4 Symptoms of a Leaking Valve Cover Gasket
Oil leaks are a nuisance for aging engines, but valve cover leaks are at the top of the list and are the most common. However, valve cover gasket leaks are common, so don’t worry, especially if your car has a few miles on it.
Symptoms of a Bad Valve Cover Gasket
A bad valve cover gasket can cause a number of pesky, yet easily recognizable, symptoms. Most of this type of symptom is relatively standardized across certain engine models. Below are some of the most common symptoms associated with a faulty valve cover gasket.
1) Burning oil smell
When oil leaks from your engine’s valve cover gasket, it comes into contact with many heated surfaces. This oily residue begins to “cook” when exposed to a heat source inside your vehicle’s engine bay. This creates a noticeable smell of burning oil.
This smell will continue until you replace the defective valve cover gasket. After replacement, your vehicle’s engine should be washed with degreaser and warm water. This will reduce the odor mentioned above.
2) Visible oil on the engine’s exterior
The easiest way to identify a valve cover gasket leak is by the oily residue that coats the exterior of your engine’s cylinder head. If such a leak becomes severe, this residue can spread downwards towards the engine block.
3) Low Oil Level
Internal combustion engines are designed to run on a certain amount of engine oil, which is expressed as the engine’s total oil capacity. If at some point oil leaks from the engine and is not replenished, the total amount of oil in the engine will decrease.
If the valve cover gasket leaks severely, it can cause subsequent problems, including lowering your engine’s oil levels and accelerating wear on internal components. This can be disastrous if not addressed immediately.
4) Engine Misfires
A leaking valve cover gasket can cause oil to end up in places it shouldn’t be. One such place is the area in and around your engine’s spark plug well. Oil buildup in this area can cause a variety of issues, including engine misfires.
Over time, if enough oil leaks, it can contaminate the spark plugs to the point that the insulators and electrodes become saturated. This may require the spark plugs to be replaced.