Oil burning smell???

I've got something landing on my exhaust. I think its power steering coming from a line that crosses under/beside the motor. I replaced pcv valve and oil pan gasket. Anyone have this problem before?

could be lots of things, but if you have not recently worked on the power steering lines it is probably not that.

 

common leak points, valve cover gaskets, cam and crank seals on the front of the engine, oil pump too, and the oil separator plate on the back of the block (this looks like a rear main seal leak from the back of the engine but it isn't. it is right next to it though.)

 

go to the parts store and buy a couple of can of ''brake cleaner'' and spray off the bottom of your engine. then check it regularly to find the source of your leak.

 

another possible source is a busted axle boot. they can sling grease on the exhaust and make an awful stink. rebooting the axle will correct it.

Did cam seals, timing cover, and valve cover gaskets when I did timing and coolant system. I looked and I'm low on power steering fluid. But I'll see what I can find out. Thanks

the power steering leak is an o- ring in between the reservoir and the pump. check it out.

 

but the reservoir is not supposed to be full to the top so dont over fill. it takes AFT btw.

Recent oil change with slight spill? A thought. Happened once to me. Freaked me out, just saying. Does pwr str smell like oil?

It's the OIL SEPARATOR plate on the back of the engine. Most shops that don't know Subarus will say it's the rear main seal but it's the plate. You can only replace this plate by removing the engine. Subaru makes a metal updated plate to install instead of the plastic one that is prone to leak.

It is a bad idea to let this leak go for a long time because it drips directly onto the exhaust header and oil is flammable after 405 deg, especially if you don't have the heat shields on the pipes and take long trips or beat the crap out of your car.

I already know people will say oil won't catch a flame but they would be wrong. I'm not saying a few drops will but a decent amount dripping directly on to a hot header will def set ablaze. A few years back at this repair shop I was working at we had a 00 Grand Prix w/3.8 came in and needed a good amount of work. The valve covers being one of the repairs but the customer didn't have much money and opted out from fixing the valve covers. They were leaking pretty damn good especially the rear one. We did warn him of a possible fire, well a couple of weeks went by and one day his car got towed in and was just by the sut on the hood and windshield I knew what happen. He kinda lucked out by his car wasn't a total loss but it did catch fire to the point the plastic fuel lines running to the engine melted and really started to burn up. I don't remember where he was driving at but the flames were put out pretty quick otherwise it would've been a burnt shell.

Here's some pics of under the front end. Now I can't tell if its from the axle or motor. Sorry for crappy pics. Don't have jack or pavement haha

clean off the bottom of the engine with a couple of spray cans of ''brake clean'' or the like. then check it often to see where the oil is coming from.

 

if you have not needed to add ATF to the power steering reservoir that it not the leak. it looks like motor oil. too ''wet'' to be axle boot grease. although some of that could be mixed in.

I beg of you all to not laugh. This is my first awd vehicle, first subaru, and first non sports car. Does my car have a front pumpkin? It's a 97 legacy outback

The front diff in integrated in the trans itself. If you look right where the the header pipes from each head come together there's a drain plug. Basically look up between the subframe and exhaust pipe. The fill is the dipstick tube located on the top right side of the trans. It has a yellow colored dipstick tube. You check the fluid level with the car not running. GL.

Btw mine leaks in the same spot and its the oil separator plate but I'm not going to fix it untill I do my STI swap. I'll fix it before I sell the engine.