Originally posted by Roz 1999 SVT-C:
hey guys...I have been running 5w30 mobil 1 since i had the car in septemebr of last year. Now, i smell burinig oil...theres no smoke comming form the engine bay, or my exahust....and there are no visable leaks...though i believe my crank seal is leaking becaue i found oily sludge build up around it. guys think it may be the crank seal??


Roz



Based on my experience, I'd say the first thing you should look for is a leaky oil pan gasket. Oil gets onto the exhaust and produces a mighty stench thru the cabin air intakes. If you smell burning oil while stationary or in stop-and-go conditions, but it goes away when you're sailing along, I'd check the pan for oil residue.

Minor leak that it is, I'm having my pan gasket replaced tomorrow. I'm tired of being fumigated in my own car. The shop doing the work here in PA ordered the part from Carquest -- neoprene gasket w/ a metal collar. That puppy will never leak again.

Your crank seal may also be something to keep an eye on -- synth changeovers can expose more than one vulnerability. But I'd bet MONEY the Big Stink is due to a bad pan gasket.

And, you're absolutely correct to be running 5w-30. Until March, I lived in Texas for 20 years, where the air temp routinely hits 100+ between July and September. I ran Amsoil 5w-30 there in my CSVT with no problems. There's no need whatsoever to get jiggy with exotic viscosities.

BTW -- I lived in the East Bay in the mid-70's. A hot day was 90 -- and rare. When did the Bay Area start to see anything near 105-degrees? Are you being Drama-Girl , or has the climate there really changed that much?