I’m attaching a video of what’s happening:
Link: https://youtu.be/-pQuE_S4blc
Any advice? I’m taking it to the shop, but I love to check the forum first so I can point them in the right direction.
Dodge Avenger 08
And how will you know that it is the right direction ? You pay a shop to solve problems , not replace things you might think is failing. All you need to do is ask them to get your approval before any work or parts are replaced.
Is there a problem with me gathering extra research?
Is gathering extra research a problem?
It is if you lead the shop to the wrong diagnosis. I didn’t see any smoking an don’t have the smellavision option on my computer.
Thanks for taking a look.
It looks like something is leaking and dripping onto the exhaust manifold next to the heat shield…causing it smoke a little.
Just wanted to post to see what experts think. This is no different from a shop worker asking his co-workers what do they think is wrong with the car.
Can’t go to shop right now, going after work.
You’re right, it isn’t any different than asking those people for opinions and is always good to be informed but what set people off is when you said you would use that information to point them in the right direction. That’s where things can go off the tracks. Telling the professional how to do their job can have numerous consequences, most negative…
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Who says I’m telling them that this is the problem?!
I just like to know things for myself just in case someone tries to mislead me. Or if their diagnosis is not even related to where the problem is coming from.
I hear about people being scammed all the time…not ‘I’
First you may find a smart person tell you that the tappet cover is leaking. Then you tell your real mechanic you thing the tappet cover is leaking. Well the mechanic sees that the the PCV valve is leaking, so he replaces the PCV and tappet cover gasket and charges you for both. You pay the extra $90 dollars for an unnecessary tappet cover gasket, saying to yourself I knew it was the tappet cover gasket and everybody’s happy. But you still payed an extra $90.
Or, you tell them you think it’s the tappet cover, and a not so experienced mechanic takes a quick look and says “yup looks like you’re right” and quickly changes the gasket. Then in a week your back with oil still leaking.
It’s always good to be informed, but always tell your mechanic the symptoms only. The more detailed the symptoms the better.
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You have a very short memory. Fortunately, we have cut and paste:
Looks like there is a lot of oil leaking from the cylinder head cover onto the exhaust manifold.
So you tell the shop that you think the engine may be leaking oil, you smell something burning and sometime see smoke.
The service adviser writes on the repair order “Check for oil leaks/smoke/odor.”
If they come back with an estimate to replace the cylinder head cover gasket/valve cover gasket you will likely be satisfied with their assessment of the problem. Asking for advise before taking the vehicle in shouldn’t be a problem.
Thank you for this answer!!! I wish I can give you gold.
Volvo’s tone could use improvement, but he does make a good point. It’s not that you shouldn’t pop on here and ask, but when you actually take it to the shop, you should limit your discussion to only what symptoms you observed. Then after the mechanic tells you what he thinks the problem is, you can compare it to what you’ve seen here and see if it makes sense. If he tells you the symptoms are because the rear brake caliper is seized, you know he’s off base. 
A lot of people will ask what a forum thinks the problem is, and then go tell the mechanic “Replace part X.” And the mechanic will, and that wasn’t the problem, and now they’re out money because they did not tell the mechanic to diagnose the problem - they just told him to replace a part, which he did.
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Like most inexperienced naive kids, you have an evolving story to fit never having to say you might have been wrong. That’s OK, when you get older, you may learn how to handle it better…
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