White smoke, oil smell, no CELs (yet)
 

Well. After a big white puff at start up (I am told this can be normal), I drove the car to work - 30 miles (45 minutes). As soon as i hit stop and go traffic i couldn't help but notice the smell of burning oil. When I got to work and parked, I saw "smoke" bellowing out of the passenger side engine compartment "vent".

No CELs tripped. Haven't had a chance to look much of anything yet (top or bottom of the motor) because I was already late for work.

My first thought was Oil Seperator... but with all the "smoke" I figured if it was "internal" the computer would have tripped a code. A few weeks ago I did have a chain tensioner replaced but I am unsure if the two are related.

Thoughts?...

TIA!

I think you are right. Could be the OAS- Oil/Air Seperator.

AOS is what it is!

Hope you did not have a plan for that money anytime soon!

Well I did some more poking under the car. There seems to be a leak. When looking at the motor it is near the front (access panel) on the passenger side of the car. Oil is weeping out of "somewhere" and dripping down the engine case and then drips on the hot muffler (hence the strong smell of oil burn ;) )


Where is the OAS located? When it fails does it leak "externally"?

Well.

It wasn't the Air/Oil Separator.

I had a failed Oil Pressure Switch which sits passenger side of the motor, near the top, closest to the passenger seat (as opposed the other end near the trunk).

The switch failed which would let oil leak out.. under pressure of course.. and then drip down onto the hot exhaust.

Woo Hoo! She's back running as she should.