Bought a new car (1995 Acura Integra LS) **PICS**

[Kroze]

I just bought my 95 Acura Integra Special Edition for $2k. 180k miles, Original owner, all maintenance is up to date, timing belt, water pump, wires, spark plugs, etc..

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After some simple green/degreaser, the engine bay looks pretty nice for having 180k miles.
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While driving the car, I constantly smelled burning oil. I opened the hood and saw smoke coming off this area. I smelled it and surely enough it was the same smell. I couldn't really see what's going on because of the heat shield blocking the manifold. I assumed it's oil leaking/dripping onto the exhaust/catalytic converter??
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Jacked the car up to see what could be the cause...and here it is. What do you guys think is causing that burning smell?
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I also found out I am going to have to replace BOTH CV Axles
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Just for shit & giggles, I called a local mechanic to see how much to replace the Pressure Steering Hose & Both CV Axles. Do you think this price is fair?

LABOR ONLY:
Power steering pressure hose - 2 hours - $180 with tax.
Both CV Axles - $500.

 

[Kroze]

So I took the exhaust off today to find where oil is leaking & burning off other than the oil pan gasket. Here are some pics, anyone have an idea?

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[CurseTheSky]

Originally posted by: Kroze
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Bad head gasket would be my guess.

 

[reallyscrued]

I own a 2000 Civic Si, B16A2, lots of similarities. That metal hood is the heat shield covering the exhaust manifold. Hard to say how oil is getting there, might considering doing a Valve Cover Gasket inspection or just going ahead and replacing it, its cheap and fairly easy to do.

Unless you see funny colored oil when you drain it out or funny colored coolant, the head gasket cannot be the culprit.

Oh btw, boo on the automatic. Check to see how the transmission fluid is holding up.

 

[SJP0tato]

Distributor seal (little o-ring), exhaust cam seal (The black rubber plug capping off the exhaust cam), and valve cover seals (one on the rim of the valve cover + 4 sparkplug seals). Take the valve cover off, clean up the surfaces/remove old gasket material and install new seals.

Often enough it's one or more of these that leak, and it runs down the side/front of the engine and winds up covering all sorts of surfaces. Sometimes mis-diagnosed as a bad headgasket, as it appears to be seeping from between the head and block. Your oil pan gasket is likely also bad with that many miles. You can try tightening each of the oil pan bolts maybe a 1/2 turn, but after this much time/miles you probably need to get a new one too. I'd recommend starting with the upper end seals first, clean up all the surfaces, and give it a couple weeks.


Also: No idea on the power steering charge, I've never had to do it, but it seems high.

The axles is highway robbery if it doesn't include parts. Remove wheels, remove hub bolts, open balljoints, pop out the axle. Install is reversed. It's not the simplest thing to do without the proper tools, but any experienced mechanic shouldn't charge more than an hour labor (maybe $85/hr?) for each side.

 

[bpjz24]

(Unless you see funny colored oil when you drain it out or funny colored coolant, the head gasket cannot be the culprit.)

Yes it can, a head gasket can 'rot' out between a oil feed or return hole and the outside of the engine block, causing a external oil leak, coolant can leak the same way.

 

[bruceb]

The cost for the steering hose is about right at a mechanic. But you can also do it yourself. Just bleed out the air, usually by turning lock to lock a few times and holding at each end. Top off the power steering fluid (see owners manual for type as some cars use ATF for power steering. You would need basic hand tools and some flare nut wrenches to change the line, but it can be done in the driveway. As to the cv joints, you can do that yourself if you can get them out of the transaxle. Sometimes they pop right out, other times, you need to use some persuassion like a slide hammer. I would suggest new seals at the tranny where the axles go in. No point in taking them out and leaving old seals in place.

You seem to have gotten a fairly good condition car from the photos, except for the tear in the driver's seat cushion. Body looks nice and sound.