Smoke from hood when not warmed up

[arnoldv]

1991 Navajo 111,000 4.0L V-6 OHV

When I don't warm up my car and after about 5 minutes of driving, smoke would come out of the hood. But when I warm it up(about 5-10 min), smoke's not visible, but smells. Could it be burning oil?

 

[WyoExplorer]

Does it smell like burning oil?

 

[arnoldv]

Originally posted by WyoExplorer
Does it smell like burning oil?

Actually, come to think of it, my car has an oil leak. But a lot of smoke would be visible ONLY when the car's not warmed up. Will it damage my car?????

I was replacing my air filter, smelled it and it smelled exactly the same thing.

 

[toad]

Valve cover gaskets leaking onto header?

 

[arnoldv]

Originally posted by toad
Valve cover gaskets leaking onto header?

How would I check?

 

[toad]

You should be able to see oil, or black crappy residue on the exhaust manifold.

 

[01EB5.0]

yeah it sounds like it's a gasket..once the engine warms up the metal expands, tightening the crack.