Go Back   986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners > Porsche Boxster & Cayman Forums > Boxster General Discussions

Post Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-18-2010, 10:19 AM   #1
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 97
Unhappy Oil on exhaust=fire?

My latest concern- I have a very slow leak from my RH head cover gasket (I think) which occasionally drips onto the O2 sensor prior to the cat. I think it is a pretty common area for a leak, since I have read of others in the same place.

I just went for a long, fast drive on the autobahn (110-120 for over an hour) as soon as I pulled off the road, engine fan was blowing smoke from the RH vent. Not a lot, but enough to see from the driver's seat.

Can oil on the exhaust get hot enough to burn? Is this something which needs immediate attention, or can it wait a month or so?

__________________
http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/...dall/Car-1.jpg

2001 S Speed Yellow, matching interior, German Plates!!
Iflylow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2010, 11:49 AM   #2
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Buffalo NY
Posts: 828
I've seen oil spilled on many different exhaust manifolds over many different models and years, all it has ever done is smoke & stink. Put it this way, 50% of the cars leaving pep boys would be on fire within a block from their parking lot rush oil jobs.
eightsandaces is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2010, 12:11 PM   #3
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 97
Guess you're right

Thanks for the insight ( and the great visual) That's what I figured, just needed someone to back it up. All I could see in my head was a burning hulk with a Porsche emblem
__________________
http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/...dall/Car-1.jpg

2001 S Speed Yellow, matching interior, German Plates!!
Iflylow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2010, 12:15 PM   #4
JTP
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: MD
Posts: 628
About 20 yrs ago, I had to fly out to New Mexico to reposess a 924 and drive it back to NYC. Trip took about 34 hrs of straight driving. Making a late night stop at a gas station, I checked the oil and noticed the exhaust manifold was glowing red/orange hot. If it was my car, I would have been worried but as it was, I was a repoman in a repocar and the car was now the bank's problem. Plus I was in a rush so I topped off the oil but I forgot to put the oil fill cap back on. About an hour later someone passes me screaming something about smoke so I pull over, open the hood and everything is covered in oil, manifold still glowing red hot, but thankfully nothing was on fire. Oil cap was exactly where I left it, put it back on and kept going. Got more oil at the next station.
JTP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2010, 02:10 PM   #5
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Orlando
Posts: 290
I had the same symptoms. Turned out to be my valve seal was leaking oil onto my exhaust on the back right of the car.

Independent Shop quoted ~$500

Porsche fixed it for ~$270 and I got a loaner. Total fix was less than 2 hours.


It only happened once every few weeks and I let it go on for 4 months before fixing it
Highlow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2010, 02:46 PM   #6
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 83
Mine leaked for almost a year before I finally replaced the seals. Every time I pull up to a stop after a "spirited drive" smoke would be coming from under the car. Never any fire. Repalcing those seals ended up neing a simple DIY and cost is $30 in parts. plus a couple hours of work including cleaning the engine.
I should have done it earlier.
__________________
1983 928 S Euro- fun to work on
2002 Boxster- fun to work on, being able to drive it is a bonus
al83s is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2010, 06:46 PM   #7
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 277
Motor oil's flashpoint is high, thus, no combustion in the situation you describe.

wanna986 is offline   Reply With Quote
Post Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -8. The time now is 05:48 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page