4 SYMPTOMS OF A BAD VALVE COVER GASKET

The purpose of the valve cover gasket is to keep engine oil from dripping out and dirt from getting in. Some gaskets also have the spark plug tube seals attached. These prevent engine oil from entering the spark plug tubes.

location

The location of the valve cover gasket will be between the valve cover and the cylinder head. It’s also important to know that some engines can have two valve covers, so your car will have two gaskets (pointed with an arrow in the picture).

symptoms

check engine light

The first symptom you might be experiencing with a bad valve cover gasket is having your check engine light on. To be more specific, you might get any of the misfire codes listed below:

• P0300

• P0301

• P0302

• P0303

• P0304

• P0305

• P0306

• P0307

• P0308

• P0309

• P0310

• P0311

• P0312

This could happen if the spark plug tube seal is torn, allowing the engine oil to enter. If the engine oil enters the spark plug tube it can block the electricity flow from the coil to the spark plug. This in turn will prevent the spark plug from firing, leading to a misfire.

Ensure you can access your car's diagnostic codes by acquiring an OBD2 scanner here.

oil leak

The second symptom of a bad valve cover gasket is oil leaking from the valve cover. If the gasket is torn or damaged, it won’t be able to hold in the oil when the vehicle is running. This will lead to the next symptom…

smoke from the engine

Smoke coming from the engine. This can happen if the oil is leaking past the valve cover and into a hot surface such as the exhaust manifold. In some situations, you won’t see smoke but you’ll be able to smell burnt oil.

oil light

The fourth symptom of a bad valve cover gasket is an oil light on the dashboard. If too much oil escapes outside of the valve cover or into the spark plug tubes, the oil pressure sensor will notice this. Once this happens, the oil light will illuminate on the dashboard to warn the driver.

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If you ever run into this issue, make sure to take care of it right away as the engine oil is super important for your engine to run properly and not overheat.

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If you concluded that your valve cover gasket needs to be replaced and you want to do it yourself, I would recommend getting a repair manual here. You can use code “AD10VA” for 15% off one-year subscriptions for any US Order.

You can also buy a new valve cover gasket here.

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