2000 Ford Focus - Smell burning oil

2000 FORD FOCUS
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USCHNC
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We're not sure where the oil leak is! The smell of burning oil is coming through the air vents and is only intermittent (approx. every travelled 10-15 kilometers or idling 15-20 minutes). No indication of oil drips on floor. Oil pressure guage is reading okay. No indication of lost oil from oil reservoir either. Any suggestions as to where we might look to track down this and quell the stinky odor? :? Thanks in advance. :)
Jan 12, 2006 at 2:47 PM

What to check next

Diagnostic guidance. Suggested checks and possible repairs are separate from the owner's reported results.

Have the odor traced while it is present. The valve-cover area mentioned by another participant is a lead for inspection, not a confirmed diagnosis for this vehicle.

Guidance references and applicability

Source: Original question and visible replies. Owner reports and other participants' experiences are distinguished. Next steps are editorial guidance for obtaining diagnosis or clarifying the reported findings; they are not a verified repair procedure or an independently confirmed component diagnosis.

Read the replies · Discussion summary and reported outcome

AI-ASSISTED GUIDANCE · REVIEWED BY 2CARPROS
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MATT2123
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I have the same thing occuring on my 2001 focus. I have no oil marks on my driveway and my oil level is not low. Any suggestions?
Jul 3, 2006 at 2:54 AM
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CIRCUSPIG
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I had the exact problem with my car. The problem with my focus was the valve cover gasket. The old one was letting the smallest bit of oil out and cooking on the exhaust header. The old gasket was brittle and stiff. I did this change around 150,000 miles on my focus. I hope this helps you guys.

The repair is so so so easy for the DIY. A gasket can be purchased for around $40 at an autoparts dealer.
Apr 2, 2008 at 9:23 AM

Discussion summary

2000 Ford Focus - Smell burning oil

A 2000 Focus developed an intermittent burning-oil smell through the vents without an obvious driveway leak or reported drop in oil level.

Reported outcome: The original owner did not report a repair. A later participant said a valve-cover gasket had caused a similar smell on their own Focus.

The later participant's repair must not be presented as this owner's result. Their historical price and description of repair difficulty are not application-specific service guidance.

Read the original discussion

AI-ASSISTED SUMMARY · REVIEWED BY 2CARPROS
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