Strange Problem with my Daughter's Saturn

[Richard McAlister]

My daughter has a 2003 Saturn Vue with the 3.0L engine. While she was driving it a few days back the car starting smoking badly from under the hood, and the cabin filled with oil smoke, so bad she thought the car was on fire. She was just a couple of blocks from away, so she limped it back home. I went over to see about it and saw a trail of oil drops leading into her driveway and a large oil spot (about 2X3 feet) under the right side of the engine area. Car would start, but was the limp home mode lamp was on. It was definitely engine oil, the dipstick showed about 3/4 quart low and no indication of water in the oil. Radiator coolant level was fine.



Yesterday she started it and drove it to the mechanic, about two miles away. Car ran fine, no smoke (just a little smell under the hood from oil on the exhaust), the limp mode lamp was off. The mechanic could find no leaks, no problems at all.

Any ideas about what happened or cause and effect?



thanks! :banghead:

 

[Doctor CAD]

Blow-by from a failed PCV???

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Our sons car did exactly the same thing. It was the seal of the oil sending unit that went, and the whole unit needed to be replaced. Was a relatively cheap part and fix. Less $150 including labor and an oil change.



Funny thing was that the seal blew, made a mess by throwing oil all over, but then sealed itself. So, just like your incident, the leak went away after it occurred. Might have just needed the right temp or pressure to blow again...but we only drove her 2 miles to the service station after topping her off and cleaning her a bit.



Has been fine since getting fixed...this was a couple of months ago.



TJR

 

[scott degroot]

There is a tsb relating to the pcv freezing up and casuing high crankcase pressure which would cause your issues...might want to have that checked out.

 

[Richard McAlister]

thanks guys,

we're on a budget here and this will help!

:supercool: