oil smell inside-help please

[cam01speak]

hi all,

recently i am getting oil smell inside my camry. i started noticing it whenever i have the
heat on and in defrost mode.
couple of weeks ago, i saw some oil around the oil filter so i removed the filter,
cleaned the dirt where the filter sits and installed a new filter. now i don't see oil around it.

also, when the car idles the idling seems to be a little rough (like a sore throat).

what do you think is the problem? i have 52000 miles on it.

[Bill in SC]

Could be a small valve cover leak, or any other type small oil leak getting on the engine, thus creating the smell. No idea on the rough idling as it could be a myriad of things.. You wouldn't think at 52K the plugs or wires would be suspect, but the possibility is there. Injectors could be somewhat dirty also, but once again, at 52K they shouldn't be. Perhaps a vacumn hose became disconnected..
Bill in SC

[Gary_602Z]

Try cleaning the EGR valve for your rough idle.

Gary

Might try a can of SeaFoam first to see if that helps.

[camry300]

check if there is an oil pool under the distributor. If yes then the o ring is leaking.

[cam01speak]

thanks for your replies.
i don't know much about egr valves and seafoam.
where is the egr valve and what is seafoam used for?

i don't sea any oil spill anywhere.
should i go under the car and check out all the hoses are something?

[mazdaverx7]

which engine and model year do you have?

[BlueFusion6851]

If you want to use seafoam, use a pyrex measuring glass and pour about 6 oz in there. Take your brake booster line off your intake tubing. place the open end of that hose into your seafoam. Start up your car until it's all gone. Turn off car. Wait 5-10 mins. Drive the sh*t out of it to burn off any remaining seafoam. TAH-DAH

[cam01speak]

i was looking under the hood and found out that i left the oil cap off
and driving without it for a week. fortunately, the cap was just sitting in the gap where
i left it.

since i drove it without the cap for a week, is it bad for the engine? should i change the
oil again?

[Bill in SC]

Say watt!!? You have been smelling oil for a week, and didn't raise the hood? Then you wrote the forum for ideas, BEFORE you even raised the hood!!? If I live to be 200.....

BB in SC

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by cam01speak

i was looking under the hood and found out that i left the oil cap off
and driving without it for a week. fortunately, the cap was just sitting in the gap where
i left it.

since i drove it without the cap for a week, is it bad for the engine? should i change the
oil again?

"A week" doesn't tell us how far you drove or under what conditions. First thing to do would be to check the oil level. How low is the oil level? If it is only down a quart, or a little bit more, I wouldn't be concerned. I would just add oil until it is full, unless it is time for an oil change. Don't drive it any more until you bring the oil level back to the full or near full mark.

Mike

[cam01speak]

i drove about 60 miles last week.
the irony is i almost opened the hood everyday after stopping the car to check
but i guess somehow i didn't look at the cap. i was looking at all other places.

also, oil level remains fairly at or above the full mark. so didn't add anymore.
i found only a little bit of splash thru the cap opening.

[hclee25]

do a oil change, hopefully u didn't get any dirt, debrid in there. i'm wondering if the oil pressure light came on.

[Luckynumber5]

^ oil change wont be necessary.

[Eye8Pussies]

^ unless it rained during the week....

but got pretty lucky there, eh?

[cam01speak]

oil looks pretty clean when i check it with the dipstick.
the hood is so close to the oil cap, i think that helped to keep dirt from going in.

i just did an oil change at around 51k. now it is almost 52k so i am going to
wait for another 1k and do an early 55k oil change.