help with burning oil possible leak hard start at times

[cmz829]

i have a 95 atx and at stop through the heater you can smell burning oil and after shutting the car off near the hood. it doesnt seem to really matter how long the car is off for but sometimes when i try to start it will crank fine but takes a little longer to start and it starts roughly and idles at about 400 rpms if i give it some throttle maybe hold it about 3k for 10 seconds or so it idles at about 850 which (which is low normal for my car) and doesnt give me any more problems till next time i try to start. sometimes it starts perfect tho also

 

[Bob Gervais]

Sounds like it's time for a 60k service. You may have one or more seals leaking, the valve covers, or plug well seals. The hard starting condition may be from oil leaking past the rear cam seal, and into the cam position sensor.

Hard to tell exactly where the leak is without seeing it, but it sounds like you're overdue for some maintenance.

 

[cmz829]

i was told by the previous owner that the valve seals and spark plugs and wires were replaced 6 months ago can i pull a spark plug to see if it has oil in the well without removing the intake? i was told that the hard start may be due to a dirty fuel filter is that a possibility? that doesnt help answer the oild burning problem though

 

[Bob Gervais]

Well, if they did the valve seals, I would hope that they did the valve cover gaskets and plug well seals while they were in there. But, as with anything, there's a chance that none of that stuff was done.

You can pull any of the front three plug wires without removing the intake to check the plug wells. While you're at it, may as well pull a plug out too to see if they were in fact replaced.

The hard start could be any of quite a few things. The fuel filter could possibly be the problem, but the car should start hard all the time if that's the case.

It could also be the drainback valve (or whatever the technical term for it is) on the fuel pump. Mine is faulty, and it'll take a couple tries to get it started sometimes. Basically speaking, the fuel in the lines drains back into the tank when the car is shut off, and it takes a couple of fuel pump cycles to get it back up to the injectors again. Next time you start it, try turning the key to the "run" position a couple of times, then crank it to start it.

To check if there's oil messing up the cam pos. sensor, take out the two screws holding the sensor on, and take it off. Look inside it to see if there's any oil.

 

[cmz829]

i checked the plug wells and there was no oil in the wellsbut to the left of the spark plugs there is what looks like oil its on one hex screw on the left side under the intake manifold and a little bit leaked near the one plug well but none in it do you think it could have leaked into the other spark plugs that i cant access? also do you know what is leaking? i dont know if it was just a coincidence but the only time it was hard to start today was when my car was facing up a hill for a while

 

[93rev2sev]

Cam Position Sensor. This causes the rough start.

Rear cam seal leaking on the cat. This causes the burning oil smell.

Just 2 shots in the dark...betcha I'm right though. hehe