All:

I have a burning oil/exhaust smell inside my '04. I recently overfilled the oil by about a quart, drove it for a couple of days, then drained it back down to the normal level.

Any ideas if the two are related, or what may be causing this?

I do have the Service Engine Soon light on.

Thanks in advance,

Paul.

 

Your valve covers are probably leaking oil onto the exhaust.
Get a 8mm 12 point socket and tighten the valve cover bolts.
The excess oil will burn off.

 

I had the valve cover gaskets replaced this summer. Are they known to work loose?

 

Yes, yes they are.
It is a good idea to snug them back up at every oil change, 90% of the time they do not need to be replaced, just tightened back up.

 

Thanks!

 

No problem.

 

No dice. Looked at the valve covers- dry as a bone.

Anything else I should check?

 

BTW, it is impossible to tighten the inside rocker cover bolts on a 4.6L without the removal of the upper intake manifold. I doubt I will be doing this every time I change the oil!

 

Fireman, the GEMS is the same way, however think of it this way, the oil return passages are on the bottom side of the heads, so gravity pulls the oil down to the low side of the head and it pools between the valve cover and cylinder head before returning to the sump.
It will not leak on the high side of the valve cover because of gravity.
So you dont need to worry about those bolts, just the ones on the low side.
Make sense?

 

Clean the engine, drive it for a week and then look for the leak with a flashlight.