresively, you can smell more oil driping on the exhaust which causes a burning smell... besides that the car runs good though and i have 240,000 miles on it.. any ideas as to what oil leak could be..?

[svxcess]

My bet is on leaking valve cover gaskets; a common problem with the SVX. could just be loose and need to be tightened a bit.

Replacing them is not a complicated job, just time-consuming. Might as well change your plugs at the same time.

The How-To can be found HERE. It can be done without removing the engine.


When was the last major maintenence done? (timing belt, water pump, plugs, etc.)

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[92snowmachine]

i agree that it sounds like the vc gasket because the front cam seals (which are behind the cover) don't usually end up on the exhaust. you may be able to just tighten down the bolts to stop the leak. ti also sounds like your mechanic might not know much about the svx or is greedy because over 1000 bucks to replace the timing belt and possibly a couple seals is really steep.

[1986nate]

My bet would be all seals need replacing. While doing the front seals, a water pump, thermostat, and timing belt parts are a good idea. If you want someone who knows what they're doing and won't rape you on pricing, send me a PM.

I'd also be willing to put money on the table that the PCV valve could use replacing.