Couple questions

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

1. I filled my tank up today and put in some injector cleaner by STP. I don't know if it has/will do anything, but i was noticing that after about an hour of driving it, when i came to a stop in traffic, i noticed a light whitish steam/smoke coming out from underneath the car. It didn't really smell like anything, maybe just like dirty or musty, but is this due to the injector cleaner by chance or is there possibly another problem?


2. I was driving on the freeway at about 70-75 and my engine temp was like in the lower 1/8 region so it was running nice and cool. When i got to my exit, it was backed up horribly and my temp slowly rose to exactly the half way point. This is when i noticed the steam, but i also noticed my oil pressure was extremely low. It was just right above the red on the bottom of the gauge. I revved a few times and it went up to like little under 1/2 maybe closer to 1/4. After a bit i got to a parking lot and let it sit for about an hour, and then i drove home for about an hour, and the oil pressure looked normal as it always did and my temp went back down to lower 1/8 for the faster driving.

{no SES light, no LOW OIL light, checked the oil level and it looked fine.}

sorry this is so long. I probably coulda shortened it up but it's not that bad i guess..

[ONLNTM5A]

Re: Couple questions

Your water pump may have gone out, and as far as the oil pressure thing, there may just be some kind of electrical glitch caused by the cooling system problem. You have to look to see where the coolant (steam) is coming from. If it's in the front of the motor, it could very likely be the water pump, which is a common problem.
Here are a couple of Threads with similar problems:


http://forum.camarov6.com/showthread.php?t=72242

On this thread:
http://forum.camarov6.com/showthread.php?t=72224

here are two posts that discuss a similar problem with the overheating and oil pressure problem:


Hello

I own a 1997 White Firebird 3.8 V6.

When I first bought the car it had a water leak. After trackign it down it was the elbow that is underneath the plenum. I have replaced that and also replaced the water pump and water transfer unit. Still I will be sitting there in traffic and it will shoot to 225 degrees. I put a 180 in it. Any ideas?

Its got 98000 miles on it
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That has been quite a while ago. I have changed the oil since then and also filled it back up. I even had it flushed afterwards. Its really weird. It will work sometimes and lately its getting hotter more often. Also I remember my oil pressure at a steady pace when I first bought it but now its starting to get lower and lower. It sometime drops down to the first notch after the red line. Not all the way down but i guess I would say 1/4 of the way.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Couple questions

see the thing is, it's not overheating at all. It was running at about 1/8 of the temp gauge, right above the lowest line. When i was sitting in traffic, it only went up to the very middle line, half way up/down the gauge. I don't think anything is wrong with my coolant system.


However i did notice something today. I had a slow oil leak from my rear main seal as the mechanic said, and it dropped once every couple minutes and when the engine cooled, it didn't drip at all. However today i noticed that the oil is leaking quite a bit, very frequent dripping. I really don't have any money to spend now, but the guy said it would be $385 to fix the leak. He said it's so high because he would have to take the engine out to do it.. Is there anything at all that i can do to fix or slow the leak down at leasT??

[97rs4life]

Re: Couple questions

your temp is acting normal, when sitting in traffic it is common for our cars to reach 210 because the fans don't come on till then in the stock settings. Adding a lower temp thermo and chaning your fan settings with hp tuners will keep that lower.

Your oil psi problem is probably that oil leak of yours with the main seal. A good running engine will run 60psi while driving and drop a bit to no less than 45psi when sitting idle.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Couple questions

that was the only time my oil pressure has been that low. I drove the car today and it was a little above 3/8 on the gauge and went up with the rpms. How much is it going to cost for a new rear main...do i really have to lift the engine to replace it?

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Couple questions

I was just looking at it and it looks like the oil is actually dripping from the skip plate between the two front wheels but coming from in front of it and dripping down onto it. The oil filter is dirty and misted with oil and dirt.. I don't know if any of this will tell anyone something, but maybe it's not my rear main? (crossed fingers)... i don't really know where the rear main is though..

[T-Mill]

Re: Couple questions

if it's misted onto the oil filter, check around places where oil could get on your belt and fling it around. rear main is in the back of the engine. You could probly get to it without lifting out the engine, but you'd have to remove tranny I would think, and that's almost as much work, if not more...

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Couple questions

does anyone have a better estimate as to what it might cost if i had a friend do it? He won't charge as much for labor as the body shops but he still charges..a low estimate from anyone?

[slow6]

Re: Couple questions

does anyone have a better estimate as to what it might cost if i had a friend do it? He won't charge as much for labor as the body shops but he still charges..a low estimate from anyone?

well, you gotta tell us what parts need to be fixed. What work is going to be done? You just said you dont think its your rear main, so what is it?

[Ace]

Re: Couple questions

see the thing is, it's not overheating at all. It was running at about 1/8 of the temp gauge, right above the lowest line. When i was sitting in traffic, it only went up to the very middle line, half way up/down the gauge. I don't think anything is wrong with my coolant system.


However i did notice something today. I had a slow oil leak from my rear main seal as the mechanic said, and it dropped once every couple minutes and when the engine cooled, it didn't drip at all. However today i noticed that the oil is leaking quite a bit, very frequent dripping. I really don't have any money to spend now, but the guy said it would be $385 to fix the leak. He said it's so high because he would have to take the engine out to do it.. Is there anything at all that i can do to fix or slow the leak down at leasT??

Well if its the rear main seal then $385 is a great price. The engine doesnt need to come out, the tranny needs to come off. Most shops would charge $450 to change the rear main seal on your car. However a leaky rear main seal more that likely wouldnt get oil on the front of your engine. Im going with the front seal.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Couple questions

i never said it isn't the rear main, i don't know, that's what the mechanic said when he checked it out. But if it is the rear main, why would it be dripping down the front of my side plate between my front wheels and spraying on the front of my engine?

[Ace]

Re: Couple questions

Last time i had "oil" in the exact areas you say i had a leaky power steering pump.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Couple questions

since then, the oil leak got horrible. Took it to my mechanic friend, the oil pressure switch was cracked, and oil was oozing out through there like crazy..

it started really leaking like 2 days ago, and the oil was full at that time. However today the oil pressure was very low when i got to his house, and i had to put 4 quarts of oil into it after the new switch was installed.

I must be thankful to God that my engine didn't seize up for lack of oil...I think i caught it in time and i am soo lucky for that..

[slow6]

Re: Couple questions

by "switch" do you mean "sensor"?
the worst damage could be to the bearings but I'm glad you caught it in time ;)